What is an Elopement & How to Plan One

What does Eloping mean?

Welp, according to the dictionary it used to mean: “To leave home secretly in order to get married without the permission of your parents.”

But now, this is what Eloping means:

“An elopement is an intentionally small, intimate, meaningful, and authentic wedding experience that is a true reflection of your relationship where the focus of the day is really about you two.”

-Maddie Mae

It is up to you if you want to do it in secret or not AND your parents can come if you want them to.

There are so many different opinions on what you should VS what you should’t do during an Elopement.

Some people say it HAS TO BE only the minister and the couple getting married in an epic mountain. Some others say that if you have guests, it is not a true elopement anymore, BUT I believe that if the main focus is the couple, and not to entertain guests as it often happens with big weddings, IT IS AN ELOPEMENT.

Once again, an Elopement focuses on you and your partner and what’s important for the two of you.

If you want to get married in the Mountains, DO IT! If you want to get married on your favorite building’s rooftop in the city where the two of you met, DO IT.

One of my FAVORITE things about elopements is that couples that elope are generally happier with the way they distribute their budget.

Elopement Timeline

OK, you want to know what an Elopement timeline would actually look like?

When building a timeline for your Elopement make sure to include:

-A place the 2 of you agree on.

Remember that, since YOU are the main focus, It can take place in the desert, in the mountains, in the home that the two of you recently purchased, in an Airbnb, in your hometown or in the other side of the world.

-Things or activities that matter to you two

Maybe you met while eating gelato. Well, you could include gelato!! OR maybe you two love riding bikes by the beach. You could include something like that as well. OR Maybe you want to go for a hike and have a mountaintop elopement.

Sit down and talk about what a perfect day for the 2 of you would look like and try to include THAT in your Elopement’s timeline

-Details!!

Details are so so important, and if you need help with this, I’ll definitely jump in to help or to get you the vendors you might need. Think about a wedding planner, hair and makeup, flowers, food, smells, music, and everything that would be a part of your perfect day.

Thankfully, there are so many talented people out there that will be happy to help making your dream Elopement come true.

CLICK HERE TO SEE AN EXAMPLE AN ELOPEMENT’S TIMELINE BASED IN JOSHUA TREE AND ENJOY THE PHOTOS FROM IT BELOW :)

ARE YOU READY TO ELOPE AND YOU WANT ME TO BE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER OR DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT PERMITS OR PLANNING FOR YOUR ELOPEMENT?

CONTACT ME HERE FOR IT!

This shoot was possible thanks to all these amazing people:
retreat / @roamersretreats
florals + stylist / @reedandrye
models / @megansummermeye @daviddmeye
dress / @daughtersofsimone
desserts / @amamedesserts
linen / @latavolalinen
napkins / @bbjlinen
makeup / @katiehaynesmakeup
venue / @highdesertparadise


Want me to help you design your Elopement Timeline? Reach out here!