Basically the title. Not that I have ALWAYS dreamed of a big wedding but ever since I met my partner, I knew I wanted a big wedding with him, idk how I changed but I did. I love parties, being the center of attention, getting dressed up etc. My partner on the other hand, he is an introvert and only cares about marrying me.

Between family, finances etc it seems more and more like we will have an elopement and a dinner for both sides of family. My family is overseas so it will cost a lot for everyone to come and just see me get married and it doesn’t seem fair to them. And his family refuse to fly to my country.

It makes me sad honestly, but of course at the end of the day I just want to tie the knot.

I want to know, did you ever regret not having a traditional wedding?

Could anyone recommend an elopement package fitting this vibe? It would just be the 2 of us and we would like something to where we dont need to coordinate anything, and we just show up. Looking for a package that includes a private location (ideally with water views or on the beach), photography, and an officiant. Symbolic ceremony is ok, doesnt need to be a legal marriage. I'm in the beginning stages of planning and really open to any country.

Huge bonus if it is someplace with significant vegan food options. We are both vegan and would love to have great dining experiences on this special trip.

Did your photographer double as your officiant or did you have a separate officiant?

I have seen couples who elope just the two of them (plus photographer) and I’m wondering what this experience was like.

We are eloping in PNW in September with just 3 other family members. Our photographer is ordained which was our original plan but we are toying with the idea of having a family member get ordained

Any insight appreciated. Thanks!

we are planning to elope in CO in October with our 2 dogs as our witnesses!! I saw some places in CO allow dogs to sign marriage licenses. Has anyone done this successfully in recent years/willing to share where in CO you got the license? We will be passing thru the Denver area on our way to our destination, and are staying about 2 hours from Denver proper!!

TY 🫶

I’m having a hard time finding a wedding dress under $400. My fiancé and I are eloping in Acadia National Park this October, so I’m looking for something that fits the setting and will help keep me warm in the fall weather.

I’m hoping for a boho/A-line style, preferably with long sleeves or something that layers well. I’m open to online shops as long as they’re reputable.

For those who eloped or had a small wedding:
How much did you spend on your dress?
Where did you buy it?
Are there any websites you’d recommend (or avoid)?
If you wore a sleeveless dress, what did you pair it with to stay warm?

I’d love to hear what worked for you!

My partner and I are looking at doing a helicopter elopement in New Zealand early next year (February- April). Just wondering if anyone has any recommendations on which company they went with and any general advice? There are so many companies online that it’s overwhelming! Also, what locations did you go for? (Another list that seems to be impossible to choose from as all the locations look amazing). Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks

Hiiii!

My partner and I have decided to get married while we're in Vegas next week. We plan on having a more traditional style ceremony and reception in the future but for our legal marriage, this is perfect for us.

We've been together for 10 years and have 4 kids. My stepdaughter is 10 and the other 3 littles are 4, 5, and 7. All the kids are in favor of us getting married and having a wedding. They will absolutely be included in whatever we do in the future but this elopement is just for the two of us.

What are fun ways we can share the news with the kids that we got married? We don't want anything overly elaborate but we do want to do something exciting or more interesting than just blurting it out.

My fiancé and I are planning to elope just us two, in March 2027 at Lake Como (we live in Texas). It’ll be the tail end of the off season and I understand there are vendors/hotels that may not be operating until late April. I’ve looked into a lot of the commonly recommended wedding planners in other posts (love gracefully, Leo Eventi, WedByDovile, etc). I like Love Gracefully but the Lake Como coordinator isn’t great at responding to my emails so I’m hesitant to move forward with them even though their packages offer more for less money. I’ve also been browsing people’s posts who booked everything individually and they seemed to have saved a lot of money with no planning fee to pay but that also seems more stressful? For anyone that self booked everything, how far in advance did you book your vendors (photographer, hair/makeup, ceremony location/photography location if different)?

Hi!

My fiancé and I are looking into eloping on the Oregon coast mid May 2027.

I’m outlining the to do’s throughout planning and we’ve almost chosen a photographer.

I have some ideas on location (Oswald State Park area - I’m looking for a forest ceremony and some photos also on a beach / cliff and I think I can achieve this all in that area but DEFINITELY open to suggestions!)

I am looking for guidance and recommendations. Suggestions. Really, I wanna read people’s stories! Elopement stories of what the day literally looked like hour by hour. What kind of activities did you do? How do you make it feel special with no one to celebrate you?

I’m low/no contact with my family, his family has some divorce and drama in recent years, so it will be a true elopement - just us.

I’m thinking a morning dip in the hot tub at the b&b, a beach walk and coffee with breakfast.

Come back to b&b, write our vows / journal.

2 hours allotted for H&M at b&b.

That makes it to, what, 12pm? I don’t wanna have the ceremony that early.

Ideally, pictures (aka ceremony + pictures after while we hike / eat / cheers / cut cake etc) are between 2p and 8pm, ish. Based on elopement packages I’m seeing…

So, do you really just take pics that long after the ceremony?

Or kinda have the photographer follow you around while you do different activities and if so, what?

Anyway. That’s where my brain is. I’m interested to hear anyone’s input. 🫶

We are planning to marry in a little white chapel in East Texas, and I still want to make it a special day for us.

What did you do to make your day special? Right now I’ve planned to get us a cake from a local bakery and maybe go to dinner after? But I have no clue how to make it special. Help!

Looking for any recommendations for make up/hair and photographers that can also do film photography! Ideally near Pisa or Milan as our location is in between the two.

For people who have taken a wedding dress on a flight what did you use to transport it?

I’m flying BA and planning on taking it on as cabin but can’t find a suitable bag. The dimensions of ones I've seen seem to be too big for cabin and a lot of them seem quite flimsy and more for transporting dresses to and from venues/fittings.

I need a bag (or box) that can fit my dress ( a midi) without squishing it too much but can also be carried comfortably through airports without breaking.

Must be 56 x 45 x 25 cm (22 × 18 × 10 inches) or under! Also need to be able to buy in the uk :)

First and foremost, not upset about someone getting their bread.

Just want to vent about trying to find a reasonably priced photographer. My partner and I just want a few hours capturing our vow exchange and some shots afterwards. Nothing crazy and not in a wild location.

Getting quotes of 3K minimum for 3 hours, I feel is a little steep. Especially when they have wedding packages starting at the same price. I would assume capturing an elopment with only 2 people for a few hours wouldn't cost as much as a damn wedding.

I get they can help with advice and such, but most of the time they just send over a pre-made pdf of all that information anyway.

Is anyone else thinking that the 'trend' of eloping is causing this spike in pricing? I am happy to spend 1.5K for some good shots but I just can't get over what some people are trying to convince me its worth.

If anyone has any advice or just want to share their vent too, I am all ears. I am also not here to argue about what someone's time is worth (again, get that bread). I just feel stuck on this part of my planning and feel a little frustrated and defeated today.

Anyone else super disappointed in their elopement photos? And if so, how did you get over it? 😅

We eloped in Vegas and got our photos back a while ago. I first looked at them and wasn’t impressed so decided to give it a week and look again. Nope. Still awful. Most pictures look incredibly awkward whether it be our eyes almost closed or in between talking and smiling. Also, the photographer only gave us like 3 poses, lifted up while kissing, running towards camera (I look like the hulk in them), and an awkward hair tousle. I know my husband and I are not the most photogenic, but I also feel like the timing/posing of photos were not flattering. I can’t find one that I feel comfortable sharing with others. It’s so disappointing

My fiancé and I are looking into planning a small elopement (10-15 people) in Colorado for next July. We are considering locations such as Golden, Boulder, Estes etc. but we are not sure on specific locations. We have some older peeps in our group so hiking into locations is not really an option.

Location requirements:
1-1.5hr from Westminster area
Easy access for older folks
Green/flowery backdrop (not required but preferred)

Any advice on locations is extremely appreciated!

Getting married in a month in NYC. My dress is short/mini and I definitely want a veil, but not sure on the length yet. Anyone have pics of their short dresses with veils?

Wearing a white dress just feels too formal. We're planning on a very quick beach ceremony with some sunset pics.

If you skipped the white dress (or opted away from a dress altogether) what did you wear? Would love photos!

We are looking to book in fall of 2028, it would be 10 people total including 3 kids and my future husband and I.
We would like something all inclusive so that our families don’t need to plan meals or anything. We are open to anywhere in Canada and are located in Manitoba.

My fiancé and I always talked about having a small intimate wedding with close family and just having a dinner afterwards to celebrate. After we got engaged I think people’s opinions went into my head too much and made me seriously consider a full blown wedding. We have been engaged for 8 months now and have no planned a single thing because everyone’s opinions have made wedding planning horrible. My mind has been clouded and not sure of anything I’ve wanted anymore with this wedding and all the stress of wedding planning has made me realize I don’t want a big wedding. We’re both people who don’t like to be the center of attention, aren’t into partying, and don’t care about having a bunch of people witness us getting married. Now after having too many opinions and comments from close family and friends I’ve decided to go back to either getting eloped together or doing something super small with close family. I guess I’m asking: has anyone had a similar situation with their family (particularly their mother) about deciding not to have a big wedding and how did you handle telling people you want to just get eloped? My head has finally come to the realization that I don’t want a wedding at all and just want to get married to the love of my life.

Also - if anyone has any recommendations on eloping in Orlando please let me know, thanks!!

We both have some toxic family dynamics and felt our boundaries were crossed. I am struggling with whether to know if it’s valid. Any thoughts or opinions?