10 Unique Elopement Ideas to Make Your Wedding Special
What's the point of eloping if you can't make it memorable?
As professional elopement planners, we spend a lot of time talking with couples who are considering eloping. One of our main tasks is to ensure that your elopement is as wonderful and full of your personal touches as possible. Hence, we have plenty of unique elopement ideas that will make sure your wedding elopement is a direct reflection of you and your love story.
An elopement can be an incredible adventure and one of the most unique and intimate experiences you will ever enjoy with your partner. It provides you with the opportunity to get married EXACTLY how you want, chuck away all the traditions, and head off somewhere far and wild with just your partner and/or a few of your loved ones. That alone is already going to make your day very special!
But if that is not enough, we have collected some amazing ideas to help you create the most memorable day for your elopement in Europe. So, without further ado, let’s dive right in!
1. Take the whole day. It’s yours!
Many people consider elopements to be super short events. Couples say their vows, exchange rings, take a few photographs, and then run away to merry-merry land. Well, that would be a shame. Nowadays, many couples make a whole lot more of their elopement, and why not? It’s your day! It can kick off early with a hike, then a massage, have brunch, have a picnic, or campfire, and finish with a luxury dinner, whatever you're into. The point is that you make the entire day special!
Our Somewhere Crazy elopements are a 4-5 hour ordeal where we won’t just take you to a special location for the ceremony, but will also take you around the town of your elopement. We’ll make sure that you have your pictures taken in at least 2-3 locations so that your elopement experience is everything you imagined and more. We’re positive that you’ll enjoy your day in the hands of our trusted local vendors and experienced wedding planners. Use their local knowledge to stay in your ideal accommodation and book your favorite activities and delicious meals.
2. Involve your family and friends
Most of the time, couples choose to elope without their family physically there… and that's totally fine! However, even though they might not be with you, it’s a good idea to make arrangements to receive the heartfelt well-wishes of your friends and families. They can be writen down or in a form of a video. If write, you can read them out to each other during your elopement ceremony, or have your officiant do you the honor, while a video can be a lovely way to celebrate and feel the love of those that know you best after saying “I do”.
3. Spend the money on what matters to you and your partner
A traditional wedding costs well over $30,000, and you'll mostly be spending on things for the sake of ‘tradition’ and not because you love or need them. An elopement, on the other hand, offers you the opportunity to splurge on just the things that matter to you and your partner. You have complete control on what you are going to spend your money on.
With this freedom, you can make every choice intentional. If it’s a dress you have been drooling over, get it! If it’s a fantasy destination you have been dreaming about, go there. Whatever it is that makes you and your partner happy!
4. A first kiss, and a first dance
It is always a lovely idea to do a first dance right after the end of your elopement ceremony no matter where you decide to elope. It doesn’t have to be elaborate if you don't want it to. You can use your phone or Bluetooth speaker. Set your spirits free to some fun disco tunes or get wrapped at the moment with some soul-soothing romantic tunes. Whatever is your thing, make sure to have a fist dance with your lover.
5. Stay up late and stargaze
Another beautiful and wedding elopement idea is to stay up late and enjoy the starlight sky. This is a sweet way to spend the night together. Isn’t it the best way to end one of the most special days of your life? You can incorporate some late-night snacks and drinks... they're always a good idea! There are simply no rules today!
6. Make videos, take lots of photos
Your elopement day should be remembered: both the sweet and the more awkward moments. The key is to have some vivid memories of your big day to look back at and to share with your family and friends once you return home. Book a local wedding photographer and videographer to take memorable shots and videos of your elopement day.
7. Have a first look
There are so many ways to create a memorable first-look moment for you and your partner, even if you decide to elope. This particular moment is usually incredibly sweet and heartfelt. One of the ways to make it extra special is to drive to a beautiful location while both of you use blindfolds and when you arrive, help each other take them off. First looks usually build up a lot of excitement for the coming events.
8. Choose an epic destination
There are so many stunning elopement destinations around Europe and across the globe. The destination you choose is one of those decisions that shapes greatly your elopement experience. You should pick an epic destination that has the vibe and chemistry you want for your elopement celebrations. Let your inspiration come from the things that the both of you relish or fantasise, and what matters the most to both of you. This way, your elopement will always feel special whenever you look back on it.
Love Like Crazy Photography
9. Make it personal
One of our favorite wedding elopement idea is adding personal touches to your wedding day. You could add a color that represents you both to your boquet and buttonhole. You could opt-in for the tradition of tying the knot - quite literally. Perhaps you’d like to add your religious simbols; if you’re Jewish you could add breaking the glass to start your union while Cristians might enjoy a reading from a Bible passage while Muslims might enjoy reading the Qur'an.
Our American couples love to incorporate something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. Another fun tradition is for the husband to carry his new bride over the threshhold of their accommodation. In the Greek culture, it’s common to add a shugar cube to the bride’s boquet to sweeten the marriage, while in the Irish traditions, the brides commonly have braids in their hair representing luck and feminie power. Flower crowns are another fantastic wedding idea, often referring to honor and respect and has been used in many cultures around the world, such as Scandinavia, Ukraine, Italy, China…
10. Add your favorite activities
While our elopement packages come with all the necessities - a wedding planner, celebrant, florist, photographer, and on-the-day coordinator, you can customize them as you’d like. This means you can add videography, hair and makeup artists, as well as various activities depending on the destination that you choose. For instance, for our Lake Como and Lake Garda elopements, our couples enjoy adding a boat ride to the elopement experience. Our Tuscany, Provance, and Mallorca elopements often add a vintage car rental to their package and take stunning photos driving into the sunset of the wedding day. For elopements in the Dolomites or Switzerland, adding a helicopter ride to your special day is a beautiful unique elopement idea which our couples absolutely love.
Conclusion
So these are some of our unique elopement ideas if you’re planning to travel to Europe to elope. Europe really does offer something for everyone and if you choose to have an adventurous elopement followed by a romantic honeymoon, you can count on us!
Just because you've decided to elope doesn’t mean you have to miss out on all the other regular stuff. Whatever it is… fill them in and enjoy! In the future, you'll look back on this special day and feel that you missed out on NOTHING!
When we talk about elopements, there are no limits! Inquire today and speak to our knowledgeable wedding planners who will shine a light on everything that’s possible!
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