How to Elope

Guide Note

Eloping in the olden days was seen as a way for couples to run away from their friends and family and secretly get married. Now it is much more acceptable for couples to wed this way. Due to inflated wedding prices with the average wedding costing over $20,000, many couples are finding that eloping is a way to save money and is a great plan for those who are on a budget.

Table of Contents

How to Elope Tips

  1. Stay organized during the planning to cut down on stress.
  2. Keep in mind local rules and regulations if you plan to wed in an unfamiliar location.
  3. If you are required to fly to the wedding location pack your wedding attire, or at least your dress, as carry-on
  4. Create a realistic budget and stick to it.
  5. Also referred to as destination weddings, location weddings, destination elopements, and weddingmoons.

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Introduction

Step 1: What You Will Need

  • Just as in any normal wedding the marrying couple is required to take certain steps in the process if they want to be legally married.7
  • The wedding 'Must Haves' to be legally married are:
  1. A Marriage License8
  2. Photo ID8
  3. Birth Certificates8
  4. Passport (If traveling out of the country)
  5. Minister or officiant ordained to legally marry couples6
  6. Witnesses
  • Figure Out Your Outfits, Rings and Flowers
  1. Decide on what you both want to wear and buy your outfits.9
  2. Pick out and buy your wedding rings.9
  3. Make sure your wedding package includes flowers, cake, a photographer, and ceremony music.9
  4. Decide whether you want to write your own vows, personalize vows that are already written, or simply use formal vows provided by the wedding officiant.6

Step 2: Decide on a Budget

  1. Decide your total budget: It is important for you to know your overall limit on how much money you can afford to spend on your elopement.
  2. Decide how much money goes to each expense: Break down the main expenses and allocate how much money you plan to spend on each of these expenses. If you create your own budget worksheet you need to include:
    1. {
      (Creative Commons photo by Jeff Keen)
      (Creative Commons photo by Jeff Keen)
      Travel
    2. Accommodations
    3. Clothing and attire
    4. Rings
    5. Flowers
    6. Wedding cake
    7. Photography
    8. Marriage license
    9. Announcements and stationary
    10. Honeymoon
    11. Reception - if you are having one after the elopement.
    12. Miscellaneous fees
  3. Stick to the budget: After designating how much money you are willing to spend on each part of your elopement it is important to then follow this budget as you plan.

Step 3: Where to Elope

Destination Elopements

  • Some of the most popular destination weddings are:
  1. Cruise Ship Weddings: Cruise ship weddings are an economical way to have a destination elopement and honeymoon, all in one price package. Many ships, as well as offering on board ceremonies, offer destination ceremonies such as beaches, hot air balloons, glaciers, etc.14
  2. Las Vegas: Vegas is probably the first place one thinks of when they consider elopement destinations, although some couples feel that Vegas is cheesy.16 It is one of the most popular elopement destinations, with over 100,000 couples marry there each year.17 18
  3. Hawaii: Hawaii offers a beautiful, romantic setting for an elopement. This is an especially great location for a beach wedding.19 20
  4. Florida: This is another great place for a beach elopement but Florida also offers a distinct variety of locations, both indoors and out.21
  5. Niagara Falls: Niagara Falls, which are located between Canada and New York, are one of the most popular honeymoon destinations in Canada. The Niagara Vineyards, only 15 minutes away from the main falls, are also a great ceremony location.21 22 23
  6. California: California offers a huge variety of romantic elopement options.21
  7. Walt Disney World and Disneyland: Both of the Disney parks offer magical wedding packages. 24
  • Many couples have chosen to take their elopement ceremonies outside of the chapel and courthouse and have found destinations that make the wedding extra memorable. Some of these popular ceremony sites are:
  1. (Creative Commons photo by Alexander Steffler)
    (Creative Commons photo by Alexander Steffler)
    Beaches25
  2. Rainforests
  3. Vineyards26
  4. Mountains
  5. Glaciers
  6. Dude Ranches
  7. Bed and Breakfasts
  8. Castles
  9. Lighthouses
  10. Hot Air Balloons

Step 4: Your Paperwork

  • It is important that you apply for all of the appropriate paperwork far enough before your wedding to be sure everything is in hand by your big day.

Your Marriage License

  • Marriage License Facts:
  1. Some states have required waiting periods, that can be as long as one week, before a marriage license will be given.
  2. To apply for your marriage license you can go to your local Parish Clerk's office, which is usually located in your town's courthouse.
  3. A marriage license is good for a certain number of days from the point it is given, which is usually somewhere between 30 and 90 days.27
  4. For couples wanting to elope in Paris, the city has heavy requirements to obtain a marriage license. The city demands that either the bride or the groom lives in France for 40 days before allowing the couple to elope.28
  5. Most other elopement destinations, such as Las Vegas, allow couples to marry almost on the spot.
  • What is Needed to Obtain a Marriage License:
  1. Both Bride and Groom.26
  2. Photo IDs26
  3. Birth Certificates26
  4. Money to pay licensing fees.26
  5. Information on any prior marriages and how they legally ended, such as death certificates or divorce decrees. (If this applies to you.)26
  • NOTE: Some states require a blood test for both parties prior to granting a marriage license.

Step 5: Travel Arrangements

  • Whether you are planning to elope just across town or you are going to a Caribbean island you will need to consider your travel options and make arrangements. Decide which form of travel is appropriate for your needs and finalize all travel plans early.29 Most all-inclusive resorts offer airfare packages as well, although with cruise ship elopements you are still responsible for planning and purchasing your airfare.
(Creative Commons photo by Chunyang LIN)
(Creative Commons photo by Chunyang LIN)
  1. Decide whether to use a travel agent or plan all travel on your own: Using a travel agent saves you the stress of having to research and buy tickets on your own, but it does cost more than if you do it yourself.
  2. Consider all of your travel options: There are many travel options including car, plane, train, bus, or boat.
  3. Choose and buy tickets: Make sure you buy your tickets enough in advance to ensure you are able to get what you want and so that you do not have to pay more for last minute fees.
  4. Finalize all travel arrangements: Once your arrangements have been finalized make sure you save all paperwork needed for travel.

Step 6: Get Hitched

  • In this step you and your fiance elope. This is when you savor the memories you are making together, cherish one another, and are grateful for the choice you made to elope.
  1. Travel to your chosen elopement destination
  2. Dress and prepare for your wedding
  3. Go through the ceremony and say your "I Do's"

Step 7: Honeymoon

  • If you choose not to have a destination wedding or if you are not eloping outside of your hometown, you may want to plan a honeymoon for after the wedding. If your main reason for eloping is to save money then you will be excited to know that a honeymoon can also be planned on a budget.30

Step 8: Announcements, Celebrations, and Gift Registries

  • Now that you are hitched it is time to share the news with family and friends! Some eloping couples choose to have a party after returning from the wedding and honeymoon, while others do not, but neither way is not right or wrong. You must choose what is right for you as a couple.

Announcements

  1. Decide on the announcements:
    1. Custom Elopement Announcements: You can create these easily if you are not planning an after-party.
    2. Formal wedding announcements: If you are planning to invite family and friends to a post-elopement party, you can send out announcements that also act as invitations.
  2. Address and mail announcements: Proper etiquette says that elopement announcements should be sent out within two weeks after the wedding.32

A Post-Elopement Party?

  • (Creative Commons photo by Cameron Nordholm)
    (Creative Commons photo by Cameron Nordholm)
    Some couples who elope choose to have a small party after they wed so that their closest friends and family can celebrate the marriage along with the couple.32 These parties, or "receptions", are becoming more and more common and allow a way for both sides, the couple and the loved ones, to still be happy. Having a party after you wed is another great way to make sure your family still feels like a part of your marriage, even though they won't be there for the actual elopement.
  1. Make a guest list
  2. Find a location for the party.
  3. Send out invitations.
  4. Decorate the party location.
  5. Choose the type of food and whether or not to have it catered.
  6. Choose a professional photographer or a family member to take photos.

Gift Registry

  • To Register:
  1. Choose the store or stores you want to register at.
  2. Find the gift registration department or go to the courtesy desk.
  3. Create your account and set up registry.
  4. Add items to the registry.
  5. Finalize all paperwork to finish registry.

Conclusion

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Resources for How to Elope

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 AisleDash: Elopement Industry Rises
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Article Base: Why Couples Elope!
  3. ↑ Let's Run Off: Advice And Planning
  4. ↑ love to know: Elope
  5. ↑ groomgroove.com: eloping
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Let's Run Off: Elopements Made Easy
  7. ↑ Let's Run Off: Legal Stuff
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 MarriageLicense.com: Marriage License: Your State Requirements For A License
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Let's Run Off: Elopement Checklist
  10. ↑ Let's Run Off: Reasons To Elope
  11. ↑ WeddingSolutions.com: Destination Wedding Planning
  12. ↑ Wedding Ideas and Details: All Inclusive Wedding Packages
  13. ↑ Saizan's Travel: Destination Weddings
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Destination Weddings: Top Ten Reasons to Plan a Destination Wedding
  15. ↑ Let's Run Off: Destinations
  16. ↑ Simply-Romantic-Ideas.com: Choosing romantic places to elope is more common than ever...
  17. ↑ Ezine Articles: Top Romantic Places To Elope
  18. ↑ Improve Your Romance: Romantic Places To Elope For All You 'Rebels' Out There...
  19. ↑ excellent-romantic-vacations.com: Ideas on Romantic Places to Elope
  20. ↑ excellent-romantic-vacations.com: Elope in Hawaii
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 Excellent-Romantic-Vacations.com: Ideas on Romantic Places to Elope
  22. ↑ Excellent-Romantic-Vacations.com: How You Can Elope in Niagara Falls
  23. ↑ Niagara Falls Tourism: The Falls
  24. ↑ Wholly Matrimony!: Destination Wedding 101
  25. ↑ beachbride2be: Beach Weddings
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 26.4 26.5 the knot: Wedding Style: Vineyard Weddings
  27. ↑ Findlaw: Chart: State Marriage License and Blood Test Requirements
  28. ↑ EzineArticles: How to Get Married in Paris - A Guide For the Persistent Romantic!
  29. ↑ Skyview Travel Inc.: Travel Tips
  30. ↑ the knot: Honeymoon Budget: 25 Ways to Honeymoon for Less
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 31.2 Wedding Gazette: Is Eloping For You?
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 32.2 BismanWeddings.com: Elopement Announcements



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