Where Should We Elope? - How to Pick the Perfect Elopement Location
Once you’ve made the brave decision to elope, you may not know exactly where you should share this adventure! You may have looked at each other, excited about all the possibilities, and asked each other “So, where should we elope?”
I know choosing a location for your elopement day can be overwhelming and daunting, given that there are so many incredible places around the world for you to tie the knot. One of the best things about eloping is that there is no rules. However, the drawback of having so much freedom where anything is possible can make it nearly impossible to know what to do.
This guide will help you answer the question “Where should we elope?” and give you some tips and actionable steps on how to choose the perfect place to commit your lives to each other.
Talk About Your Elopement Budget
It is important when planning either a traditional wedding or an intimate elopement to sit down with your partner and discuss what a realistic budget would be for the two of you. I recommend doing this before you start dreaming about potential elopement destinations. Sitting down with your partner and getting on the same page with setting expectations will ensure that you don’t set your sights too high as you start looking at different places to elope.
Talk about finances and your total elopement budget. Keep in mind that eloping is still a once in a lifetime experience & still your wedding day! That is worth investing in!
Discuss your total budget with your partner, as well as how much you are willing to spend on travel and accommodations, as this will have an impact on where you decide to elope.
2. Decide if You Will Be Inviting Guests
The next thing I recommend doing to help answer that burning question of “Where should we elope?” is to determine together if you will be inviting any guests along. Some couples want a truly private just-them experience, while others still prefer to be surrounded by their closest friends and family. There is no right or wrong answer—only what feels right to the two of you. However, if you decide to invite guests, it can have an impact on where you can go if you have guests that aren’t able to travel as far or have accessibility needs.
While we are on this topic, also decide if you will be bringing any four-legged guests too! If you would like to include your pet in your elopement day, it will narrow down some locations as well. This is great to know before starting to brainstorm where you may want to say your vows.
3. Start Dreaming Up Your Elopement
Now, THE FUN BEGINS!!!! It’s time to start dreaming of what you want your elopement day to look like. Everything from scenery, to weather, to activities—what your day looks like from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to sleep. What is the absolute perfect day? Talk about this with your partner, and get on the same page of what you want. It can help to make a list of priorities for each of you.
It can help to make a list of priorities for each of you. You can rank each by whether it is a necessity, preference, and which aren’t too important. Then you can compare & decide from there. Here are some things to talk about.
Meaningful Locations
First, ask each other if either of you already has a location in mind! Sometimes couples choose a location with sentimental value or has significant value to them, like a favorite park or nearby trail. It can be really special to get married at a destination that has so much value to you two as a couple. While you are talking about this, also consider if there are any huge ‘bucket list’ destinations both of you have dreamed about seeing. This could be the perfect opportunity to bust out a dream trip while also having that scenery to say your vows.
Distance From Home
Next, think about how far you are willing to travel. Is somewhere international in the cards? Do you want to stay inside the country? Do you want to stay close to home? Do you want to combine your elopement day with your honeymoon trip or keep the two separate? This can help you narrow down your possible elopement locations a ton, so talk about travel, time off work, and your preferences for how far you two should go to tie the knot.
Dates or Seasons
Are you tied to a certain date or season to get married in? This will help narrow down your options of where to elope as well, as sometimes locations aren’t accessible or ideal to elope in certain times of the year. Staying flexible with your date will give you more options, but if the date, season, or timeframe is important to you, use that to narrow down your potential locations.
Scenery and Landscape
Next, discuss what kind of scenery you would like to say your vows in. My favorite exercise is to have my couples close their eyes & truly envision what they picture for their ceremony—what is surrounding them, how many people are there, what does the weather feel like, etc. It’s totally okay to not have answers to these questions quite yet. This is mostly a frame work for you and your partner to discuss and compare to help you narrow down where you may want to elope.
Think about different landscapes you two are drawn to. Is it mountains, desert, beach, waterfalls, wildflower fields, forests…? Is there a type of view that you would like for the moment you exchange vows?
Activities and Adventures
Along with scenery and landscape, talk about what you actually want to do on your elopement day. Remember, there are no rules when it comes to how you get married, so dream big! Do you have a favorite hobby, or something you’ve never tried but have always wanted to do? Are you into hiking and want to incorporate a summit into your wedding day? Remember, an adventure doesn’t have to equal adrenaline inducing (but it definitely can if that’s what you want!) — it can be anything from stargazing to picnicking to relaxing in a hot spring to playing guitar together to simply writing your vows together the morning of. Think of anything that would make your elopement day be the best day ever.
While you are thinking of things you do want to do, also think of things you definitely do not want to do. Some couples want to hike, but nothing too intense. Some couples do not want to hike at all. There is nothing wrong with either! There are plenty of places to elope and things to do that don’t require anything too strenuous. Talk about this & decide what the journey to your elopement location should look like.
4. Contact an Elopement Expert
Now that you have a rough idea of what you would like for your elopement location, I recommend getting in touch with an elopement professional to help you pick the perfect spot!
I'm an adventure elopement photographer, but my packages are designed to give you the most stress-free, laid back, and completely personalized experience. I’ll take your ideas, what you do and don’t want for your elopement day, and what you’re dreaming of, then give you a completely customized list of locations. You’ll have all the tools you need to plan the most perfect day & I’ll be right by your side the entire way.
Contact me to get started!
XOXO,
Sally Grieshaber
Ready to Get Started Planning Your Elopement? Reach Out Now!
