Hope everyone is staying cozy in this cold Michigan weather! As I’m typing this I have my crockpot filled with soup, a heating pad all toasty warm, and some cozy music playing. I may not enjoy being outside in the cold, but I do enjoy the opportunity to stay home and be cozy. It’s not something I often do, plus who doesn’t love a good soup in cold weather!
Lately on social media, I’ve been seeing brides change their minds about having a big wedding. They start planning a big wedding with 200ish guests, get overwhelmed, and then cancel it to elope and hold a small reception later. And let’s be honest here for a second: planning any sort of large event can get overwhelming quickly. I absolutely want to validate their feelings of overwhelm because there’s a lot of moving parts and things to consider. During my own wedding planning there were days I was ready to say “screw it” and elope. Ultimately we held our 150 person wedding and it turned out great. It was exactly what we wanted.
If you’re struggling to decide on whether to elope or hold a larger wedding, here are some things to consider.
Consider This For Your Elopement
Elopements are very intimate and private. The elopements I’ve witnessed have included the couple, an officiant, and myself (an elopement and wedding photographer). If the thought of being in a room with a lot of people overwhelms you, eloping is a great idea. This is an opportunity for the couple to truly focus on themselves and narrow in on that moment privately. My husband and I wrote vows for each other, and I was an anxious mess to read them in front of 150 people. Vows can be such a private and intimate thing. Even at larger weddings, I’ve worked with couples that don’t even want me near them while they read their private vows (which I totally support). Elopements as a whole are so intimate and special.
Like weddings, the options for elopements are unlimited and I’d love to help you plan yours. While you can have more flexibility in your budget for elopements, they can be just as expensive as a full wedding if you plan it that way. Full disclosure- if you’re planning a destination elopement, by the time you book your travel, photographer, officiant, hair/makeup, and find a gown, you could be paying a significant amount of money that could also be used for a wedding. While it certainly can be cheaper to elope, I wouldn’t make this the only reason to do so!
You can do the whole destination elopement! Are you big fans of traveling? Is there a dream location you’ve always wanted to see together? Do it. Getting married to your person in an epic location like the Salt Flats in Utah or on the beach in Florida can make for an unforgettable trip. I’ve seen people book a cruise and take their photographer with them to get married. Can you imaging cruising through Alaska and marrying your person? Or cruising through the Bahamas? Talk about dreamy!
Elopements don’t always have to be a destination elopement. You can get married right in your hometown and still have a wonderful elopement. Get a fancy hotel suite for a couple days- get ready together. Wear a little white dress or a suit, or wear something more casual if that’s your style. You can also still buy a wedding gown if that’s important to you. Once you’re ready, it’s time to go down to the courthouse and get married. Go to a private bar or intimate restaurant afterwards to celebrate just the two of you and really spend that time together. I love how intimate that whole example feels. Truly just being with your partner.
Consider This For Your Wedding
If you’re considering a wedding, but feel overwhelmed by it there are options. I would highly recommend considering a wedding planner for your day. Wedding planners are wonderful, wonderful people. I’ve worked with so many planners and have planned weddings myself. Planners truly help you take care of everything. They can help you vet out vendors and venues, get your dream decor set up, and handle last minute issues that pop up (most of the time without you even knowing about the problem in the first place). If you love the thought of having a bigger wedding but planning it out overwhelms you, hiring a planner is the way for you to go.
You can also limit your guest list. If the amount of people is what’s holding you back from a wedding, you can absolutely limit your guest list. You can do family only. You can do friends only. It’s your day, so you should only invite those closest to you and who will be overjoyed to celebrate you. You can have your dream wedding with a limited guest list! Have you heard of a micro-wedding? These are events typically of 10-60 people. One of my first ever weddings I photographed was a micro-wedding of 30 people. It was wonderfully intimate.
Or. Do Both.
Who says you can’t have it all? I work with many military couples who travel and move around a lot. Working with military couples is such an honor, and I truly love it. But did you know that most of the military couples I work with are already married? Yep. A lot of times it benefits them to quickly get married before deployment or before one of them is stationed elsewhere. My military couples elope in the location they are currently living, and then throw a bigger wedding in their home area when they are ready. And the best part? You can do this any time. Literally. Who says you can’t throw a wedding 2 years after your elopement? No one. If you want both, do both!
Dream Elopement Locations
Are you eloping and looking for a photographer? Hi! Hello! I would LOVE to work with you. I would love to work with you at a discounted rate to work in these locations: anywhere in Alaska; anywhere in Utah; Sedona, Arizona; and the Smokies in Tennessee. Just contact me, let me know your thoughts about your elopement, and I’d love to work together to plan it!
