“Should I elope or have a large wedding?” It can be a loaded question. 

Determining what’s right for you and your partner can be challenging, but this is your day after all! If you’re trying to decide whether or not eloping is right for you, we’re here to help! When talking with your partner, here are a few questions to ask yourselves:

When You Envision Your Wedding, What Do You See?

Close both of your eyes and think about your wedding day. What do you see? Tell your partner what you’ve always envisioned to see if you’re on the same page already or aiming to meet in the middle. Have you always pictured getting married on a mountain, cliffside beach, or your family’s church? Whatever it may be, this can be a starting point for designing the wedding day of your dreams.

How Many People Do You Want at Your Wedding?

Most of our elopement ceremonies have 20 guests or less, while our micro weddings have up to 50 guests or less. If each of you pictured a more intimate gathering, then eloping is right for you! But if you each planned on inviting your 50-100 closest family members and friends, that guest list can add up quickly for a larger soiree. 

What’s Our Wedding Budget?

In some cases, the cost of a larger wedding is more than couples want to spend on their wedding day (or they would rather invest in other vendors than those solely meant to entertain guests!). It’s important to be realistic when determining your budget and stay within your means — that added financial stress isn’t worth it! The national average for a wedding is around $33,000, while some of our elopement packages are $2,000 or less. You can figure around $100-$200 per guest when planning a larger wedding for food, alcohol and other costs associated.

Would We Benefit From a Smaller Wedding?

Maybe you’ve been saving hard to purchase your first home, go on a dream trip or pay off student loans. If you’re passionate about those things, this is the perfect time to talk it over with your partner to determine if it’s smart to spend a larger sum or not! Make a list of ways that you could use the money you wouldn’t spend on an otherwise large wedding to see what means more to you both.

Should We Elope?

Once you’ve discussed all of the questions above, it’s time to talk about an elopement! Depending on how you answered the previous questions, we’d say you’re destined to elope if the below applies to you:

• You envision a smaller ceremony with 0-20 guests
• Your budget is under $5,000
• You prefer intimate venues or an adventure elopement outdoors
• You’re able to take a few days off to travel if needed

We’re Ready to Elope! Now what?

So you’ve made the decision to elope, YAY! Once you have a general idea of where you may want, it’s time to start planning. If you’re not entirely sure, that’s okay too! We can provide a list of some of our top elopement locations based on the settings you prefer or the style elopement you’re leaning toward. Send a message our way to start chatting about all of the details here!