Elope And Celebrate: Merging Intimacy With Tradition

There are no rules when it comes to eloping and having a wedding—you can choose to do both! Many couples opt for an intimate elopement ceremony first, followed by a larger wedding celebration or reception-style party later. This allows them to have a pressure-free, authentic ceremony focused on their unique love story, while still being able to celebrate with friends and family. Eloping first can also help spread out costs and give couples more time to connect before the big wedding festivities.

You can have a bigger wedding later

Eloping is a great option for couples who want to get married sooner rather than later, especially if they want to do so intimately. However, this does not mean that they have to miss out on a bigger wedding celebration. In fact, there are several benefits to hosting a larger wedding party or celebration after eloping.

Firstly, eloping allows couples to have an intimate and authentic day where they can focus on each other and their commitment, without the pressure and opinions of others. This can be particularly beneficial for couples who view exchanging vows as a private and sentimental moment to be shared with only their closest friends and family. By eloping, couples can ensure that their wedding day is a blur of guests and festivities, and instead becomes a cherished memory.

Secondly, eloping can help to reduce the stress and costs associated with traditional weddings. Planning a wedding can be overwhelming, especially without the help of a professional coordinator. Eloping allows couples to minimise stress by having a smaller ceremony with fewer guests and festivities. It is also substantially cheaper, giving couples the opportunity to save up for their dream post-elopement celebration.

Additionally, eloping provides couples with greater flexibility and freedom in planning their nuptials and celebration. There are no rules when it comes to elopement, so couples can choose to elope and still plan a wedding or reception-style party at any time in the future. This allows them to incorporate traditional wedding elements, such as a wedding dress, bachelorette or bachelor party, and even a second time wearing their wedding attire.

Finally, eloping can extend the wedding celebrations. Couples can treat the post-elopement party as a vow renewal, allowing them to celebrate their marriage with friends and family who were not present during the elopement. This way, they get to have the best of both worlds – an intimate elopement and a larger celebration with their loved ones.

A pressure-free ceremony

Eloping is a great way to ensure your wedding day is pressure-free. By eloping, you and your partner can focus on having a ceremony that is about the two of you, without the external pressure of planning a big event with lots of guests. This means you can have a ceremony that truly represents who you are as a couple.

If you elope, you can also avoid the stress of planning a large wedding. However, if you still want to celebrate with friends and family, you can plan a post-elopement party. This can be as big or as small as you like, and you can still have a wedding dress, a bachelorette party, and a dance floor.

• Make time for self-care: meditate, spend time in nature, unplug from social media, and get enough sleep.
• Prioritize and delegate wedding planning responsibilities. Ask for help from family and friends—they can help with tasks like picking up deliveries, tracking RSVPs, and assisting the wedding photographer.
• Hire a wedding planner if your budget allows.
• Consider pre-marital counselling to discuss your expectations for married life.
• Take breaks from wedding planning and set aside time when wedding talk is off-limits.
• Stick to your budget and plan for unexpected costs.
• Prepare a Plan B in case things go wrong.
• On the day itself, make sure you eat and drink enough, and bring comfy shoes for dancing!

More time to connect

Some newlyweds describe their wedding day as a blur, with little time to connect with their spouse as they are busy talking to all their guests. While there is nothing wrong with celebrating your nuptials with those closest to you, an elopement allows you to share your vows and focus on each other before hosting a larger wedding party.

When you elope, you get to have an intimate and authentic day with your partner, where you can soak in every little moment and create lasting memories. The "wedding" later becomes more of a celebration or party, but the important date—the day you shared your vows—will always be just for the two of you, exactly how you envisioned it.

By eloping, you can also leap into married life sooner and enjoy the spontaneity and adventure of the experience. You can plan a romantic micro-wedding ceremony just for you and your partner, and still look forward to a larger wedding party or celebration down the line.

One couple shared their experience, saying: "We had a small micro wedding with our immediate family—this was primarily also to get my husband onto my benefits with work. Honestly, you'll just end up planning two events but our micro wedding we literally put together in 2 weeks because we knew we weren't going ALL OUT. So it really wasn't stressful at all. And the most important thing is that we got to spend quality time with our immediate family that we wouldn't really get to do at a larger wedding event."

Another couple shared: "We got married in a gazebo last summer. It was easier to social distance and have the place look wonderful for pictures. It was intimate, but with professional photos. We went to a gorgeous restaurant afterward and had dinner in a thatched tiki hut over a koi pond. All in all, it was a lovely time."

So, if you're considering eloping and having a larger wedding later, you can absolutely make it work! You can have the best of both worlds: an intimate elopement to connect with your partner and a bigger celebration with friends and family.

No rules

The best part about elopements is that there are no rules! You get to decide how to announce your elopement, what to do after, and whether or not you want to have a bachelorette or bachelor party. If you want to elope and then have a more formal or traditional wedding later, you absolutely can.

Eloping gives you the freedom to make the calls and do what you want. You can focus on the experience of just you and your partner, or invite a few people to support you, or even hop on a plane and explore a new country for your wedding day. It's all up to you!

There are many reasons why you might choose to elope now and have a wedding reception later. Firstly, it gives you an intimate and authentic day with your partner. Many couples look back on their traditional wedding day and describe it as a blur, with so much going on and so many people to talk to. Eloping gives you a day that's 100% authentic and just for the two of you, while the "wedding" later can be more of a celebration or party.

Another benefit of eloping is that there's no pressure or drama. You don't have to worry about inviting people you hardly know or seating family members who don't get along. It's also a great way to spread out the cost of a wedding, as weddings can be expensive. Eloping now and having a reception later allows you to stagger those expenses and make both events more manageable financially.

If you're worried about missing out on the traditional wedding experience, don't be! You can still have a bachelorette or bachelor party, wear a wedding dress, and include cultural or family traditions in your celebration. You can even ask a close friend to officiate the ceremony and write custom vows.

So, if you're considering eloping, remember that there are no rules! You can choose to elope and still plan a wedding or reception-style party at any time in the future. Do what feels right for you and your partner, and create a wedding day experience that you're truly excited about.

You can combine elopement and traditional wedding elements

Eloping and then having a traditional wedding celebration later is a great way to commemorate your marriage as a couple authentically while still honouring cultural or family traditions. This option is perfect for couples who want to do things their way and buck tradition, but also want to include their loved ones in the celebration.

• Incorporate cultural traditions: If your family has a favourite wedding tradition, such as dancing the Hora, or if your partner's family makes the best Italian wedding soup, include these elements in your celebration! This way, you can add a personal touch that feels true to you and your partner while still honouring your cultural heritage.
• Host an intimate elopement first: By having an intimate elopement with just the two of you, or a small group of loved ones, you can create a meaningful and authentic day that is focused on your relationship. This can be a pressure-free ceremony without the stress of planning a large event. Then, you can host a bigger wedding celebration later, which will feel more like a party where you can let loose and have fun with your friends and family.
• Spread out the cost: Combining elopement and traditional wedding elements can also help stagger the expenses of your nuptials. You can have a simple and affordable elopement first and then plan a more extravagant wedding celebration later when you have saved up more money.
• Wear your wedding attire twice: One of the perks of having an elopement followed by a traditional wedding is that you get to wear your wedding attire twice! This is a great way to get more use out of your wedding clothes and create different memories with them.
• Extend your wedding celebrations: Who says you can only celebrate your wedding once? By combining elopement and traditional elements, you can have multiple celebrations and create lasting memories with your loved ones.
• Involve your loved ones: While eloping is a great way to focus on your relationship, it's also important to consider the people who matter to you. Involve your inner circle in the planning process and choose a date that works for them. This way, you can make sure that your loved ones feel included and special.

Remember, there are no rules when it comes to elopement and wedding planning! You can be flexible and creative in designing your dream wedding, whether it's an intimate elopement, a traditional celebration, or a combination of both.

Frequently asked questions