Top 7 Reasons to Elope | Destination Elopement Photography and Planning

“Elopement” has always been a pretty scandalous word. It used to mean running off to get married in secret because if family and friends knew about the intended wedding, they might disapprove. Or maybe the bride was pregnant and didn’t want to be an unwed mother. Regardless of the reason, eloping wasn’t always considered a good thing!

Now, the tables have turned, and eloping is a celebration! Eloping is the best possible way for couples to focus on what matters in their marriage – their relationship. So here are the top reasons why you should elope instead of have a big wedding!

Eloping is way less stressful.

Think about it. When you host a big wedding, you have to worry about the venue, the food, the photos, the attire, your wedding party attire, hotels, cake, florals, hair and makeup…. the list goes on and on! When you elope, you only have to worry about your attire, the location, and your photos. That’s it! Of course, you can absolutely add on whatever extra details you’d want to, but there’s zero obligation to do any of that.

Eloping allows you to focus on your relationship.

Similar to the above reasons, when you don’t have a daunting to-do list in front of you, you can spend all of that time and energy writing your heartfelt vows. Knowing that the majority of the details are taken care of means you can relax knowing all you have to do is wake up, get dressed, and marry your favorite person. Who could want anything more!?

As someone who wanted to elope and is now currently planning a big wedding, I can tell you firsthand that this wedding is more for the people around us than us as a couple. We’ve accepted this about our wedding and are choosing to look at it as a celebration of all the people who got us here. However, we know that we have other experiences coming along to really celebrate our relationship the way we want to.

Eloping is an opportunity to explore somewhere new.

Have you ever wanted to hike up a mountain in the Pacific Northwest, or down into the Grand Canyon? Or explore the Irish countryside? Why not get married while you do that? There are no rules anymore when it comes to eloping. So if you want to go on an adventure, do it! If you want to take a trip that feels like a honeymoon but get married at the same time, do it! Knock out two birds with one stone, and get the trip of a lifetime with your favorite person.

Eloping is more environmentally conscious.

If you’re like me and you feel like you recycle more than you throw things away, eloping is a good way to waste less. Think about hosting a huge reception dinner, and let’s say you have 200 guests. You’ll either end up with 200 sets of plastic silverware, paper plates, napkins, and plastic cups that will (maybe) end up in recycling, but more likely they’ll just end up in landfill; or, you could end up using 200 sets of dinnerware that will need to be washed, thus using a lot of water and energy. Also, consider the gas used for all 200 guests to attend your event, plus the vendors and staff. If you’re constantly thinking about your carbon footprint, eloping is a great, much less wasteful alternative.

You’ll save money that you can spend on your future selves.

According to a lot of different publications, the average wedding costs about as much as a car. By spending less money on your guests, you’re saving money that you can put toward your honeymoon or a different vacation, a down payment on a house, a new car, or whatever big treat-yoself item you want to get!

Fewer guests = less drama.

This kinda speaks for itself, but the fewer clashing personalities at an event, the less risk for conflict. Whether it’s just you and your favorite person, or your immediate family is in attendance, you’ll have far fewer opinions to be concerned about if you just elope instead.

Bomb ass photos.

At the end of the day, the photos are the only thing you get to keep from your wedding. You’ll more than likely never wear that dress or suit again. You’ll probably never have that exact same cake or food again. But you know what you will have? The photos. You know what the future generations will have to look back on when they tell the story of your lives? The photos. You know the old saying that people use when they want proof of something? “Pics or it didn’t happen.” Yeah. Get yourself some bomb ass photos.

Got other reasons why eloping is the best? Leave a comment! Maybe I’ll update this post to include your reason. If this totally made up your mind and you’re now ready to elope, hit the button below! I’d love to help you plan the elopement of your dreams!