No doubt at some point during your wedding planning (or perhaps even before you were engaged) the thought has crossed your mind… what if we just elope instead? For too long, elopements have been pitted as the evil, secretive cousin of weddings; hell-bent on destroying the sacred institution of weddings with their personalised elements, general bucking of tradition and more private nature. The truth is that elopements and weddings happily co-exist when it comes to celebrating love. There is no good vs bad, right vs wrong – only what you and your partner choose as a reflection of your love for each other. The world of elopements resembles less of an evil cousin and more of a loving sibling; whilst both ceremonies have their differences, their purposes remain aligned towards the good things in life. Their styles are different, but they both at their core celebrate the same thing. Don’t feel pressure to choose between these two formats. Simply design a day that the two of you want as you celebrate your love, and then let other people worry about a label!

 

So, what actually is eloping?

Weddings are a beautiful exclamation in front of all your loved ones that you are committing to a life of awesomeness together. Elopements are a whisper in your lover’s ear, a commitment to a life of awesomeness together only the two of you can hear. Both are amazing ways to celebrate your love, and both can be customised in myriad ways. That’s the best way we can describe the difference. An enthusiastic shout vs a warm whisper. Both beautiful, and both offering a different experience.

 

Why do people elope?

It used to be assumed that an elopement was more aligned with a ‘shotgun wedding’ – a secret bun in the oven, family feud or disagreeable peers. These days, it symbolises the complete freedom for couples to celebrate in meaningful ways as opposed to ‘the done thing’. It gives guaranteed personalised vibes, not rubber-stamp vibes. Weddings are more susceptible to outside influence and pressure due to the scale and monetary involvement from various parties. It’s all too common to hear of parents simultaneously gifting large sums of cash towards a wedding and then requesting an extension to the guest list. Eloping strips back a lot of the extra items (some meaningful, some not) that can creep into a wedding experience and instead focuses wholly on the couple and what they want.

 

What can we do for our elopement?

We are HUGE fans of doing things your way as you celebrate your love! If you want to maximise your elopement experience, make it more YOU! That’s our number one tip. Perhaps you don’t love the idea of a cake cut, but love the idea of going for a surf together after your ceremony? Perhaps you don’t love the idea of being out in public, but love the idea of having a zero-guest ceremony at an Airbnb all to yourselves? Perhaps you don’t want any guests for the ceremony, but you want to meet them for dinner afterwards? Perhaps you don’t love the idea of a first dance, but love the idea of catching up with mates for a drink after the ceremony is all done? Perhaps you love mountain biking and decide to ride some bush trails together whilst getting photos taken before your private ceremony? We’re seeing more and more people bring their own flavour to their day, and we are heeeeeere for it. We have had real couples do all the above and we know they all had the best day ever. A great place to start is to simply think about what you enjoy together and what fills you both with joy – then try to incorporate that into your special day (or night!)

 

If this sounds like a brilliant idea to you, hit up your friendly neighbourhood elopement team at www.bigloveelopements.com.au