As wedding photographers in Orlando, I think about eloping and everything that it entails pretty much all the time. Anytime that I think about eloping, I think about exotic locations. Marta and I often joke that if we were going to do the whole wedding thing again that we would elope outside of Orlando. There’s just so much that you can do with destination weddings and elopements.
After looking around the web for inspirations in wedding, things started to surface about eloping. More and more people are going to destination areas and eloping. Maybe they’ll invite their immediate family and/or their close friends to witness them tie the knot. In the end, it’s something that’s intimate. Something that’s very private. I’m not saying that eloping is the way to go or that having a luxurious wedding is the way to go. I can see the pros and cons of both. Here, I’ll list the pros of Eloping.
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Eloping: 3 Reasons Why you Should have a Destination Elopement
1. Any Elopement is Cheaper than a Wedding
First and foremost, eloping usually is cheaper. We all know it, but when you have a destination elopement, things seem more expensive. Over all, they’re not. The average wedding in the US is around $50,000 when using professional wedding vendors. That doesn’t take into account a lot of things, but let’s talk about why it’s cheaper overall to get have a destination elopement instead of a traditional wedding.
My point is this: imagine if you put $50,000 towards a destination wedding or elopement. Imagine the possibilities! Marta and I always imagine photographing a romantic wedding in Spain! How about having a destination wedding in Greece? Would you like to have a destination elopement in Ireland?
We’ve seen tickets for a round trip to Barcelona in the $400’s. Reykjavik, Iceland is ridiculously popular with photographers, which is another option. Personally, I’d go more towards Ireland or Scotland. I’m a fan of greens and epic-ness. There’s plenty of that there. All those locations are very popular, but hold merit when having a destination elopement or wedding.
You’re going to be able to cut down the guest list significantly. We’ve photographed large destination weddings, small and intimate destination ceremonies, and elopements with less than a handful of people and us.
If you want to invite all the people you know, then go for it. Anyone and everyone that goes to your destination wedding will travel with you because they love you and want to celebrate this momentous occasion with you. At the same time, keep in mind that some people might not know each other that well. It’s always good to take into consideration how well people will mesh with each other if they don’t know each other.
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2. Destination Eloping is Unique
If you wanted to get eloped, all you have to do is get a marriage license and get an officiant. It’s as simple as that. The officiant can marry you two anywhere (from what I know) as long as there are witnesses. Everyone signs your marriage license and you are officially married. The license (in Orange County, Orlando, Florida) takes about a day to process before you can officially get married, but that’s about it.
That’s eloping in a nutshell. We can make it much more epic though. With a proper planner, photographer, and destination, your destination wedding can be epic! Pronounce your love in the romantic cliffs of the Amalfi Coast. Have the trip of a lifetime and make memories unlike anyone else.
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3. Make the World Your Chapel
This is one of the perks that I really like about the United States. If you’d like, you can get married anywhere if you live in the US. Some other countries across the pond don’t allow for marriage ceremonies unless they’re in a church. For us, we can get married anywhere. I’m sure you’ve seen the beach weddings, the forest weddings, the lakeside weddings, etc.
The beauty is that you can pretty much get married anywhere you want to. When deciding on a ceremony site, take everything into consideration. You want to make sure that you have the most epic time possible.
Weddings in Orlando don’t compare to having a wedding elsewhere. Our wedding experience is still the same for a destination elopement, but it’s in a unique location.
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Conclusion
There are definitely several routes to take when you decide to tie the knot. Everything is up to you really. I’ve always loved the extravagant locations with equally extravagant venues, but sometimes you need to strip away all of the fluff and just remember that this is all about love.
Eloping is all about having a private moment and sharing it with those you hold dearest. It’s about focusing on the love that you two share towards each other. Marta and I see destination elopements as all about sharing that love with your friends and family that you hold so dear. It’s not about having some extravagant party for people you’re friends with on Facebook. In fact, it’s the complete opposite of that.
Share the love or not. Make something private and unique. It’s up to you. It’s your day. Make it what you want it to be.
