Eloping is the biggest trend in weddings right now! You jet off to a breathtaking backdrop and skip all the big wedding planning and keep it simple if that’s more your style. There are a few things to keep in mind when you plan to elope and hopefully we’ll help make the planning a little bit easier for you!
Tell the parents!
There is something romantic about not telling anyone you can getting married. According to brides.com you should at least tell your parents to minimize hurt feelings and surprises after the fact. Also suggest a wedding reception afterwards to celebrate with your closet friends and family. You can also consider inviting just your parents along to your elopement if it is really important for them to be there.
Budget
Don’t down play your elopement. It may be a more intimate wedding, but you still deserve to make it memorable. Budget for a dress or nice outfits. You can still do flowers and make sure you hire a elopement photographer to capture the ceremony or day. You can also see if your budget allows for a videographer or local wedding planner to help ease the stress of planning.
Translation Assistant
If you are planning your elopement in a different country consider Translate Shark to help throughout the planning process. A professional translation service can be very helpful when sending emails and/or timelines to vendors in other counties. Communication is key to this whole thing so make sure everyone is on the same page!
Legal Stuff
In the U.S. you need a witness and an officiant to be married. If you are getting married aboard make sure you stop by city hall before you go and make the marriage legal! Each city, state and country are different so you need to make sure you call or email to make sure you have all necessary documents (i.e. birth certificates, proof of divorce, birth certificate) and blood tests (if needed). Theknot.com says its good to contact the country’s embassy to determine what’s needed for nonresidents to be married there. You’ll likely need all the same paperwork as above, and you may also need a witness. It’s always better to be over-prepared rather than under!
The Announcement!
After its all said and done make sure you plan the big announcement! How are you going to tell all your friends and family? Decide if you are going to make an announcement via email, facebook, instagram, in-person or phone call. Think about cute ways you can announce your marriage either by a wedding website with photos from the elopement, Holiday card with the big news or a printed announcement from your parents. Make sure you tell everyone within a few months so they can celebrate along with you.
Just remember this is supposed to be fun, romantic and stress-free. Elopements still require a bit of planning just on a smaller scale. Remember to be supportive of your other friends who choose to have a bigger wedding and offer support when needed because in the end we all have to choose the path that’s right for us. There will be some hurt feelings because certain people were left out, but sitting down and communicating this is the best choice for you will hopefully make everything a little easier!
Photo courtesy of http://www.womangettingmarried.com.
