5 Tips on How to Announce Your Elopement

You’ve decided that eloping is perfect for the two of you! You want to keep the focus of your wedding day on the two of you and get married exactly how you want. The idea of having an adventurous, meaningful and intimate elopement day brings a huge smile to your face! There’s only one thing in the way before you start the adventure of planning your elopement. You’re wondering how to announce your elopement to your family!

I totally get it. Announcing Your Elopement might make you feel little nervous! You might be scared of how your Mom or your best friend will react and you don’t want them to put pressure on you to get married in a way that doesn’t feel right to you. You know your goal isn’t to hurt your family by leaving them out, but they might not know that. Maybe they still have incorrect assumptions about elopements and what they’re about. Now it comes down to you to fill them in on all the amazing things about having an elopement! There are a few things you can do to help lessen the blow and make them over the moon for you and your fiance! Keep on reading for tips on how to announce your elopement!!

How to Announce Your ElopementThis is how to announce your elopement to your family.

1. Pick the Right Time For You

Announcing your elopement to your parents and closest friends and family can be a bit stressful! You are probably a little worried about how they might react even though your goal and decision behind eloping isn’t to leave everyone out. That’s why it is so important for you and your soon-to-be-spouse to let them know at the right time. If you need to take some time on how to think about what to say to them then take all the time you need!

In short, do what feels right for the two of you and pick a time that you feel ready and prepared. You know your family better than anybody else and how they’ll initially react to the news, so take the time that you need to plan it all out! Heck, if you know they would be totally cool with it then no need to hesitate!! 🙂bride and groom take pictures for their elopement announcement

2. Use Your Words Wisely When Announcing Your Elopement

This is probably the most important factor and way that you can prepare and help the initial reaction! When you sit down to announce your elopement to your family, give them an explanation. Let them in on all the details and plans that you have so far! Tell them why you’ve decided to elope and give them all the amazing things that go along with eloping and let them in on the vision you currently have for your elopement day! Paint a picture for them by telling them where you’re thinking of eloping, what you two are going to be doing, and how you want to celebrate!

If they have preconceived notions about elopements and how your day is going to look invite them to read What Does Eloping Mean or take the time and read it yourself to be able to relay the information to them. Let them know that elopements are about the type of experience that you have on one of the most important days of your life! That eloping is about crafting a day that reflects your relationship and allows you to keep the focus of your wedding day on the two of you instead of having to worry about all the guests and little details that your wouldn’t remember by the end of day.

So, gather your thoughts beforehand and make a plan! Let them see just how excited you are to be able to get married in an adventurous way that also allows for you to be able to take in every moment instead of being rushed around. Once your family get’s the full picture they’ll eventually come around and be over-the-moon for you!! how to announce your elopement

Tips on How to Announce Your Elopement

3. Use Social Media

This is a fantastic way to announce your elopement to those who aren’t in your inner circle! You can announce your elopement by posting some of your incredible elopement pictures or you could even tell everyone before by saying, “Whoo-hoo!! We are eloping at the end of June in Colorado!” Only you know your friends and how they would react so choose whichever options fits best for you!

This is probably obvious to you, but it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to share anything about your elopement or your decision about eloping on social media before you talk to your close friends and family. You definitely don’t want them to be completely blindsided without any knowledge beforehand! Bride and groom elope in the desert at sunset

4. Celebrate Your Elopement With a Party

This is a fantastic way to make your family feel like they’re still a part of your elopement without them actually being there on your elopement day! You can let your mom or best friend plan an engagement party for you to celebrate which will make them feel special and not completely left out.

You could also send out announcement cards for a post-elopement reception if you plan to have one! Planning a reception or party after you elope to celebrate is one of the best ways to be able to celebrate with your loved ones and get the adventurous elopement day you truly want! Definitely don’t think that you have to go all out or crazy for your reception either. After all, you did decide to elope for a reason! You can keep it simple and have a backyard BBQ or even a potluck if you wanted.

Also, don’t feel like you have to have your reception right away after your elope. You can plan it months or even a year out! Take the time you want to put together your reception and enjoy being married before you do all of that. If you want to have it pretty quickly after you elope then totally go for it! Just don’t pressure yourself to have a party right away if you don’t want to.Bride and groom share a first dance at sunset during their elopement

5. Involve Your Family in Your Elopement!

Some people choose to have their closest family members involved on their actual elopement day while other don’t. Either way, nobody’s goal in eloping to leave someone hurt so if you want some ways and different ideas on how to keep your family involved in your elopement in some way shape or before be sure to check out my extensive article on Eloping With Family! It dive deep into ways to keep them involved without them being there on your elopement day and ways to involved them if you want them there with you on your elopement day!

Elopement Photographer

If you have an adventurous spirit and desire to have an intimate experience on your wedding day then eloping is probably a great choice for you! Eloping is all about having a stress-free, laid back and incredible experience. It is about starting your lives together on a rad adventure and committing your lives together in a place you’ve always dreamed of or in an extremely meaningful place to the both of you. If you are looking for an elopement photographer and for someone who will be by your side and help guide you through planning your dream elopement, I would be so honored to be a part of your special day! You can contact me >HERE< and I cannot wait to talk to you about your elopement!

Check out these related articles!

Complete Guide to Eloping in Washington State

10 Tips for Planning an Adventure Elopement

Elopement Checklist

Best Places to Elope in Oregon

How to Pack for Your Hiking Elopement

5 Tips on How to Announce Your Elopement | Courtney Lynn

 

comments +
  1. These photos are gorge! Telling your friends + family is truly the hardest part about eloping so this blog post will for sure help some people navigating that!

  2. Seriously such a great post! I need to share this!

  3. Steph says:

    These are some really amazing tips!

  4. I love that you’re giving your couples practical ways to announce that they’re eloping!! Love it!

  5. Erica Fuchs says:

    Great tips! It’s important that couples feel ready to announce that they’re getting eloped.

  6. Sienna says:

    It can be difficult to figure out what to say to close friends and family when eloping. I’m sure this will help a ton of couples!

  7. Such great advice here!!

  8. Kristen says:

    Such helpful information here! Thanks so much for sharing this 🙂

  9. Kelsey Rae says:

    As someone who is looking to plan an elopement I found this so super helpful! Thanks for the information!

  10. Justyna says:

    The best one out of all the tips….keep your family involved!!! absolutely amazing!

  11. […] « 5 Tips for Announcing Your Elopement | Destination Elopement Photographer […]

  12. […] Let’s be real–most traditional weddings have some type of family drama. Even if you don’t have a crazy family sometimes traditional weddings can cause the drama and if you don’t want to deal with that, that is totally your choice! It may seem a bit nerve-wracking to let your family know you’re eloping so be sure to check out this article on 5 Tips for Announcing Your Elopement. […]

  13. […] 5 Tips for Announcing Your Elopement […]

  14. […] some hurt feelings from your family and friends. However, you can avoid this by letting your close family and friends in advance about the elopement. After all, this is your big day, do what feels right for you as a […]

  15. […] 5 Tips for Announcing Your Elopement […]

  16. […] the way that you think is best! However, if you’re looking for some tips be sure to check out 5 Tips for Announcing Your Elopement to help you out in that […]

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Courtney made the process SO easy! She does more than just photograph your day. She cares about you having the BEST elopement experience possible! I'll never be able to thank Courtney enough for making our dream day happen!

Contact me about your Elopement!

You probably have a million thoughts running through your head making you a bit overwhelmed.

How does this work? What can I do during my elopement? How do I choose my location? Is the ceremony legal? Can I elope with family?

One of the reasons you're probably eloping is because you want to have a stress-free day, but with so much uncertainty on how to plan an elopement how is it even possible?!

No need to stress, you're in the right place! This is where I come in and do the heavy lifting for you.

I'm Courtney, and I specialize in documenting adventurous elopements for couples who love the outdoors, but role is so much more than just an elopement photographer.

I'm here to guide you through every single step of planning your elopement and to give you a clear path tossing that stress out the window!

So, if you're ready to have a unique elopement experience that's actually focused on you, then let's friggin' do this!!


You know you want to elope,

and you know you want it to be meaningful and adventurous, but where do you start?!

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Courtney has a very warm and bubbly personality that shows through her work! She made my husband and I feel SO comfortable throughout the whole day.

We were very confused on how to start planning our adventure and she was there to answer a lot of our questions in the beginning and honestly with a very short time frame! We planned and got married in 6 weeks, because we knew we really wanted her there for our day and that is what she had available! It was a challenge well accepted for all three of us.

Our day was perfect. She captured our true essence of love and laughter and each photo shows it. There weren't very many set up photos unless we asked for them. She just gets you in the moment!

You can absolutely tell that Courtney loves what she does and wants your day to be perfect. She listens to you and really tries to understand you as a couple first and then uses that within her photography skills.

If you are looking for an adventure/elopement photographer I would highly suggest Courtney Lynn. We will be looking at and reliving our elopement forever thanks to her amazing photos. You won't be disappointed!

Amber & Ryan

Courtney was so helpful during the whole process! She helped put together a wonderful day!  She really wanted to make sure our wedding was just right for us. She made our elopement perfectly formulated for us, and I can't think of a more beautiful day!

One of our concerns going into an elopement was wanting to have pictures that let us remember the entire day. Courtney was there from start to finish and captured the whole day! Because of her outstanding work, we can share it with our loved ones, and they can experience the event almost as if they were there. We also really appreciated that she captured genuine moments between us instead of making it a photoshoot.

It felt like we were hanging out with a friend, and we think that helped us enjoy our day to the fullest.
If your dream wedding is an adventurous elopement day, I couldn't recommend Courtney more. She went above and beyond and was such a joy to work with throughout this whole experience.

She made us feel at ease and relaxed. Some wedding photographers are all about capturing posed moments that can be really awkward; that's NOT Courtney's style at all. Not only was she down to do whatever we wanted and go on little side adventures, but she made us feel comfortable.

She captured our true personalities and who we are as a couple! When looking at our gallery, our love for each other and our personalities can be seen in each image! She is extremely talented and did a phenomenal job of capturing the beauty of our wedding location. If you hire her, you will not regret it!

Sadye & Matthew

We are SO happy we decided to go with Courtney for our wedding photos! Originally we were supposed to elope in Italy, and she helped a TON with planning things like travel and what our day was going to look like.

Then the pandemic hit and we realized we probably weren't going to be able to go to Italy. So, we decided to change locations to Glacier!

She made it super easy and stress free, and helped plan what our new day in Glacier was going to look like!

Courtney was super easy to spend the entire day with, very friendly and fun to talk to! Even though our day didn't go exactly how we planned due to the weather, we all just went with the flow of it and it still turned out to be an amazing day!

If you're in doubt, just hire her!! You won't regret it one bit and you will get so many incredible photos to look back on your day!!

robbie & Aryton

When my now husband and I started planning our elopement, we were confused to the max. We didn’t know where to start or how to go about planning anything. We knew we wanted to get married in Ireland, but had too many options on exactly where. After doing some research of elopements, I was scrolling on Pinterest and came across some BEAUTIFUL photos taken by Courtney!

Courtney  made the process so easy! She is organized, professional, sweet, and so so funny!! Courtney does more than just photograph your day, she cares about you having the BEST day! She helped us plan EVERYTHING! Even down to the little details, like what type of shoes to wear! She helped us narrow down where, giving us her informative opinions on each of our options! She gave us cool ideas that we could incorporate into our special day. No idea was too big! When the day came, we had the absolute best time exploring and getting married! After we exchanged our vows, we went to celebrate at a local pub (Courtney’s idea ;) ). It was a blast!!

Our elopement was an absolute DREAM COME TRUE! I will never be able to thank Courtney enough for making it happen. So for anyone on the fence, swaying back and forth about whether or not work with Courtney on your big day, SWAY NO MORE! You’ve found your person!! My day couldn’t have been any better and my pictures are beautiful and capture the fun we had!!! I can’t wait to work with her again!

Taylor & andrew

"Planning for our day and the day itself would have been completely different without Courtney. We only knew that we wanted to share our vows in the Tuscan countryside and have beautiful photos, and Courtney planned the perfect agenda for that to happen.

She coordinated our timing around sunset, and not only were the photos breathtaking, but the actual evening was too. I remember looking out over the vineyards as the sun set, the view becoming more and more stunning by the minute. There were no moments that felt forced or posed, every shot was comfortable and fun and full of love.

Courtney is such a sweet, kind, fun person and we truly enjoyed spending the day with her. Courtney helped us to turn our dreams into reality, and we hardly had to do a thing. She allowed us to be in control of our day but gently took all of our wants and needs into consideration while making everything happen. Lastly, our pictures are just magical. Courtney is an incredibly talented photographer, and I feel so lucky that we were able to work with her. I would recommend her over and over again to anyone eloping."

Ellie & Zac

"Let. Me. Tell. You. It's not the technical aspects of photography that are the most difficult. It's the human aspect. Remembering that as a Photographer, you may be behind the lens but you are still a human, in front of other humans, in some of the most raw and intimate of moments.

Courtney balances both of these necessities (but rarities) with poise, great direction, and an overall kind calmness that just makes you breathe a sigh of relief. If you've come across Courtney's page and see what you like already, BOOK HER NOW. Don't spend another second looking for another Photographer that doesn't bring anywhere near the amazing light and spirit that this girl brings right here. Thank you again Courtney for allowing my husband and I to marry each other all over again! The images are stunning and I can't wait to blow them up and hang them in our home."

Shannon & Brandon

"Working with Courtney was an extremely easy experience, seamless, positive and obviously fun. My wife and I went on our honeymoon and wanted to surprise her with a surprise honeymoon adventure session.

Courtney worked with me to make that dream gift for my wife a reality. Meeting and posing for a photographer for the first time can be intimidating, but with Courtney it was anything but that.

Courtney is extremely positive and helpful and made us feel very comfortable in front of the camera. She played some of our favorite songs and before we knew we were just having fun and she was catching them every second. Perhaps the best part of our session was that Courtney knew all the characteristic and peaceful places of where we were, which made our photos even more extraordinary.

She kept the focus on my wife and me. When we shared our images with friends and relatives, everyone complimented on Courtney's aesthetics and the emotion she was able to capture. I can't thank Courtney enough for exceeding all our expectations with this photo shoot!!"

NINA & JASON

"Pick her -- she's the best! Courtney is amazing! Seriously! If you're thinking about eloping you should snatch her up to capture your day. She makes the entire experience fun and relaxed plus the pictures just blew us away. I will never forget our magical time in Venice and I'm obsessed with the gorgeous photos Courtney took of us. She's so so good!"

Jami & Tim

Courtney is not only a talented photographer, but she makes you feel so comfortable even though being in front of the camera can be nerve-wracking! She did such an amazing job with our day and if I had to pick my favorite photo it would take FOREVER, because I love so many! Definitely consider her if you want adventurous and beautiful photos coupled with an amazing experience!

walker & mac
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Don't take it from me,
Take it from my past couples!

You’re in the right place!

I’m here to guide you through EVERY. SINGLE. STEP.

Let’s toss that’s confusion out the window and focus on how you want to get married!

Let me relieve those feelings of being lost, save you time, tell the story of your day and let’s get started creating a day that you’ll never forget!

So, if you know you want to elope,
but feel unsure on where to start, 

contact me & let's get starting creating your dream elopement!

...and you want an amazing storyteller to document your day

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Let's freaking do this!!