How To Plan An Elopement | Adventure Elopement Photographer | National Park Elopement Photography

If you and your partner have decided to elope – congrats! That’s a huge step in the planning process and now you can start to imagine what your dream day looks like! You may be confused as to what exactly goes into an elopement day. At the end of the day, your elopement day can look like absolutely anything! Outside of your wedding ceremony, which can be as short or long as you want, the day is completely up to you. That’s the magic of an elopement! However, for some couples, the endless possibilities can feel overwhelming. So, here are three steps to help you start to plan your perfect elopement day.

1. Elopement Planning Without Limits

The first step in elopement planning is asking yourself, “What would our elopement day look like if there were no limits?”. Your elopement is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so dream big! You’ve already thrown tradition out the window, so take some time to imagine what your perfect elopement day with your partner would be like if there were absolutely no restrictions. Forget about your budget and your timeline for now — we can come back to that later. 

2. Make it an Elopement Planning Date

Elopement planning is like wedding planning in that it can feel like a lot of work! Instead of making the experience an exhausting one, make brainstorming about your elopement experience a date night! Bring a pad and pen to your favorite restaurant, cafe, or ice cream shop and start brainstorming together. Choosing to elope is about focusing on joy and the love between you and your partner — and that should be embedded in every single part of the planning process. So use this time to talk about your dreams and wishes both for your elopement day and your future lives together.

3. Visualize Your Elopement Day

Take a moment to close your eyes. It’s your elopement day. Where are you? Who is there? How do you feel? 

You probably won’t have the answer to every question the first time you visualize your elopement day, but it’s a fantastic place to start. You and your partner are exchanging your vows anywhere on earth — where is your gut telling you that place is? Make sure to communicate as much of your vision as possible with your partner, so no detail gets forgotten! Doing this exercise a few times will help you narrow down your vision for elopement day and help you start to plan the perfect day. 

How to Brainstorm Elopement Activities and Ideas

Maybe you and your partner have totally different ideas, or you’re both drawing a total blank! If visualizing your future wedding is proving difficult, you can look into your past instead! Discussing some of the past favorites that you’ve experienced together is a great way to spark conversation about future things that you want to do, or maybe even revisiting some of your old favorites!

YOUR FAVORITE DATE TOGETHER: Where was it and what did you do? Maybe it was just the overall vibe of the day that made it so great! How can you recreate the feelings that you had on that date?

YOUR FAVORITE VACATION: Do you love being somewhere warm and tropical or do you prefer being in a cabin in the mountains? Was the road trip to the location part of the fun? Think about the places you’ve visited together and what you loved, or didn’t love, about each one. Is there any spot that has all of those positives combined?

YOUR FAVORITE PEOPLE: Do you want to include your immediate family or best friends in your elopement? What about your pets? Who do you imagine standing around you? This can have a huge impact on the rest of the decisions that you make, so it’s important to be 100% honest with your partner about who you want – or don’t want – to be there!

YOUR FAVORITE FOOD AND DRINK: Do you prefer a five-course meal or a casual picnic? You have to eat something on your elopement day, so make sure it’s a meal to remember! Whether that means booking a dinner at a five-star restaurant or hiring a private chef or finally getting to try In-N-Out for the first time – this is YOUR day and the food should reflect that!

Elopement planning should be a fun process for you and your partner, and dreaming big is the first step! Before the logistics of a budget and timeline come into play, take the time to imagine your dream day. You might be surprised at how possible it can become!

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ARE YOU NEWLY ENGAGED AND LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO PHOTOGRAPH YOUR ELOPEMENT? I’D LOVE TO CHAT ABOUT HOW I CAN BE A PART OF YOUR SPECIAL DAY!