The Pros And Cons Of Eloping

Not everyone has a Pinterest board full of wedding ideas that they have been saving well before they even got engaged. Wedding planning can be a very stressful and not fun experience for so many couples and making the decision to elope can ease that pressure significantly! Below are a few pros and cons of eloping that can help you decide if it is the right thing for you:

No Wedding Planning

Like we mentioned before, wedding planning is so stressful. From strict timelines, seating charts and figuring out who you want to invite it can become very overwhelming. Eloping gives you an easier and less tedious planning route that won’t make you want to cry. Even though elopements still require a bit of planning, hiring help like elopement photographers or planners will make the world of difference with planning.

Spend The Day Focusing On You And Your Partner

Elopements let you spend the day focusing on what a wedding day is actually about. Bigger weddings tend to be more about the party than the actual ceremony and having had experience shooting multiple big weddings and elopements we can vouch that elopements let you focus the day on both you and your partner. With big weddings it is very common for couples to not spend any time together because they are entertaining guests and usually have to wait Intel the end of the day to finally soak in the fact that they are married.

Flexibility On Your Venue

When you decide to elope, your venue possibilities are more abundant than you think! The courthouse is not your only option. There are so many nature areas with beautiful scenery where you can have your adventure elopement like National Parks, Mountains, Forests, Coasts, and so many amazing places.

Double Your Elopement As Your Honeymoon Location

Have you ever thought about having an extended honeymoon instead? Imagine extending your honeymoon and eloping at that location instead! If you are going to a location where you can’t legally get married, you can have a commitment ceremony there and legalize things back home!

Stress-Free

Did you know that when you choose to elope your stress levels drop dramatically? This is not scientifically backed up (lol) but we have seen it over and over with couples that we have worked with. Eloping gives you a sense of relief from wedding planning pressures and lets you plan a day that is actually meaningful to you.

Thinking about planning your Adventure Elopement? Download Our Free Adventure Planning Guide And Checklist to help you get started!

No Strict Timelines

Elopements have more flexible timelines that don’t require you to be running around to make it to all of the wedding events that are usually crammed into a wedding timeline. You can plan to enjoy your 2 hour dinner without having to inhale your food to make it to the next reception event. Having a flexible timeline also allows you to add some awesome activities that will make your elopement day fun and meaningful to you!

No unwanted opinions from others

We can guarantee that soon after you get engaged you will begin to hear about what you should do or shouldn’t do on your wedding day. Since elopements have little to no guests you don’t have to deal with familial pressures or unwanted opinions from a lot of people. 

Less Expensive

The average wedding day depending on your state can cost up to $30,000 USD. Eloping can cost less than half of that number and you have the flexibility to put that money toward things that will give you memories, not fancy napkins with your name on them that end up in the trash.

More Eco-Friendly

Speaking of trash, elopements don’t produce as much trash as a traditional wedding making them a better option for the environment . According to the Green Bride Guide a wedding on average can produce up to 400 pounds of trash. That’s a whole lot of garbage! 

It’s More Intimate

Eloping is not for everyone, but some couples would rather not have to confess their love to each other in front of an audience. Eloping is more intimate and you can enjoy a day without having all eyes on you.  

Unplanned Events Can Happen 

You more than likely are going to choose the cool venue to host your elopement vs. a courthouse and that means a few unexpected things can happen. Due to the nature of some non traditional venues you will have to deal with mother nature and be flexible with your day. When we work with couples we always have a plan B & C ready to go just in case there are any issues with plan A. If you are a spontaneous couple this should not be a problem for you and it can actually be pretty fun!

Smaller Guest List 

Because you chose to elope that may mean you have a small guest list or no guests at all. Some couples decide to have up to 20 of their closest family and friends to celebrate with them but others love the idea of it just being them two adventuring together on their day. There is no right or wrong amount amount of people that need to be present as long as they are on board with what you envision for they day.

Unwanted Family Opinions

Eloping can bring a few unwanted opinions from family when they feel excluded from your day, but there are ways to include them on your elopement day. The key when thinking about family or other loved ones is to help them understand why it is so important to you to just elope.

Wedding Activities Can Be Confusing 

Think wedding gifts, bachelorette parties, bridal showers etc. It may feel a little difficult to plan these things when you elope because you may feel bad about not inviting those people attending your activities to an actual wedding. However these are great ways to include your loved ones when you plan to elope just the two of you!

Follow Us On Instagram!