Eloping is your chance to have a wedding day and celebration that is purely about the two of you and the things you want to do. Including all the things you want to do in your day is really important, but it can be tricky to know in what order to do things or how to fit it all in. This is where we come in.

Of course, at Somewhere Crazy we will help to craft your elopement wedding day timeline but there are things you will need to consider with your partner so that we can help you piece it all together according to your vision. And, even if you’re not using a wedding planner and are organizing the day yourself, the following should come in handy when coming up with your wedding day plan.

This article is two-part. First, we’ll highlight important questions to discuss with your partner and clarify with your elopement wedding planner. Second, we’ll give you some of our top wedding day tips on how to put together a perfect wedding timeline.

Essential Questions for Your Wedding Day Timeline

What time of day do you want to have your ceremony? 

Think about the temperature and lighting you want for those special moments. Depending on your location, sunrise, and dusk usually have the best lighting for photography but they will be cooler. While Somewhere Crazy standard elopements usually last between 4 and 5 hours, the wedding ceremonies tend to be organized around the golden hour. This will ensure that you get the best wedding photos that you’ll be proud to display in your new home.

Will you get ready together or separately? 

Consider if you are getting ready in the same room / separate rooms / different accommodations. How long will it take you to get ready, roughly? As a reference, our hair and make-up artists usually arrive at the couple’s accommodation 2 hours before the actual start of the elopement, allowing the brides to look their best. While some couples love the intimacy of getting ready together - buttoning up each other’s wedding attires, and paying attention to every detail, others prefer a surprise.

Will you have a “First Look”? 

If you decide to get ready separately, you’ll be able to share the moment of seeing each other for the first time in your wedding outfits. These photos are always very special.

What do you want to incorporate into your day?

Do you want to add activities to your elopement? Do you want to go cliff jumping or swim in the sea or lake together? Have a private dining experience back at your hotel? Watch the sunset on a boat? Wander the streets of the old city together? Hike up to an amazing viewpoint? Celebrate with dinner and drinks at a local restaurant? Make a list of the things that are important to you and that you want a photographer to capture. Share them with your elopement wedding planner who can weave the activities effortlessly into your wedding timeline.

Your Wedding Day Timeline

The wedding ceremony

First things first, consider the wedding ceremony as the heart of your day. Make sure the crucial part of the day is as you want it, and plan the rest of your wedding timeline around it. 

The wedding day locations

Secondly, map out the locations that you want to travel to and from; check the travel times and how easy the routes are (this includes driving, walking, and hiking). Plan out your locations so that the transitions between them are smooth and sensible. Try to end your day at a location closer to your accommodation so that you don’t have far to travel back after a long day.

Talk to your local vendors

Write out a list of questions that you can ask your photographer or the day-of-wedding coordinator. Let them know your detailed plans and ideas, as they’ll likely be able to give you valuable input. They will know the best locations and times for catching optimal lighting and what order things tend to work best in.

End with a celebration

Make sure that after your ceremony or at the end of your day, you wrap up the day by celebrating together, whatever that looks like for you. At Somewhere Crazy we love gifting our newlyweds with a bottle of champagne so that the couple can pop the cork in the celebration of their new union. We also recommend organizing a dinner at a special restaurant, perhaps one with a Michelin star or a view that will take your breath away.

In Conclusion

You want the atmosphere and excitement of your day to build and transition smoothly. So, one of our last tips is to consider the energy you are creating with each activity to make sure the wedding day timeline isn’t too broken up and that the flow seems effortless. Here at Somewhere Crazy, we are always here to help!

Inquire today!