Planning an elopement is significantly different then planning a traditional wedding ceremony. There are more freedoms and less expectations, to start. Which is certainly nice when it comes to planning the day of your dreams – it is about you and your partner and the love you have for one another. With these freedoms and less expectations in mind, there are still some things to consider when cultivating your elopement timeline, and this blog post will go over just those things. 

#1: There is no right or wrong way to plan your elopement 

I want to start with this simple reminder: elopements are intended to be customizable so there is no right or wrong way to do that. You are planning the day that you want, so all you need to keep in mind what is important to both of you, and what both of you want to do on your elopement day. 

#2: Work in extra travel time 

If you are planning an activity on your day, and plan on traveling between locations, plan for extra time! I don’t know about you, but I hate feeling rushed, in general, but also on such an important day. Plan for road conditions, spontaneous photo opportunities (I know how much I love those), weather conditions, but also for some fun! Don’t rush from location to location trying to be somewhere by a certain time. Elopements allow for you to slow down and enjoy your day, without rushing to be somewhere by a certain time.

#3: Try avoiding crowds, particularly at popular locations 

Pro tip: try eloping on a weekday. This will decrease your chances of having big weekend crowds, but will also allow for you to have access to some places that might also be busy regularly. But I know even for me, the less people in the background of your amazing elopement photographs, the better. 

#4: Consider any traditions you may want to include in your day

Even though an elopement is different from traditional wedding days, you can still have traditions be part of your day. Consider what traditions are important to you and your partner, and how you might want those traditions to play a role in your day. 

#5: Last, and importantly not least, don’t forget to eat! 

Elopements allow for FOOD to be a bigger part of your day than a wedding day might allow. Some ideas I love are: going for breakfast together, stopping for lunch somewhere you love, or having a picnic! No one wants to be “hangry” on their elopement day, or any day really, but having a meal together is a really special and important part of your day. 

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I hope you found these tips helpful and that you are feeling more confident about your upcoming engagement shoot! If you haven’t booked a session yet but you’re ready to, get in touch here.