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Some love stories start with a little bit of luck and a three-hour drive. Leah and Donny met through a mutual connection during a night out in downtown Austin, and from the moment they clicked, Donny made it clear he was all in, logging that 180-mile round trip from Dallas nearly every weekend until he finally made the move to Austin for good. So when it came time to plan their wedding, it made perfect sense that this couple would skip the stress of a traditional celebration and do things their own way. They chose a Las Vegas elopement at Nelson’s Ghost Town, surrounded by their closest family and friends, and every detail was more beautiful than they could have imagined. A vibrant dress code, mountain views, stained glass, and even a mama bird waddling through with her babies during their vows, this was a wedding day that felt completely, perfectly theirs.

Can you share your love story and what led you to choose elopement in Las Vegas?

Donny and I met through my cousin. I was living in Austin. My cousin who lived in Dallas brought some friends into town, one being Donny. I ended up meeting up with them in downtown for some drinks and Donny and I immediately clicked. We exchanged numbers and would text occasionally. When we eventually had our first date, he drove from Dallas to Austin (3 hr drive) to take me out. After about 6 months of Donny making that drive basically every weekend, Donny relocated to Austin and the rest is history.

What made you decide to work with ELV and can you describe the overall experience of planning your elopement with us.

We knew we wanted something smaller and more intimate, and the idea of an elopement felt right. Once we decided on Vegas, we honestly weren’t sure where to start, but searching for Las Vegas elopements led us straight to ELV and it was the best decision we made. The planning process was so much easier than we ever expected. Communication was wonderful, everything came together perfectly, and the ELV team made the whole experience completely stress free from start to finish.

Tell us about your choice of venue or location for the elopement. What drew you to that particular spot?

We got married at Nelson’s ghost town. We loved the natural beauty of it all. The mountains and the stained glass was everything. I also liked that we could book further in advance. Our guest enjoyed being able to walk around and take pictures while we were with the photographer. 

The whole place was truly just so beautiful. As we were exchanging vows a mama bird and her babies all went waddling by and it just felt heartwarming. 

Many couples choose elopement for budget reasons. How did eloping in Las Vegas impact your wedding budget?

We felt that the ease was worth every penny, and were continuously surprised at how perfect everything looked based on the inspo pics and how stress free the day went. Trusting ELV to coordinate with reliable vendors they were already familiar with saved us so much time and money. We were even able to get a deal with Hofbräuhaus for our welcome dinner based on their recommendation.

Did you choose to invite any family or friends to your elopement?

We chose to invite our immediate family and our closest friends. We had 17 guest and all saw it as a vacation with a wedding. All we asked from them was to show up and wear something vibrant for the wedding.

What advice would you give to other couples considering eloping in Las Vegas or planning an intimate ceremony? 

Just do it. I got told “how are you so calm” and “I wish I would have been this calm on my wedding day”. I literally didn’t have anything to worry about. The ELV team took care of it all and made my vision come to life perfectly. If you’re considering an intimate ceremony, do it! It really made our day feel so special.