17 Reasons You Should Elope (and one reason not to)

This year has been one for the history books to say the least. Weddings are already so stressful to plan, let alone the chaos of cancellations, rebooking, and the anxiety of planning an event during a pandemic! Covid has changed life for the foreseeable future, and there are so many compelling reasons to say ‘heck with the traditional wedding, let’s elope!’

And we're not talking about your Elvis-in-a-Vegas-Chapel type elopement, we're talking about an Adventure Elopement! So many couples are saying that more than anything, they’re valuing an intimate day, focused on the two of them, without the chaos and politics of planning for hundreds of guests on a day that’s really supposed to be fun and stress-free. You’ll save a years worth of sanity, I promise.

So come on - put on your hiking dress and your wedding boots, grab your partner by the hand and whisper in their ear 'let's go elope in the woods!'

Here are some of my top reasons to elope!

1. Adventure With Your Partner Is Much More Exciting!

Think about the times you've had the most fun with your partner. Was it in a stuffy ballroom wearing clothes you're not comfortable with? Listening to a drunk uncle rambling on during a toast that should have ended 30 minutes ago? Probably not! You're probably envisioning a time of pure-bliss, on some great adventure together, hiking a mountain peak, jumping in an alpine lake, or simply wandering in the woods.

2. Cost Savings

The average cost of a wedding in the U.S. is….wait for it… $33,000. Let that sink in for a moment. Yikes! And that’s just the average. There are so many great ways to spend that kind of money as newlyweds - getting out of student debt, putting a down payment on a home, or taking a month long honeymoon in Bali. Let’s face it, millennials are already facing a struggling job market and rising cost of living. The average elopement cost is often close to $5,000, and can even be done for less! I always say - ‘Bigger budget, bigger problems’, when it comes to wedding planning. More money doesn’t equate to more romance on your wedding day, often it can just complicate things and add stress. Which brings us to number three…

3. It’s Just So Simple

The entire experience of elopement planning is just SO. DANG. SIMPLE. A couple key details, some dreaming about locations, and a little bit of logistic prep is all it takes! And if you want to add some extra touches, the skies are the limit! Couples are often surprised at the end of a planning conversation, saying “wait….that’s it?”

4. Covid Is Here To Stay

We have to face it, life isn’t going to get easier anytime soon. Do we really want to plan a traditional wedding where our family has to social distance on the dance floor? Or take family photos wearing masks? Not really. Ditch the crazy big event, elope, then have a backyard family party sometime afterwards!

5. Complete Day Of Adventure

When you elope, you can focus on the ‘feelings’ that you want your day to hold. It could be a crazy day of adventure, hiking to a 14,000’ summit and saying vows on the top of Mt Whitney. Or it can be a cozy day starting by writing vows together in a cabin, in front of a fireplace. A floatplane to a hidden beach, a walk beneath Sequoia trees, or helicopter ride to the top of an Alaskan Glacier!

5. You Can Focus More On Your Marriage Than Your Wedding

By the time some people get married, they’re sometimes so overwhelmed by the wedding planning process that it takes a toll on their relationship. When you choose something simple, you can really focus on the things that matter - your own hearts and minds.

6. Buck The Traditions

Who even know why cake is important on your wedding day. Not sure about you, but I’d rather have pie! There are so many wedding traditions that we hardly know the origin - and I suppose to me, tradition without basis is meaningless. Hold on to traditions with meaning, and create some new ones!

7. Epic Photos

Let’s be honest, this is the real reason we’re doing this, right? When else do you get to have this much attention focused on your beautiful selves? And on a mountaintop nonetheless, wearing your best outfits, on an emotional high? Sounds like the right time for a photoshoot to me!

8. Skip The Family Drama

Wink wink… we already know this is the main reason some of us are arriving at this decision. The politics of wedding planning can be completely overwhelming when family is involved, and makes some people want to just throw their hands in the air and run away. You can tell the family that they can plan a party for you when you get home, and escape to the woods without an overbearing mother-in-law in sight! Most mother-in-laws are awesome though ;)

9. Fun Outfit Options!

There’s no reason to be formal if you’re not interested in that. There are SO many cool things you can wear on your wedding day when you’re not constricted to formal attire. I LOVE when people get creative and wear patterned dresses, rompers, wool jackets, denim pants, leather boots, adventure hats. Let your attire represent who you are, however casual or fancy that might be!

10. Experiences That Normally Couldn’t Happen

Certain events would require so much planning, logistics, and permitting, that it just wouldn’t be possible. Especially if you’re talking about having a ceremony in the backcountry next to an alpine lake, 12 miles from the closest road. You can literally say “what sounds like the greatest adventure EVER”, do it, and happen to get married!

11. Intimacy & Privacy

In an Instagram world, we rarely have any privacy anymore. There’s something to be said for a sacred and intimate ceremony, where YOU have control of what’s shared from your event. No eyes on you during your wedding, nobody asking you to make decisions about silly things - just closeness and intimacy with your partner.

12. You Can Get Married ON Your Honeymoon!

SO MANY people do this and I think it’s awesome! Why not? Choose an epic location, get married there, and then stay for a week! Often your photographer might stay for a day or two extra and document your amazing adventures kayaking, snorkeling, mountain biking, hiking, or just hanging out cozy in your mountain cabin!

13. You Get Time Back

If you think of how many guests are often invited to a traditional wedding, you are reminded how little time you’ll get to spend in conversation with each of them. And if you focus so much on your guests, you’ll realize after the wedding that you had barely interacted with your new spouse!

14. Amazing Locations

What kind of places are important to you? Mountain summit? Top of a icy glacier? Grove of Sequoia trees? Hawaiian Island? Secluded beach? Certain areas are off limits or inaccessible for large groups but perfect for a handful of people.

15. It's Environmentally Friendly

Want to lessen your carbon footprint? Weddings are notoriously wasteful - from the paper invitations, flowers that are thrown away, plastic party favors that are abandoned, tossed food. A typical wedding of around 100 guests usually results in 400-600 pounds of waste. Wanna go green? Start by how you get married! It’s amazing how eco friendly you can be by getting married outside, following leave-no-trace guidelines, and adventuring in responsible ways!

16. Authenticity

For those who don’t relate to a large event, having a small private ceremony is a way to stay true to yourself and your values! Creating a celebration that doesn’t feel like ‘you’ is stifling to the whole experience. Step out of the box, and do something that makes you feel like your true self!

17. There Are NO RULES

I mean, this is honestly the best part. Forget about what anyone else wants for you. You can even disregard my own advice. This is about YOU, and doing something that’s right for YOU and your new life together. Bend the rules, break the rules, forget them completely. You can do what you want. This is your day, and your life!

18. Maybe This Isn’t For Me

I’d be so remiss to say that if this just DOESN’T sound like your cup of tea, and you’ve always dreamed of a big beautiful wedding, than please by all means follow your heart. This isn’t for everyone, but you’ll know if it is. Don’t follow too much peer pressure about ANY part of your wedding planning.

Thanks for reading this far! Check out The Journal for more inspiration, and peek at more Guided Elopement info as well to book your own destination elopement! For more regional elopement information for Yosemite National Park and Sequoia National Park Elopements head to Sequoia Weddings.

Interested in talking about your own elopement? I’d love to be a part of your love story!