r/Eloping

For context: I’m very much anxiety-coded person and will get worked about everything and anything.

Big weddings seemed like a nightmare and we’re both pretty introverted people who wouldn’t enjoy large parties anyways. Eloping seemed like a really good idea at first.

But I also wanted to have an experience that felt like a scene from romance movie. I was specifically dreaming of beautiful elopement in Europe, hopefully ocean-front.

But the more I research, the more impossible it seems. From the logistics of hauling dress/suit over there (we’re US couple), both of us being pretty inexperienced travelers (I’ve never travelled internationally..), the cost of everything… I’m already looking at over $20k USD for elopement + 7 day honeymoon. I’m not even sure if thats
‘S considered normal or insane budget at this point. I just saw someone quote $25k as a starting point for their elopement coordination package and cried a little out of frustration. The thing is, I know I can do this with a lot less and I’m being greedy with wanting that luxury romantic experience.

I’m even thinking about is this even worth it because I’m not going to look like picture perfect bride anyways. Is it worth spending so much money on pictures and videos and the venue when I won’t even look good in them?

UGH I’m way too old to be spiraling like this but here I am lol

I don’t really know what I need to hear, but I would appreciate your experience with destination elopement.

Hey I’m wondering if anyone else has gotten eloped and then still did a backyard wedding kinda thing, I didn’t get to wear my dress for the elopement and I want that bride moment? Is it odd if we do the ceramony twice? Or maybe we just do a renewing? Should I say so on the invitation?

Wondering how people handled photography if you didn't hire professional? We may get married at a backcountry destination with a couple of friends. Of course they could take pictures but they wouldn't be professional ones. If you didn't go with a professional, did you regret it? Cost is also an issue for us.

Hi all!

My partner & I are eloping in 3 months on a remote glacier in Alaska. We are super excited. However, family has of course asked if we will be doing a reception or some type of party after.

My partner is antisocial for the most part and we both don’t like making something about ourselves but I know this is the next chapter for us and people who we love want to celebrate.

We have been offered to use her parents backyard, but when you consider renting a tent, renting a bathroom trailer, renting tables + chairs, providing food and alcohol, etc it gets pricey. Also, it would be a lot of clean up and prep that went into it. Plus I feel like it would be a little awkward to have dinner and then do what? We don’t like to dance and would prefer not to have anyone watching us have our first dance lol. Plus you have to entertain your guest, sure we could get giant connect four or board games.

Once I considered all of the work that would go into planning that I started looking at venues. I looked into top golf, some breweries, etc.

I figured top golf would be a good option because we don’t have to entertain anyone(with our guest count it would be right around 3k (which is about the same price as having the party in her parent’s backyard), food and drinks (non-alcoholic) are provided, we don’t have to clean up, etc. We just show up and have a good time with the people we love.

Hi Reddit!

My Fiancé and I have begun planning our wedding. We want to do a small ceremony in the lavender fields in france with us and 8 guests. We’re struggling to find good, private, lodging for all 10 of us. As well as trying to understand how we could potential get time for this ceremony. The ceremony, we hope, would be a private, sectioned-off area in the lavender fields where we could host this ceremony and afterwards have a dinner party and dancing. Ideally the ceremony portion would be under 10k USD (maybe even 5k). And the lodging i think we’re also definitely expecting under 10k USD. We’d be open to spending more to have a wedding planner help. But unsure where to even start. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Hi! Getting married next month (June 20th) and we're eloping in Colorado then traveling back the week after to our home state for a post-elopement celebration with friends and family. I've been focusing waaay too much on the post-elopement celebration and now I'm feeling anxious about the elopement day. I'm not sure how to start planning the timeline for that day so I need help/suggestions. Here's what we have:

• We already hired a photographer for 3 hours. Location has to be between 1-2 hours from Denver. I was thinking Brainard Lake Recreation Area but my photographer has not been there so they're not sure on how to guide me with choosing a specific location there.
• It's gonna be just the 2 of us and our dog (plus the photographer). So, how do you plan the timeline for that day? Once I'm dressed, do I just start reading my vows? Lol idk
• Time: we're going to do a morning elopement. So probably like 7am-10am or 8am-11am (open to something earlier). We plan to meet with the photographer at the location we choose, start hiking and my photographer will bring a "changing station" so I can change and do a first look. Aside from that, idk what to do from there? I thought about maybe hiring an officiant, but idk.

If you eloped in Colorado not far from the Denver area, which location did you choose? Are 3 hours of photography enough for an intimate elopement? (I'm being charged quite a bit for these 3 hours so I wanted to avoid going over that time and having to pay more) How was the timeline for your elopement? TIA!

I’m getting eloped in July, very small ceremony just my partners parents and siblings at an Airbnb. My future mother in law wants to take me shopping, my parents aren’t anymore and I don’t really have anyone family wise to do this stuff with. My issue is I have no idea where to go. I don’t need a WEDDING dress I just want a little white something or other and a veil I just have no idea where one would go shopping in person for this. Where did everyone get theirs? MA/CT/RI New England area

Hi everyone !

We are French, engaged for already 3 years, and our initial plan was eloping to Las Vegas in the super cool SureThing chapel, taking great pictures in the desert and so on.

Unfortunately, the situation these days is not... acceptable for us to come and get married in the US, and even if this plan was everything we dreamed of, we are now looking for alternatives, thas is to say something cool and fun, with great pictures possibilities (but not something flashy like taking a helicopter and jumping above a waterfall 😜)

(We really want it to be a "real" wedding, and not just a vow renewal or a symbolic wedding)

Do anyone has an idea of a destination, anywhere in the world, but outside the US ?

Thank you very much ❤️

My fiancée and I only have one parent left each. I am an only child and have very few friends. He doesn’t want to invite his only brother (he hasn’t spoken to him in a year). He has a few more friends than me but we’re kind of loners. I have always dreamed of a big wedding with dancing and celebration but that doesn’t seem to be an option. I’ve come to regret the way I’ve lived my life because I have been forced to face how lonely I am now that I’m trying to plan getting married. I think about having a micro-wedding or something but it all just sounds so embarrassing and pathetic to have to admit that I am ultimately a very lonely person. I don’t know how to go about getting married without feeling this shame.

I’m trying to figure out if we want to get a photographer for our elopement ORR getting a photographer for our after party would be better! I still want to wear my wedding dress at our after party I Just don’t know if I’ll regret it because my budget isn’t the biggest tbh