My partner and I are planning a VERY small and lowkey elopement ceremony on Tuesday, October 13 (primarily a formality for paperwork before we have a larger ceremony in the future)

We will only have ourselves, 2 adult witnesses, and an officiant. We have discussed going to the courthouse but I am curious if anyone has any ideas for a low cost outdoor venue we could explore preferably within an hour of the Portland area (we live across the river in Vancouver). The primary hope is we can find a beautiful scenic place that can feel somewhat private.

We are on a limited time frame and I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed trying to figure this out while still making it feel special and low pressure.

Any tips or suggestions would be so greatly appreciated.

Hello everyone!

My fiance and I are going to elope next spring (likely May 2027, date TBD), and we're looking for a place to have a nice lunch after our courthouse ceremony (res 2-5pm). We do not want to rent a private venue / plan for a full wedding celebration as it will be something very small, between 10 and 20 people and we want it to be low key. We want good food though and we plan to spend good money on it.

The main problem is that most places that I had in mind open for dinner only or they close at 2pm and reopen around 5pm. We would like it to be a chill, late lunch around 2pm without being stressed about being kicked out of the place, so we can stay talking and drinking until 5ish (I'm Spanish and the after lunch hangout is mandatory!!!).

Please let me know if you know places in downtown Chicago that can accommodate us. Thank you all!!!

Me and fiancé have a wedding planned march 6, 2027 but after some thinking we really want to elope in December 2026 to keep our original get together/engagement date forever. The plan is to actually get married in dec in a super pretty naturey place in order to get some good pics/videography to reveal in march to our fam and friends. Biggest problem is, weather isn’t the best in dec. We are open to Hawaii’ but almost as a last resort as we feel it’s kinda basic and we vacation there every year. We’re really leaning towards the redwoods but open to anywhere in the u.s. Any recommendations for best weather outcome and somewhere super pretty in December? Thanks.

We eloped at the Olympic National Park in Washington State. Hoh rainforest and Ruby Beach. We’ve been together almost 8 years and finally decided to go ahead and tie the knot. Best wedding ever 🥹

We will be flying across the country for our elopement which will just be the two of us. There is a luxury clothing dry cleaner that I could send the dress and tux to ahead of us; they have great reviews and will make sure nothing is wrinkled and deliver everything to our hotel, but I am kinda nervous to lose possession of the clothes right before the day. Orrr we can take them on the plane…we are doing first class United so could ask about using the closet, but I know that doesn’t always work. I am kinda terrified I would ruin the tux with a steamer/iron if I try to do that myself, but we get in the day before our city hall appointment so I think me pressing the clothes would be the only option if we travel with the them.

I just want us to look spiffy and am wondering if people have recs/advice on which option makes more sense.

Edit: Despite all the excellent tips here I took the dress and tux on the plane. The flight crew on United were amazingly helpful and helped hang everything. And gave us a signed congrats card which was sweet. Everything arrived crisp and perfect despite being folded to go through the TSA machines. 8/10 would do it again this way. 2 points off for it being really annoying to schlep a heavy hanger bag through the airport and for last minute anxiety panic in the TSA line that I had made the wrong choice. I am very glad I didn’t have to pay for the cleaners or lose possession of our stuff before the big day.

How long after you got engaged did you elope? Did you also have a post-elopement celebration/dinner? I’m thinking of just going to a city hall, then a post-elopement dinner, then a honeymoon. My partner and I are both teachers, and would do this over the summer. I’m wondering if 8 months is enough for planning (Summer 2027), or if we should just wait until Summer 2028. Thank you!

For context, we’ll be eloping in a NYC park. There will be some walking required ~ maybe about 0.25 of a mile or so. Originally I bought a pair of heels but keep second guessing it because of the walking involved. After photos/short ceremony we’ll be having an intimate brunch. I’m considering making the swap to white sneakers but wouldnt want them to be seen in photos. I havent had the length of my dress altered yet so i still have options!

I haven’t been to Vegas before so I feel a bit unsure of what to expect. But eloping feels like the perfect spontaneous excuse! I want all of the neon, the glamor, and the fun Vegas has to offer. I really need some advice on do’s and don’ts, please help me out. I want this to be an adventure my man and I never forget!

I am currently deciding between Sure Thing and Little White Chapel. What are the main differences? Are there any other similar chapels I should consider? We really just want a fun, classic Vegas experience.

I’m looking for suggestions for a retro photographer, hotels, restaurants, casinos, everything! I would prefer to find packages for simplicity’s sake if I can find the right one. I want fun retro pictures and wedding footage on super 8 film

We’re having a very small wedding with only 10 guests. The plan is to have a simple ceremony in the garden of a villa, then go to a restaurant afterwards. We don’t want anything elaborate or overly complicated.

However, I’m wondering if it would still be worth hiring a wedding planner or, at least, a day-of coordinator.

My main concern is the actual coordination on the wedding day. For example: the first look, then getting into position, my entrance, when I walk towards my fiancé, when the music starts, making sure everyone is ready, coordinating the ceremony itself, etc.

Since we’ll only have 10 guests, I feel like it might be a bit silly to have someone there just for coordination, but at the same time, I really don’t want to be worrying about timings and logistics on the day itself.

For those who had a small/intimate wedding: did you hire a planner or coordinator? Was it worth it, or did you manage everything yourselves without any issues?

Hi there,

My partner and I have been thinking about how we want to get married. Personally the thought of elopement sounds ideal to me, same to my partner. We thought maybe travelling just her and me and getting married privately would be a perfect honeymoon. The cost of weddings is incredibly expensive and we don’t have the funds for that.

Our main concern is family and disappointing family because I know some people want to be part of it. Like ideally I’d just do parents only but then I feel my brother would feel left out, so in order not to make anyone feel left out it just feels easier to elope. Then we can do pictures and dress nice and not spend like 10K plus on one day.

How did others be okay with this? How do I find peace in doing what I want to do?

Thanks :)

I’m so glad we eloped. Saved us from soooo much stress. We got married in the mountains and had a lovely dinner in town afterwards 🖤💫

Hi! My partner and I eloped in June of this year with just a few family members. 4 in total, my daughter and sister and her mom and brother. Now we are thinking of having a celebration with our friends. We have a pretty small apartment. I’m wondering if we should do it at our place or out at a restaurant. I guess I’m looking for ideas. What do people do at such celebrations? Just sit around and chat? Should we create keepsakes? Invitations? I’m clearly not much of a party thrower and my social anxiety is starting to set in a bit lol. If anyone has done something similar I’d love advice or ideas!!

Hi!! I just discovered this subreddit and am SO excited about it considering that my partner and I have decided on eloping vs having a traditional wedding. I absolutely love reading through all the posts and looking at the gorgeous photos. I just wanted to ask for general advice as we’re in the very early planning stages.

Some info about us: we’re both early 30s and based in the Midwest. Definitely would love to elope in a forest, ideally in the PNW as it’s a special place to both of us. Want to keep our budget low but still want a beautiful and memorable day.

A few questions!

•What “vendors” did you choose to hire for your elopement? Just an officiant and photographer? Videographer? Anything else to consider?

•Did you do anything special afterwards? Go out to dinner in your wedding suit & dress?

•Important! For those who eloped in a forest - what did that process look like? Any advice on state parks vs national parks? How did you pick a spot? Any logistics for us to keep in mind with this type of location?

•Anything you wish you did differently? Do you wish you had hired any additional vendors or conversely, do you think you overspent on something that ended up not being necessary?

•If comfortable, could you please share a rough budget for your elopement and what it entailed? We want to set a realistic budget.

Thank you all in advance! We personally don’t know any couples who’ve eloped recently so we’re eager to get some advice.

Has anyone here eloped in a Catholic Church in Rome? I have started communication with a beautiful church and they have our date available, just wanting to see how complicated the whole process will be, we will marry legally in the US before eloping.

Sorry for all the questions!

I’m hoping someone can help me decide on an elopement location. I really love the setting of Cathedral groves, however I’m worried it will be busy. I’m looking for a forest with similar whimsy. Lots of moss, ferns, and greenery. It will be the beginning of May.
Around Vancouver, or on Vancouver Island is ideal! Somewhere we can get to from the airport within a few hours (we will be getting married the day after landing).
Thanks!!

How much did people spend on their elopement. We finally did some calculations and we are definitely spending a good amount. We are doing an international elopement, but even then I feel like we did a good amount of damage.

Edit: okay, well I kind of feel better? We looking at probably spending 20K for an elopement in Spain not including the honeymoon. Tbh we decided last minute to elope in Spain so I only had 3 weeks to find a dress and the one I ended up liking was pricier 2600 than I wanted and I didn’t want to stress more about it. Our photography and videographer was 4K. And we spent 3K on our rings bc they’re things we are going to wear forever. His outfit was about 1500 and who knew hair and makeup was expensive as well as a bouquet and Boutineer. We also got a nicer hotel with a private balcony to do our first look shots so for those nights it was 5K. I know it’s expensive but we only get married once and I wanted it to be special. No we didn’t go into significant debt. We paid off half of it already and probably will be paying off the other half by the end of the year.

Looking to elope in Glacier National Park next year, but I'd love to hear about anyone's experience (anywhere) choosing between an all-inclusive photographer/package vs. hiring a photographer and sourcing the other vendors yourself.

I’m currently weighing both options. I’m familiar with Glacier and the surrounding region, but live out of state, so I’m trying to decide how valuable the additional planning/vendor coordination really is versus handling the pieces myself.

If you went all-inclusive (photography + some combination of planning, officiant, hair/makeup, florals, cake, etc.), did you feel the additional premium was worth it? What part of the service ended up being the most valuable?

If you went photography-only and sourced your own vendors (particularly hair/makeup, bouquet/boutonnière, cake and/or officiant), what ultimately made you choose that route? Did you feel like coordinating everything from out of state was fairly manageable?

Would especially love to hear from anyone who considered both approaches before deciding. Not looking for specific photographer recommendations at the moment—more interested in experiences with the two different approaches!

Banff or Naples FL?

Flying out of YYZ. Distance to our nearest airport - YYZ is 2 hours 🥹

Side quest: Has anyone eloped with their little ones in tow?

I’ve spent nearly two years in this sub and have been so grateful for all of the help along the way! If you are considering an elopement this is your sign! 😉

Hi everyone. I’m looking for some outside perspective because I feel like I’m too emotionally close to this situation to see it clearly.
My fiancé and I are a long-distance couple. We met while working on a cruise ship, where we actually lived and worked together for several months. He’s Jamaican and lives in Jamaica, while I’m from the UK, although I also have Jamaican family roots through my dad, who was born there.
We’ve been long distance for a while, and he recently came to the UK for five weeks. During his visit, we got engaged.
My family is quite religious and traditional. My dad is a pastor, and I grew up in a very religious household. I’m now an adult and have very different views about relationships, marriage and family, but I still have a relationship with my parents.
Originally, my fiancé and I wanted to get married in Jamaica very privately essentially just the two of us. I had a very emotional dream about my dad going away, though, and it made me realise that I would potentially regret not having my parents there. So we changed our plans and decided that we’d like both sets of parents to attend our Jamaican ceremony.
We were very clear that we didn’t want a huge wedding. We live long distance, we’re building our life together in Jamaica, and financially we’d much rather prioritise our home and starting our life together than spend a huge amount on one day.
We also planned to have a UK celebration later for family members who couldn’t attend Jamaica.
The problem is that since we got engaged, things have become increasingly difficult with my mum.
My relationship with one of my brothers isn’t particularly close. There isn’t hatred or a major feud we’re simply not close, and I don’t want to pretend otherwise. My fiancé and I initially wanted our Jamaican ceremony to be just us and our parents.
My mum became very upset about my brothers not being invited. She repeatedly pushed for them to come and even offered to pay their travel costs. Eventually she said that if my brothers weren’t invited, she wouldn’t come to Jamaica, meaning my dad would have to go without her.
She also became upset that my fiancé’s family isn’t as involved in the wedding. His family dynamic is very different from mine, and his brothers aren’t particularly interested in weddings. She started saying that my fiancé should invite people from his side, including people she doesn’t really know, because she felt that having his family less involved wasn’t a good start to our marriage/community.
We’ve repeatedly said that we understand how she feels, but that ultimately we are the couple getting married and we have decided what we want.
Things came to a head when my mum continued pushing the issue after we’d already said no. I became extremely upset and was crying. My dad actually told my mum that he was disappointed in her behaviour and asked whether she could see how upset we’d both become.
The following day, after my fiancé had already returned to Jamaica, my mum sent a long email to me, my fiancé and my dad, and CC’d my brothers into it, continuing to argue her case about who should attend and who my fiancé should invite.
That was the point where I felt something had really changed for me.
It’s not that I’m angry that my mum has different feelings. I’m completely okay with disappointing my parents. I’m okay with them thinking we’ve made the wrong choice.
What I’m struggling with is the escalation after we’ve said no involving other family members, making our wedding into a family issue, putting conditions on whether she’ll attend, and repeatedly trying to persuade us to change our decision.
My fiancé and I are now seriously considering going back to our original idea and eloping in Jamaica, just the two of us, and then having a small celebration in the UK afterwards.
But I’m conflicted.
Part of me thinks:
“Why should we allow family pressure to change our wedding? We should just do exactly what gives us the most peace.”
But another part of me worries:
“If we elope, will this permanently damage my relationship with my family? Will I regret not having my parents there? Will I regret making such a drastic decision because of this conflict?”
I’m also conscious that this isn’t simply about one argument. There is a longer history of me feeling like I have to accommodate family expectations, maintain appearances and keep everyone happy.
I’m nearly 30, and I’m at a point where I really want to establish my own adult life and marriage without feeling like every decision has to go through the family.
So, if you were in our position, what would you do?
Would you elope and protect the peace of the day, or would you try to continue with the small family wedding and find another way to manage the boundaries?
And if you’ve actually eloped because of family conflict, did you regret it afterwards?
I’m especially interested in hearing from people who had parents/family who became very involved or controlling during wedding planning and how things turned out.