10 Reasons to Plan an Elopement in Response to Covid-19
Because of the Coronavirus Pandemic, almost every engaged couple has had to postpone or even completely cancel their already long-awaited 2020 wedding plans.
With so much remaining uncertainty, couples are not even given hope that their wedding can still happen next year. Like everything else pertaining to this virus, the surge of 2020 couples needing to re-book could not have been foreseen, and therefore, many venues and vendors are already completely booked with 2021 couples.
It’s a devastating mess.
Some couples will still want their dream, big weddings and are willing to wait to have them—that’s completely okay and we applaud your patience.
However, we also know there are many of you that may not want to wait another year or even longer to start your lives together. That’s okay too. We’re here to help. So, in this post, we’re giving you 10 reasons why we believe planning an elopement or intimate ceremony may be a beautiful option for you.
But first, what’s an elopement?
Traditionally, “to elope” meant to run off and get married in a courthouse or a chapel in Vegas without telling anyone (surprise!). In more recent years, “eloping” has significantly changed its meaning in the wedding industry. Today, an elopement is really just a wedding without guests. Some couples still keep it a secret, but many will still tell others of their plans. A lot of couples will invite their parents/siblings/closest friends (typically 10 or less people), we call this an “intimate wedding.” Couples usually dress-up in traditional wedding clothes, still have floral arrangements, sometimes an officiant, they also still have a meaningful ceremony and definitely a photographer who helps them plan it.
We’ve photographed both intimate weddings and elopements. For this Sunrise Elopement in Hocking Hills, the couple decided to have a courthouse marriage for legality, but not call it official until they had their personal vow ceremony under Ash Cave. It was just the two of them and us, their photographers.
For this Sequoia National Park Elopement, the couple brought along an officiant to marry them. After their ceremony, they then held their own worship service right there in the woods.
This Airbnb Backyard Wedding in France was intimate, less than 20 people, and was still set-up like a wedding with a traditional ceremony and dinner.
In another intimate ceremony we photographed, our couple had communion together.
Some couples choose to do a “first look,” and other couples have arrived and walked to their ceremony spot together. There is no wrong way to go about it.
That’s the beauty of Eloping. Keep tradition or throw it out, you can make it as personal and true to your personalities as you want without feeling the need to please anyone else.
Here are 10 reasons why we believe an elopement (or an intimate wedding) might now be the right choice for you:
1. Starting your life together doesn’t have to wait
Your marriage shouldn’t have to wait just because large gatherings are prohibited. If you don’t want to wait to be married, it’s okay to make it happen now. Next year or when things finally settle back to normal, you can still have a big party with all your friends if you want one. There’s nothing wrong with separating the ceremony from the reception. Most of our elopement couples have a reception/party to celebrate a few weeks to months or even a year after their marriage date. Having to wait an entire year, doesn’t make celebrating less special—perhaps the opposite—there will be so much to celebrate when we can all be together again!
2. Friends and family will now likely understand If You Elope
Not everyone is a large crowd or party person. Even if it doesn’t necessarily fit their personality or heart’s desire, a huge reason couples still choose to have the “big wedding” is because they don’t want to disappoint their friends and family. If you wanted to have an intimate gathering before, but the guest list just kept escalating, Covid-19 provides the perfect excuse for you to return to your first plan. Because of all the uncertainty and restrictions around Covid-19, most people are going to be more understanding of your desire to “elope” and “leave them out,” because: 1) You don’t want to have to wait another year to get married (that’s understandable), and 2) you also want to make sure everyone is kept safe (that’s responsible).
3. You can Elope and still style it with flowers and have a dinner
With so many cancellations, florist are among the small businesses that are struggling in the wake of this disease. You can support them AND have the floral arrangements of your dreams—a bouquet, flower crown, backdrops and even table runners! (Here are some florists we love!)
Even if it’s just for the two of you, there is no reason why you can’t create a beautiful table setting with a catered dinner and have your cake. You don’t need an audience to enjoy these beautiful things (but you’ll have a photographer, so they can document it all for you to share).
4. You can Elope and still have your closest friends and family present
In Ohio, the current “Keep Ohio Safe Order” doesn’t even prohibit large weddings (just receptions). So certainly you can still have your parents/siblings/best friend present for an intimate celebration. Always check the current order for your state to make sure you’re safe, but typically family is an exception.
Excerpt from the order: “Nothing in this order prohibits the gatherings of members of a household, family or residence. [Nothing in this order prohibits] weddings…although wedding receptions are subject to the ten-person limitation.”
5. Eloping can be personal and authentic to you
Nerves can get in the way. In fact, many couples have told us that they were too nervous during their wedding ceremony to even remember it! Striping away the pomp and performance can provide a more natural and relaxing environment for you and your partner to truly be present in the moment—where you can focus on one another, your vows and your love for each other.
Like Ashley & Nate, their affection for the outdoors inspired them to commit themselves to each other in a place that was meaningful to their story and passion for nature. They welcomed the mud and dirt and chilly morning air, all as part of their wedding party, and the waterfall filled the outcropping with celebrant applause. A Monday morning has never felt so wonderful.
If a rugged nature elopement isn’t true to your personality, then you can definitely plan something elegantly different with your photographer and stay true to who you are.
6. Eloping can be stress free
Similar to the point above, because you don’t have to worry about pleasing anyone else, you won’t have to worry if you’re running behind, if it’s too hot or cold for your guests, if the food is served on time, etc. Everything can be flexible. It’s okay to just go with the flow. However, if you’re schedule-inclined, a structured timeline is more than okay too.
7. Eloping provides more location options
Since there’s no need to think about seating guests, you can now exchange your vows in places you may not have been able to before—from a friend’s/relative’s/your backyard, to an Airbnb, maybe a tree house, or a state forest, some parks and even some private venues or churches that are open for reservations. If this overwhelms you, you can just ask your photographer for assistance.
A lot of experts are also predicting that national travel will begin to be more open by this summer. So, if you want to have a mountaintop adventure elopement, it is definitely a possibility. Just plan with your photographer and keep an eye on current conditions and orders.
However, you don’t even have to leave the state to create your own beautiful celebration. We encourage you to just start scrolling on Airbnb (look at this place, wow!) for inspiration.
8. you’ll have more time for beautiful portraits If you Elope
You will not have to rush to the reception before the cocktail hour is over, therefore you’ll have time to relax in the moment and enjoy a no-pressure portrait experience with your photographer (for as much or as little time as you want—it’s your day!)
9. you can have your ceremony at sunrise If you Elope
Or anytime. You can have your ceremony at your favorite time of day—whether that’s a dreamy twilight or a misty sunrise, when it’s just the two of you, you don’t have to worry about inconveniencing guests.
10. There are now more Open dates to elope
If you already booked a photographer for your postponed wedding then talk to them about your ideas; but if you haven’t booked one yet, now is the time to reach out to your favorite. Due to all the postponements and cancellations, photographers have more dates available now, including last minute ones, and both weekdays and weekends may be options for you.
Interested in working with us as your elopement or intimate wedding photographer? We’re here to serve you and help you plan the experience of your dreams. To help alleviate financial stress, for a limited time, we’re offering 3-hour elopement collections starting at $1000 (our regular starting price is $3000). We can help you with planning and create something that’s truly unique to you.
Get in touch below to start the conversation!
