To Elope or Not to Elope
Let’s be real, nothing beats the fun (or spontaneity) of a good old fashioned/possibly new age elopement, but, like with all things wedding, it’s important to weigh it all out.
First things first, let’s hammer out the PROS (and there are many):
1. It’s a heck of a lot easier.
There’s no denying that not having to plan a large (or small) event for a whole room of people is wayyy easier than having to plan one. So consider the lack of stress and overall planning headache a huge win.
Bemiro Photography
2. It’s a whole lot cheaper.
While we’d all love to pretend that money doesn’t matter, truth is, it does. So it makes total sense that we’d love to save as much as we can wherever we can. Just think about how much money you could save by forgoing all the fancy shmancy formal things.
Rebecca Wood Photography
3. You can be wayyy more flexible!
Think about it, now that you don’t have to accommodate dozens, or possibly hundreds of other people you can actually just get down to doing what you want, where you want, how you want. You can choose super small venues, do a pop-up wedding, change the date last minute if you want to, or even go out to your favourite restaurant for a impromptu wedding meal you’ll actually eat and enjoy!
Shot by NYKS
4. The day stays about you.
Sure it’s great to have all your loved ones in one room, but so often couples get carried away trying to appease all the amazing people in their lives that mean so much to them - making this big day that’s supposed to be theirs, not really theirs at all. Eloping allows you to forget what Aunt Merle wants, and focus on what actually matters to you!
Shot by NYKS
Ok, now onto the CONS…
While there really aren’t too many con’s here, it is important to understand that doing something unconventional does come with its own sort of cons (as well as easy con-solving hacks) that you should at least be aware of before taking the big plunge.
1. Some people are going to be disappointed.
Heads up, while so, so many people are going to be so thrilled for you, there are going to be a few who are genuinely disappointed that they weren’t invited. The Hack: Find another way to honour loved ones who couldn’t be there/weren’t invited. Send out a marriage announcement, throw a reveal party, or make a bunch of personal calls. So long as people don’t feel like they had to hear it through the grapevine they’re all good.
Tara Lengyel Photography
2. Even though it’s less formal, there are still formalities.
Just because you’re not taking things as formally, doesn’t mean there won’t be legalities. While elopements tend to have the air of being impromptu, there’s still a little planning that needs to go into place in order to make sure they actually work. The Hack: Sometimes it involves registering in advance, bringing IDs, learning how long you have to stay in a place before marriages are legal (yup, that’s a thing) and figuring out whether or not you want a pre-nup.
3. If you’re going to want it captured, it’s still going to cost you.
Just because you’re having a smaller affair doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be memorable, or captured! In fact, it’s probably even more important that you take the time (and money) to invest in a great elopement photographer who can really capture the energy, fun, moment and meaning behind the intimate affair. The Hack: Fun fact - Shooting an elopement is typically wayyy easier than shooting a full blown wedding. There are less people, less edits, less time commitments. It’s just a total breeze in comparison. Photographers know this and so often have either “secret rates” or “a la carte” options you can choose from to make your elopement photography costs a little more manageable.
Saraya Joy Photography
Cover Photo By: Bemiro Photography | www.bemiro.com
