Are you thinking of eloping? While you may want to avoid planning a huge, complicated wedding, eloping isn’t for everyone. Consider the following advice before you make the decision to elope.
Why Eloping May Be for You
The number one reason couples elope is to save money. Running away for a few days to tie the knot is simply much less expensive than a big, traditional wedding. Eloping also helps couples to avoid the thousands of dollars in debt they can accrue on a big wedding. In addition, some people don’t want to spend months planning their weddings; while others prefer to avoid family members who may not approve of the wedding.
There’s also something very romantic about being swept away to get married, whether it’s at city hall or in Las Vegas or another exotic location. Eloping can feel like a grand adventure, and some couples prefer the intimacy and spontaneity of small wedding. Not everyone likes the bells and whistles of a big wedding, nor all the hoops they feel they must jump through. If this describes you and your soon-to-be-spouse, eloping may be right for you.
Why Eloping May Not Be for You
If you’ve always dreamed of a large wedding, eloping may not be a good choice for you. Some women begin planning their weddings when they’re only seven or eight years old. They want the entire affair – and the Prince Charming to go with it – and eloping means giving up this dream. Even if eloping sounds good at the time, you may find yourself regretting the wedding you never had.
Weddings are also very important for your family. There are likely to be some hurt feelings, especially from the mother of the bride if you decide to elope. If your family doesn’t approve of who you want to spend the rest of your life with, eloping could cause even more hard feelings. While this is not always the case, it does happen.
If you decide to elope, you also won’t have the memories or mementos from a large wedding. While you can certainly take pictures of city hall or of a Las Vegas wedding chapel, it’s not quite the same as formal wedding photos and dried flowers pressed from your bouquet.
Eloping Dos and Don’ts
If you decide that eloping is the best option for your and your fiancé, consider the following advice to help avoid some of the problems that come with eloping.
Have a private ceremony, but host a reception at a later date for your friends and family.
Bring a professional photographer to wherever you are getting married. Even if the ceremony is at city hall, you can still send out pictures to your friends and family, along with your wedding announcement.
Bring your parents with you. While this may seem like it voids the point of eloping, you can often appease your parents with just the invitation to attend. If money is an issue, plan to have a fabulous five- or ten-year anniversary party when you’re in a better financial position.
While eloping can be very exciting, don’t forget to check into the paperwork you’ll need. Every state has its own licensing requirements, and most states won’t allow you marry on the same day that you applied for a license. This is one of the reasons why many people go to Las Vegas to elope, since the process is much simpler and faster there.
If you’re planning a courthouse wedding, you may want to ask how many guests you’re allowed to have present during the ceremony. Depending on the time and seating room, you may be able to invite as many as ten to twelve people to witness your nuptials. However, in most cases, the court clerks can act as witnesses, so you don’t have to have anyone there if you don’t want to.
