The Top 6 Best Reasons to Elope

To some, the idea of an elopement conjures up a picture of a short inexpensive dress from the closest retail store, a bouquet of flowers from a craft shop, and a quick visit to the county courthouse. In years past, there was often a negative connotation associated with eloping. Many people believed couples who eloped were doing something wrong. Such as running away from family members because they didn’t approve, or hiding an unexpected pregnancy. Although these were common reasons for eloping in the past, couples reasons to elope have definitely changed over time.

In recent years the average cost of weddings have skyrocketed. Couples have begun to realize that they were spending money on something they didn’t even want. This idea of hosting a wedding with traditions that aren’t reflective of them began pushing couples toward an alternative.

For the Untraditional Couples

For some, that may still mean a quick visit to the courthouse or an inexpensive DIY wedding. However, if you’re an adventurous couple, you likely still want to go all out for your wedding. You just want to experience an epic and meaningful day that celebrates your love in your trademark style. 

You could spend the morning posing for formal portraits with every combination of family members you can think of. Or you could spend the morning drinking champagne from the balcony of a mountain chalet overlooking the Swiss Alps. 

If the thought of saying your vows in front of 300 people seems deeply impersonal, you can choose to whisper your sweet words to each other on the Cliffs of Moher as the fog swirls around your ankles and your promises are carried away on the wind. 

Make your way back to your Airbnb knowing the private chef you hired has a hot delicious supper waiting. Versus hoping your cold food will still be at the table when you manage to get away from talking to the 10th person who has stopped you to say congratulations.

Instead of trying to save your cousin from being hit on by a drunk coworker, you could be next to your new spouse on the beaches of Hawaii, and watch the sun set as the warm waters lap against your surfboard. 

Instead of breathing out a sigh of relief as you get in the car after a sparkler exit, you could have your breath taken away by the Iceland landscape as you and your love take in the views from a helicopter. Although these may sound like reasons enough for many people, here’s the best reasons to elope from actual eloping couples.

The Biggest Reasons Couples Skip the Traditional Wedding

Unfortunately many of our couples have told us in the past that they don’t really want a traditional wedding day. They may feel obligated to, or they feel that their relatives would be mad if they didn’t have one. It’s pretty heartbreaking to hear that your couple’s wedding day is not going to be what they actually want.

Reasons to elope #1: A wedding experience focused on celebrating your love

We love that elopements allow you to create a unique and beautiful experience for your wedding day. Traditional weddings are nice, but they aren’t for every couple. More often than not, traditional weddings have a tendency to become much more guest focused than couple focused. Most of the stress that comes with a wedding is often stress about throwing the perfect party for your guests. This includes making sure they are having a great time. As well as going through the motions of all the little reception traditions. 

One of the top reasons why couples say they elope is that they want an experience focused on them. The magic of a ceremony where you don’t have to worry about hundreds of prying eyes witnessing an intimate moment between you. The day can be about what they want, and how they feel most comfortable celebrating their love. The sad truth is, it’s almost impossible to have time for any intimate moments with your new spouse. Especially when you’re both trying to be a good host to one of the biggest events of your life.

Reasons to elope #2: A day that is authentic to who you are as a couple

Don’t get us wrong, traditional weddings are great when they fit who the couple is. We’ve shot at several weddings that we couldn’t imagine the couple doing anything different than a traditional wedding, because that’s just who they are! They often are huge extroverts, love a good party and are so excited to be around hundreds of friends and family to celebrate together and dance into the night. 

Couples who elope often do so because a traditional wedding just isn’t the type of thing they are into. They feel that crafting a unique day that incorporates many things they love, is a truer representation of them and the best way to celebrate their love together. 

Reasons to elope #3: A day with no family expectations or drama

Perhaps you don’t have the best family dynamic and would prefer to not deal with the family drama on your wedding day. It’s unfortunate that not everyone has a super supportive family. However, with elopements you can be sure to only have the people there with you that are! 

If you are lucky enough to have a supportive family with you, elopements can still help ease the idea of family expectations. An elopement is already expected to differ from a typical day. Sitting down and discussing how you envision your day to go can help expectations to dissipate completely.

Reasons to elope #4: Experiences over things

A common misconception is that elopements are just a quick couple of hours. Not a big event like a traditional wedding. Another common misconception is that couples elope because they don’t want to spend money on a big wedding. We are here to tell you that is NOT the case for many eloping couples. It’s not that you don’t want to spend money on a wedding, it’s that you don’t want to spend money on things you DON’T CARE ABOUT!! Eloping couples value experiences over things. Many eloping couples would rather spend that 30k average price tag on amazing and epic experiences for themselves rather than on a venue, mediocre catering, and monogrammed napkins. 

You could spend 10k on catering for all of your guests, you could spend that money on plane tickets and travel expenses to a far off location. Instead of renting out tables, linens, and decorations, you can spend more to hire a better photographer/videographer that you may not have been able to go with for a traditional wedding. Instead of paying for wedding party gifts and wedding guest favors, you could hire a private chef, or book a helicopter tour. 

Eloping allows you to open up the possibilities on how you choose to spend your money and only spend money on the things that are important to you!

Reasons to elope #5: Less stress and anxiety

Planning a big wedding is very stressful. There are so many things to worry about, especially if you’re trying to do everything yourself. It’s HARD, and it’s definitely not for everyone. There’s a lot of people who would prefer not to stress out over planning their wedding. An elopement has so much less moving parts, and oftentimes the right photographer can help schedule out your day to help it go smoothly. There are also planners who specialize in elopements. All you have to do is show up and you will have your dream elopement ready for you!

The thought of a huge wedding may sound like a nightmare to people who are more introverted. I can definitely relate to panicked thoughts of having everyone staring at you on the dance floor, or worrying about stuttering in front of a huge audience. If this is you, I would highly recommend going with an elopement. Your wedding day is the happiest day of your life, and it shouldn’t be overshadowed by anxiety. You should be able to focus on the beautiful and intimate moment of getting married to your favorite person, and spending the day celebrating with each other and whoever else you are comfortable with coming along. 

Reasons to elope #6: Unique photos different from anyone elses!

Whether you decide to elope at a glamorous resort in Hawaii, or go on an adventure to a mountain top in the Rockies, eloping will definitely net you some unique photos that are unlike anyone else’s! That may not be at the top of the list of reasons to elope. However, it is an added bonus for those of you who want photos that stand out from the norm. 

There may be a lot of reasons why you should consider eloping. These are some of the popular reasons couples choose to elope!

If you’re still on the fence, here’s a little exercise for you. Close your eyes and think about you and your partner. If you could plan out the most perfect day to spend together, what would it look like? What would you do, where would you go? If the answer is something different from a traditional wedding day, let’s chat and see what we can do to help bring that day to life! Looking to elope in Idaho? Check out our ultimate guide to help you get started!

xx Jackie