How to Include Your Family in Your Elopement
Eloping is an amazing way for a couple to celebrate and honor their love for each other, but we know that it can be a difficult decision to leave family and friends behind or to keep such an important event a secret.
The technical definition of an elopement may be to “run away secretly to get married” but we’re in the 21st century and elopements can be done however you want, the whole point of them really is to get married on your own terms, in your dream location.
If you want to elope but want a way of including your family and friends in your day, here are some ways you can make it happen:
Take them with you!
By bringing along just a few of your closest friends and family, you can keep your ceremony super intimate whilst sharing it with them. You can even include them in the ceremony with a unity ritual or by asking them to read something for you.
Live stream your ceremony
Why not have your guests watch the ceremony from the comfort of their own homes? That way they aren’t required to pay out for flights, hotels, or a fancy outfit, but they can still support you and be a part of your special day.
Involve them in the planning process
Take some of your close friends and family with you shopping for your wedding outfit or accessories, show them your location and supplier options, or ask them to write or choose something to be read out on the day of the ceremony. That way they feel included in your plans, but the trip and the day still remain private for you as a couple.
Mention them in your ceremony
Whether they know about it or not, having the people important to you mentioned during your ceremony is a beautiful way of acknowledging them and having them present in your thoughts. Give the details to your celebrant and they will make sure to include this in your script.
Throw a party afterward
What more is there to say?! Gather everyone together when you return from your elopement destination to celebrate your marriage!
Share photos and videos with them after
Sending photos and videos to your loved ones of your elopement showing a slideshow or film of your day at your wedding after-party or throwing a viewing party is a great way for you as a couple to look back on those special moments surrounded by your family and friends, and to tell them all about it.
