How to Elope

When planning an elopement or "quickie" wedding you still need to consider some of the true wedding "basics".

After deciding that eloping is what's best for you and your hunnie, you need to create some sort of budget. Regardless of where you decide to get married (city hall, some place local, or vacation destination) you will need to have a plan for your money.
Eloping is certainly less expensive than a traditional wedding and you're bound to get more bang for your buck!
You need to decide what you want for your wedding and how much you want to spend on it
1. Wedding Venue/Destination - everything from city hall, las vegas, an overseas adventure or right in your own backyard.

2. Wedding Dress- short, long, cotton, silk. It's your day so it's up to you! Remember now that you don't have to pay for a huge party you could spend the money on your designer dream dress or have one custom made!

3. Flowers- Probably just a bouquet for you and your bridesmaid and some boutineeres for the gentleman. If you want to take it up a notch you can add flowers to your ceremony location or your dinner venue!

4. Food - instead of worrying about selecting a menu to appeal to the masses you get the luxury of heading to your favorite restaurant, a place you've always wanted to try or maybe a romantic dinner for two at home!

5. Wedding cake - yes, you can elope and still have cake! When making your venue/destination or restaurant decision ask if they can make you a cake. If not head to your favorite bakery or if you're heading out of town ask for suggestions on a good local shop. Opt for a smaller cake such as a 5" round, enough to feed up to 10 people! If you really want the look of a big cake ask if they can stack it. Many times bakers will make just the top tier as your wedding cake while the other tiers are styrofoam covered in fondant or icing.

After you've decided where to spend your money you may need to consider a few other things...
1.If you're heading out of town for your nuptials you will need to factor in the expense of traveling (plane, train or automobile) as well as hotel accommodations.

2.Also depending on the destination or venue you have chosen for your nuptials you may need to find an officiant for your ceremony.

3. And of course, don't forget the marriage license!

Why should I elope?

Here are some of the big reasons why couples decide to elope...

1. To have an affordable wedding
2. To save time
3. To save your sanity
4. To have fun
5. To have freedom from the "norm"

Here are some of the reasons we're eloping...

1. My family is crazy
2. His family is huge
3. To save money
4. To do it our way

These days eloping isn't nearly as taboo, it's not just about running off to vegas on a whim. Sure, that's still an option, but the options are endless. It's more common now for eloping to become more like a small wedding, involving a couple of friends or family members and often they take place at unique destinations.

When planning an elopement, just like with any other wedding you must first know what the marriage license rules and regulations are in your state/country or the state/country you plan to get married in. It's important not to leave this detail to the last minute, as some states/countries require mountains of paper work, blood work, waiting periods or any other likely red tape.

Please check:
marriage laws by state
or
marriage laws by country

Eloping

Elope

1. to slip away : escape
2. a. to run away from one's husband with a lover b. to run away secretly with the intention of getting married, usually without parental consent