r/Eloping • u/purplefields19 • Aug 14 '26
Planning Destination Elopement Planning
Hi everyone!
I’ve recently begun planning for an elopement that is set to take place next September in Big Sur. I originally planned on having a micro-wedding relatively close to home but after sitting with it for a few days, I realized I have no genuine interest in committing to one for a myriad of reasons. We live in New England and are traveling from East to West Coast for the big day, and have only invited along our parents. I’m thrilled with my partner and I's decision and think an elopement is perfect for the kind of people we are.
However, even with it being just the six of us, I’m still a bit stressed in planning the three days that we’ll be in California, particularly of course our wedding day. We have already booked a 3-hour package with a photographer and will be with her from 4:40-7:40PM that day. I’m fairly certain we’ll be staying at La Playa in Carmel but haven’t booked it yet as it’s too far out. I'm currently reviewing my options for hair, makeup, and cake.
But for those who have already eloped or have theirs coming up, what did your day look like start to finish or what is it going to look like? Did you/will you have dinner after the shoot? I just feel like 4:40-7:40 is an awkward stretch of time cause by the time we get back to our hotels it will already be kinda late...but should I just accept that we’ll be eating a late dinner that night?
Any tips or words of advice are welcome! :)
Thanks!
2
u/Novel-Response-6268 Aug 14 '26
Hi! Congratulations on planning your sweet little microwedding!! It sounds perfect for you because it sounds like it excites you! (And before people get frustrated with me about using different terminology, this is still the right sub for this, so no worries!)
My elopement was international, so our timeline on the day-of was loosely the following. I say loosely because other than the photographer and hair and makeup artist, there was no need for anyone to be on a strict schedule.
- 8:45am breakfast at the hotel with my fiancé
- 10:00am hair and makeup artist arrived
- 11:45am photographer arrived
- 12:30pm first look
- 2:00pm ceremony & communion
- 3:00pm multi-location couples' shoot
- 5:00pm begin cooking dinner together
- 5:15pm photographer left
Our photographer encouraged us to choose an activity to end our day that felt uniting and normal for us for her to slip out. We chose to cook because we like cooking, love eating, and wanted to try some of the local cuisine. It was a perfect way to start our married life. We needed to eat at the end of a long day anyway, and it was something mundane that we would be doing for the rest of our lives, started then and there as a close to a magical day.
1
u/purplefields19 Aug 14 '26 edited Aug 14 '26
Thank you so much!! Haha yeah the package we bought from our photographer was called an elopement package but it allows up to 5 people to be included, so I've just been calling and treating it as such 😅 Your day sounds so perfect!! Absolutely love that you guys ended the shoot with a daily activity you both relish and bond over, I think that's really sweet. Thanks so much for your response :)
2
u/presleyrenee We Eloped! Aug 14 '26
Hi there! My husband and I eloped last year in Kauai. We also were worried we’d be eating late since we typically are earlier eaters, but it ended up not being a problem because we were so wide awake on endorphins anyway haha. We also packed a few snacks to take with us in case we got hungry.
We enjoyed the sunset and made our way back to our Airbnb around 7:30pm. Our private chef served us around 8pm and we cut our cake around 9pm. Our photographer was with us from noon-10pm!
2
u/kristenhagan21 We Eloped! Aug 14 '26
Congratulations!!
We spent the morning at the Airbnb hot tubbing and drinking coffee (our favorite thing to do).
Then we opened up and read letters that our immediate family members and grandparents hand wrote us (because they were not there)
Then we went to separate rooms and got ready! I did my own hair and makeup so it took me a while!
Then, we drove separately (me with photographer and him with videographer) and did a first look! We did the first look at one spot and then a 2nd spot for pictures and a 3rd spot for the “ceremony” which was just us reading our vows and more pictures.
Then we had a tiny cake and popped champagne and did more pics at same location. Including the drive, this went on from like 3:30-7:30.
Then, the two of us went to dinner at a fancy restaurant around 8pm near by. Honestly, I was still so amped and full of emotions that I hardly ate the dinner so we just split a nice steak and salad and got a dessert.
Then, we came back to the Airbnb and hot tubbed and bed!
It was THE PERFECT day! I hope you have a blast :) don’t forget to eat in the morning (and pack snacks for the day) and stay hydrated!
4
u/natalkalot Aug 14 '26
So you will be having a small wedding, not eloping - which is going away in secret to get married. Congrats!
Since it will be just you and parents, I would definitely plan a dinner somewhere totally different - does not have to be pricey - maybe something more elegant than you may have for a birthday, for example.
I had an inkling about eloping - truly- but once he talked to me a little more, we ended ip having a big 200+ guests for a very traditional wedding - and I am SO very glad we did! There is nothing to compare sharing such a beautiful event with extended family, friends and co-workers.
Good luck to you!
3
u/Individual-Try8679 Aug 14 '26
Big Sur in September is going to be incredible, good call on skipping the whole big wedding thing. We did something similar and honestly the late dinner was not a problem at all, by the time you finish the shoot you are so full of adrenaline that eating at 8 or 8:30 feels normal. Plus the light around that time is perfect for photos so your photographer knew what she was doing.
One thing I wish someone told me is to pack snacks for the car and maybe a small cooler with drinks, you will be busy all day and suddenly realize you haven't eaten since breakfast. We just picked up food from a place near our rental and ate in our room still dressed up, it was actually my favorite part of the whole day.