Eloping. Also known as running away from home to get married. And with the craziness of the world right now, I am pretty sure eloping has never sounded so good.
Some couples love the process and dream of their wedding. Others may not. Huge expensive extravagant 300+ people weddings may not be for everyone. And that is okay! Las Vegas being the wedding capital of the world with 74,000 weddings in 2019 proves that elopements are still a popular option.
Your traditional elopement involves the couple running away and getting married in secrecy. But over time they have evolved into weddings that are intimate. This can be a trip down to the courthouse, or a mini destination wedding. Here are some reasons why it may be an option for you.
1. It is just the two of you! And that is really all that matters. Sometimes weddings become so big that the meaning can get lost. Other things seem to take priority, like the big families, the venues, the dress. An elopement allows you to go back to basics and celebrate what a marriage is really about, your two lives coming together as one.
2. We all know weddings are expensive. In the US the average wedding in 2019 cost almost $34,000. You could go somewhere amazing to have a wedding and your honeymoon all in one wonderful trip.. And have money left over if that was your budget. The pricetag is a big hesitation for a large wedding and a good motivator for many who choose to elope. The reception costs alone tend to be 50% of your budget. Without having to feed and entertain a larger number of people you can put that money other places or save it all together.
3. Get away and have a new experience together. Maybe the idea of staying local doesn't leave much to the imagination. Elopements have evolved over time to basically being mini-destination weddings. This could be a good excuse to travel to that Hawaiian island you have always dreamed of visiting. The world is huge and not limited to Las Vegas. Your elopement options are unlimited. Turn your elopement into an epic experience and go anywhere your heart desires.
4. Save your sanity.. Making things simple may be the best decision for you. Every single bride I know has had a moment in their wedding planning process where they consider scrapping everything and just eloping. Myself included! Even as someone in the industry, planning was stressful. There are so many things that go into a wedding. Guest lists, invitations, the dress, the venue, the food menu, transportation, flowers, decor, lighting, DJ, photography... Okay that isn't even the full list but I will stop because it may make your head spin.
Some people may not want the stress, may not enjoy planning, or may just not want a ton of people at their wedding. Yes, there still a lot of things to take care of with traveling out of town to elope. But it is a lot less details to plan and you can even pass off most of that to a wedding planner in the location you are going. In fact a planner or a trusted vendor may be a very important part of the planning process to ensure you end up with trusted quality vendors since you cannot usually make a trip for meetings and scouting.
5. Without all the expectations from others you can have a unique wedding that is exactly what you want it to be. Just because you have an elopement doesn't mean you have to miss out on certain aspects of a larger wedding. You can still buy your dream dress, smash cake in eachother's faces, have a first dance, or whatever else you want to include. You can implement your wedding and religious traditions. An elopement doesn't mean limitations, in fact it is completely the opposite. It gives you the freedom of choice to say yes and no to things without pressure from family.
If you want to plan an elopement and do not know where to start I have a guide and checklist to help you out. Being based in Las Vegas couples eloping at wedding chapels are how we started our careers, so regardless of WHERE you elope we love and encourage these intimate style of weddings. They are a part of our history and our future and look forward to all of our future elopement sessions!
xoxo, Aly
Mayhew Photo