You probably noticed that I am talking about elopements EVERYWHERE on my website, you may have seen the term “elopement” on many wedding blogs before but… You’re not really sure what an elopement is? I GOT YOU! Find out here where the word “elopement” comes from, what it means, what a wedding day like this looks like and why I’m so passionate about it.
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Elopement: origin and meaning of the word
Elopement. Say it again. 🔊 ɪˈloʊpmənt. It is a noun derived from the verb “to elope”. This term was used for marriages that were not approved by families, and historically meant “running away secretly with the intention of getting married usually without parental consent”. A rather romantic and rebellious origin when you think about it!
These times where an elopement was a secretive and quick thing are OVER. Today, an elopement is a wedding experience that offers you endless possibilities on what your wedding day can look like!
And if you are looking for a definition that fully and truly embodies what an elopement really is today, I suggest you this one:
Elopement. noun.
An elopement is an intentional, intimate, meaningful and authentic wedding experience that is a genuine reflection of your couple and that really focuses on the two of you.
If this way of getting married is becoming more and more popular, it is for good reasons! So what exactly does an elopement wedding day look like? Continue reading to find out and understand why the idea is attracting more and more couples.
What is an elopement today?
To put it simply, an elopement is a wedding experience ALL ABOUT YOU. Who you are as a couple and as individuals. It’s a day where you celebrate your love the way YOU want. It’s a day where you don’t limit yourself to following a predefined traditional wedding schedule with a list of things to respect and traditions to follow, without really knowing why. And which, by the way, do not really have any meaning for your couple. It is a day where you do not bridle yourself, where you can be completely yourself, wholeheartedly, shamelessly. The only rule is that there is none. YOU create YOUR dream day as you see fit, as you like.
With an elopement, the guest list comes down to the people you are closest to (we are talking about 5, 10, 20 guests at most). Or, you can also choose to share this adventure just between the two of you, in the privacy of your relationship, and to have a party with friends and family around a bonfire later. The only thing to think about: choosing the epic place where you would like to get married! You could: climb to the top of a mountain to exchange your vows there, do a buggy ride in the desert and spend your wedding night in a tent, take a helicopter to explore an otherwise unreachable place and create epic memories, be wed in the middle of the Scandinavian fjords, at the foot of a waterfall in Iceland, on a secluded paradise beach, on a sailboat in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, or even in a rain forest… Everything is possible! The only thing that is expected of you in fact is to say yes! Love is an adventure, so why your wedding day should be any different, right?
Choosing to elope is choosing to fully live the happiest day of your married life… without artifice, pre-established codes and sacrifices of a big traditional wedding. It is choosing to create a UNIQUE day, which only belongs to you. Most importantly, it allows you to live a day without stress, without rush, without judgment, and without obligation. Choosing to elope, it is choosing to share your wedding day with the one and only person who really matters to you that day: your partner.
Why should I condider eloping?
Each couple is unique, so the reasons are different for each one of them! But here are some examples of why couples choose to elope instead of having a big traditional wedding.
- You are looking for a non-traditional alternative to celebrate your wedding and want something unique. You do not recognize yourself in the codes of a traditional wedding and do not want a cookie-cutter day that looks like everyone else’s.
- You are introverted and the thought of being the center of the attention makes you feel anxious, you are looking for privacy on your wedding day. You want to feel free to be yourself, without feeling judged and desire to be away from social pressure.
- You value living experiences over owning material things, you want to LIVE your day to the fullest and do activities that you enjoy sharing together as a couple.
- For you, the most important thing in a wedding day is you two, your connection, your love and the commitment you make to one another. So you want to spend quality time with your partner and focus all your attention on them.
- The single thought of planning a big wedding and exchanging your vows in front of more than 100 people makes you die a little in the inside. You see this as a performance to entertain an audience of people with whom you do not share a particularly intimate bond – distant family members whom you only meet at weddings/funerals or your father’s work colleagues…
- Speaking of family, maybe you have overcome a family trauma and you don’t want these people’s energies to spoil your day. Or you’d rather avoid the family drama that comes with many traditional weddings, between the guest list and the seating arrangements… You can save yourself a lot of headaches!
- You prefer to spend your money on a trip around the world with your partner, or in the realization of a project with them instead of putting all your savings on a single day, and on things which you do not give so much importance in but… you still buy because this is what is expected of you.
What does an elopement day look like?
An elopement is an EXPERIENCE.
You can forget the myth that an elopement must be a quick little endeavour. No, they’re not! Just because you choose to get married differently than a big traditional wedding doesn’t mean you have to do it quickly. On the contrary, choosing an elopement is choosing to spend quality time together. Eloping is precisely based on creating a wedding experience that looks and feels like you, because the way you choose to get married matters! The day is not just about the ceremony, but the whole journey you take together. An elopement can last from half a day to several days depending on what type of adventure to share together to mark the occasion. You can do whatever you want on the day of your elopement. The day is a blank page, it’s up to you to write the story!
An elopement is an EXTENSION OF YOUR PERSONNALITIES.
Each couple is unique, so each wedding day should be too! Elopements allow couples to be completely themselves and to make their day something that truly represents them. If you are adventurous and are more likely to be found camping somewhere in a forest than in a trendy nightclub on a Saturday night… If you prefer your sneakers or hiking shoes to stiletto heels… If your thing is backpacking and avoiding luxury all-inclusive hotels… Chances are that you will be more in your element having a wedding day up in the mountains, with a meal by a campfire… Rather than planning a large sumptuous and codified reception in a chateau. Some couples choose to hike in a place they have not explored yet, others choose to kayak, climb, parachute jump, camp… Others choose to travel to a country they do not know yet to make their wedding day an unforgettable adventure. One thing is certain, it will be quite a story to tell!
The only thing that really matters for this day is that your wedding is truly and completely focused on YOU. Each year, on the occasion of your anniversary, you deserve to remember this day with nostalgia, euphoria, and above all without any regrets!
How to plan an elopement?
Planning an elopement is much easier than planning a big traditional wedding! Mainly because your goal is to think about YOU, what you love to do, not how best to serve your guests and make everyone else happy. Of course, there are quite a few things to consider, but they are completely different things than the one you would have to think about with a big traditional wedding.
A great way to start visualizing your wedding experience is to sit down together, serve yourself a beer (or whatever your poison is) and relax. Then think about the following things together: what would a perfect day be like together? What activities do you like to share as a couple? What kind of food do you like to eat together? What kind of places/landscapes make you feel most at peace with yourself? Write down all of these ideas and then take a step back. Now take another sip, and imagine both of you actually LIVING these things on your wedding day. How do you feel ? What works? What doesn’t? This gives you food for thought on what would suit you best! And remember, there is absolutely NO limit for your elopement, except the ones you put yourself. So, dream big, dream wildly.
And then what? This is where I come in! I help my clients with essential things in the elopement planning process:
- Searching for the PERFECT place, which offers you the epic landscape of your dreams and privacy to live your elopement without distraction.
- Defining the schedule of your elopement which gives you time to explore the surroundings and admire the landscape, that’s why you chose that place, right? So take full advantage of it!
- Helping you find local partners as needed.
- Capturing all your experience in photos so that you can relive this unique day again and again!
In terms of planning time, this can range from a few weeks to 1 year. If you want to do a last minute elopement though, you can always check my availability by contacting me right here. My passport is always ready!
Basically, all you have to do is choose your favorite place, book your trip, your partners, and find clothes to wear, I’ll take care of the rest. I will be there to guide you along the way!
An elopement is a unique and special wedding experience
Eloping is not for everyone. Just as a traditional wedding is not a good fit for all couples. Everyone has the right to marry as they see fit. The only thing that matters is that your wedding day truly feels and looks like you. When thinking about your upcoming wedding day, you deserve to feel a thrill. When thinking of celebrating your love, you deserve to be excited.
Eloping is for brave people whose priority is their partner, who are ready to break free from the codes, to go beyond the stereotypes to choose something different, meaningful and intentional. Eloping is for lovers who choose to celebrate their commitment to each other in an intimate and unique way. Eloping is for couples who know that the day they commit to one another only belongs to them and is only about them. Eloping is for those who want to feel free to say, do, think and feel what they want on their wedding day. Eloping is for those who put social pressure and obligations, stress and judgment on the black list because this kind of negative energy is not welcome at their wedding.
Eloping is taking your partner’s hand, holding it tight, and embarking on an epic adventure together, that looks like you.
This is really what eloping is about.
Did it resonate with you? Does that sound like the kind of wedding day you secretly dream of? Would you like to know more?
Let’s set up a free consultation call (or let’s meet if you are in the southwest of France!). I would be so happy to guide you to a more intentional wedding experience, which really feels like you.