Eloping vs Wedding: Different Ways to Tie The Knot
Are you and your fiance planning to take the leap to forever but you don’t exactly hear church bells ringing?
Saying “I do” comes in all shapes and sizes, and a traditional big wedding with the pastor, the bridal party and all the trimmings is not for everyone.
If you’re a not-so-traditional couple, you probably knew right away that a “cookie-cutter” wedding day just wasn’t for you.
So how do you take it up a notch and plan a day that truly reflects you as a couple?
“Should We Just Elope?”
Your first idea may be to ditch the traditional wedding and elope. But is an elopement the best option for you?
Well, that depends. There are lots of reasons for and against eloping vs having a wedding. Ultimately, it depends on what matters most to you.
If a Traditional Wedding Just Isn’t for You…
Flowers, white gowns, first dances, an awkward garter removal, and carefully selected dinner plates are all part of a traditional wedding that most couples lean towards. But you and your honey are not like most couples – and nor should your wedding be.
While you can keep the white dress and cute bouquets if you want to, an elopement definitely doesn’t have to go by the book. Your day can be as intimate and as adventurous as you wish, whatever that means to you.
You can hike to your ceremony location on a mountain peak, zipline across a river for your wedding photoshoot or maybe even exchange your vows inside an ancient cave.
If you dream of a day that says “We do things differently,” then eloping vs a wedding could be the perfect choice.
Eloping: An Adventurous Alternative to the Traditional Wedding
Here at Your Adventure Wedding, it’s our personal mission to shake up the wedding industry and change the way that people wed.
We believe that weddings are best served with a large dose of adventure, exploration, hidden spots and first kisses against epic backdrops.
So, whichever option you choose – eloping or a wedding – we’ll make sure that it’s nothing short of your greatest adventure yet. No cookie-cutter here!
Now that we have that out of the way, let’s weigh the options and see what sort of knot tying ceremony is best for you and your love.
Everything You Need to Know About Eloping vs Wedding
If you aren’t familiar with the idea of eloping vs. weddings, let us break it down for you.
Eloping
Eloping is when you say “I do” with only an officiant present, and a wedding is when you invite your family, friends and other guests.
When you elope, you’re looking at a much more intimate ceremony since it will only include the most essential people and, it will be all about you and your love.
You’ll have a lot more control over how the day goes because you don’t have to worry about keeping an entire wedding party in line or making sure everyone is having fun. It also means that you are free to simply jump into a Super Jeep and enjoy a solid 8 to 12 hours of exploration and adventure – something that is a lot harder to achieve with a group of guests in tow.
Wedding
When you plan a wedding, there can be so much more to stress about, because there are just so many details! The larger crowd may also be a bit more overwhelming, and you might feel that you’re not spending enough time with each of your guests.
A wedding vs an elopement could be the right choice for you, however, if you really feel that you want to share the day with your nearest and dearest, and you don’t want your loved ones to feel left out of the celebration.
Weighing Your Options: Elope vs Wedding
Making the choice between eloping vs. a wedding will be completely personal to you.
You’ll need to consider not just where, but how you and your honey want to get married.
Do you want a church wedding or a ceremony in a field of wildflowers in bloom?
Who will you be inviting? Just your immediate family – or all of your extended family, friends, workmates, and neighbors.
Do you imagine hilarious wedding toasts and emotional speeches, or reciting your handwritten vows to each other with only a priest as your witness?
Let’s take a moment to sort through the pros and cons of eloping vs. wedding.
Pros and Cons of Eloping
If you crave something a bit outside the norm, then an elopement may be the best choice for you. Weigh the benefits and downsides of eloping in order to best prepare for your perfect ceremony.
PROS
- You might save some money –When you elope, you can invest in the details that matter to you, rather than throwing a fully catered banquet for lots of people
- It’s more intimate – The whole day becomes more about you and your lover, rather than anybody else.
- Less stress – Elopements take far less planning and coordination than a traditional wedding.
- More flexibility – You’ll have more freedom to experience the day of your dreams.
CONS
- Smaller ceremony – You may miss your loved ones at the ceremony.
- Family drama – Your decision might cause some drama in your family or your inner circle.
Pros and Cons of Having a Wedding
Weddings can have a reputation for becoming overly complicated and stressful. As a non-traditional couple, you probably want something different. Even so, it’s worth considering all of the pros and cons between eloping vs wedding so you make the best choice for you and your partner.
PROS
- Everyone’s here – You can celebrate your big day with your entire family.
- Shared time together – Your family will be happy to have been included in the festivities.
- Lots of memories – You’ll get some treasured photos of the special people in your life sharing the moment with you
- More elaborate – The large celebration will make the milestone feel more important.
CONS
- Can be expensive – It’s no secret that large, elaborate weddings can get pricey.
- Busy-busy – The fast pace and craziness of the day may get overwhelming.
- Lots of planning – Planning is stressful. There are so many details to pay attention to.
- Less intimacy – A full-blown wedding may not be very intimate, especially if you have a lot of guests who you feel obligated to invite.
Finding a Happy Medium
At the end of the day, it’s all about you. Whichever option you choose, we’ll make sure that your wedding or elopement hits the magical sweet spot where it’s perfect for you.
At Your Adventure Wedding, we will plan a day that goes a little like this:
- Get pretty
- Make our way to your perfect, offbeat ceremony location
- Say “I do”
- Take some breathtaking photos
- Explore the epic scenery
- Shoot some more beautiful portraits that you will treasure forever
- Explore additional locations (basically repeat #5-6)
- Eat some delicious local food
- Wrap up with a final bit of adventure
- Fall asleep next to your new spouse with a giant smile on your face
Want to know the best part? If you choose us to organize your special day, you can kiss the stress goodbye.
We will cross every T and dot every I. We will create a solid plan that meets your every wish and demand, then create plans B through E to make sure we’re covered every possible scenario.
Why You Should Marry Your Lover with a Little Adventure
At Your Adventure Wedding, we thrive on adventure and love, creating adventure weddings big and small, and intimate elopements.
You’re not a typical couple so why plan a typical wedding? This day is about the two of you, no one else.
Whether you choose to share your wedding with each other, or each other’s family and friends, you deserve a day that is unique, personal and memorable.
You’ll only marry your fiance once, so do it your way. We’d love to make it happen for you.
