How to Plan a Destination Elopement | Elopement Photographer

Eloping is truly an incredible way to get married! If you desire to have an intimate and adventurous wedding day then eloping is probably a fantastic choice for you–but just because you don’t have to create a seating chart and pick out linens doesn’t mean there aren’t things that need to go into planning! Would you even know where to start on planning your destination elopement?! Well, if you don’t that’s what I am here for. Here is my guide on How to Plan a Destination Elopement!

How to Plan a Destination Elopement

Should I Elope?

First, let’s chat about the benefits of eloping and see if it resonates with you! Every decision that you make a long the way is about what you and your fiancé want. You don’t need to consider or take anybody else’s preference into account. You can get married and have your honeymoon all in the same place–how awesome is that?! You’ll be coming back all refreshed from a relaxing wedding and honeymoon while others are a bit more exhausted than they should be. Also, whatever money you spend will be just for your own personal enjoyment! If you want to have a nice dinner at the most expensive place, go for it. It’ll just be you and maybe your nearest and dearest family! Or if you want to go to the cheapest place, who cares! There isn’t anybody around to judge.

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 then 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 destination elopement!

Are you wondering what exactly is an elopement?! Check out this article to answer your questions!

Find Your Destination Elopement Photographer

One of the most important parts of a destination elopement is finding the right photographer for you. Most couples who elope are focused on having a flipping incredible adventure and intimate experience with their spouse and want their memories to be captured so that they can be treasured forever and to share with friends and family back home. One of the most important aspects to couples who elope is have their experience documented. So, for most, this is where a good amount of your budget is spent.

Spending money on a photographer is something I guarantee you will not regret! Most professionals usually spend tons and tons of time investing in their knowledge, in their business and each and every client – I know I have! Whatever equipment they use they will know how to use it inside and out without fumbling through their gear and take seconds to make any necessary adjustments throughout the day. They will be worth every pretty penny because they invest so much time before your wedding helping you plan a timeline and getting to know you, on your wedding day capturing every moment and after your wedding day perfecting every image.

My motto as an elopement photographer is to help turn your dream into a reality! I will be there by your side literally the whole day so it is so important to me that we vibe well with each other so when I ask to Skype or FaceTime with you, DO IT! I genuinely want to get to know you and hear about your vision for you day and you should want to get to know who is going to guide you through this right?! I am 110% invested in you and want to create a fricken incredible experience for you on your elopement day.

My goal for every couple I work with is to be more than just a photographer. I am here to help guide you through planning your dream elopement and to help in any way that I possibly can! I will help location scout for you so you can pick the absolute perfect place to say your vows. I will help create the perfect timeline so that you can be stress-free and enjoy every moment of your day. Being stressed out on your day is definitely NOT what I want for you. So, I am here to fix that! Most of all, I will be by your side every step of the way and I will be your friend and support. I have been a part of many elopements so I can guide you on how to plan your dream destination elopement! If you’re searching for a destination elopement photographer I would absolutely love to hear your vision for day and would be so flipping stoked to document your day! You can contact me >HERE< and I am so excited to hear from you!

How to Plan a Destination Elopement

Pick Your Destination Elopement Location

Picking the perfect destination for your elopement can be difficult because there are so many incredible places in this world! There might even be some in your own backyard. So, how do you choose?! Deciding on a location correlates to your budget, how much travel you want to do and the type of couple you are! Are you an outdoorsy couple who loves to enjoy the mountains and go for hikes or are you the type of couple who wants to have a relaxed elopement in the romantic city of Paris?

When it comes to choosing a location think about how much money you want to spend and where you want to spend it. If you live in the U.S. and want to elope in Ireland look up flight costs, hotel/Airbnb, car rental, etc., so that you can get an idea of how much it is going to cost. Be sure to choose a location that means a lot to you both or a place you have always dreamed of going! This will help your day to be even more memorable. However, I do have many couples come to me that know they want to elope in an epic location, but have no idea where and honestly, I love that! I love helping my couples pick out the perfect location for them. I spend time getting to know my couples through video calls and questionnaires and then I send them list of amazing locations that I think will be a great fit for them! I love this part of how I serve my couples!

Here are some blog posts with some fun locations for you to check out as well!

10 Amazing Iceland Elopement Locations

10 Best Places to Elope in the U.S.

Best Places to Elope in Oregon

10 Incredible Places You Want to Elope

Choose Your Elopement Date Wisely

Wherever you decide to have your adventurous elopement be sure to consider the weather! Research the best times to visit the area, but also consider how busy that time of year will be.  If you’re having an elopement in a more remote location in the mountains then you don’t have to be worried about privacy, but if you want to say your vows in a more public space be sure to look into this!

Do you have a favorite season? If you want to elope in the mountains, but aren’t a fan of the cold then have a summer elopement. If you want to get married in the dessert, but don’t want to sweat like a pig then choose a date during the winter! Research rainfall, average temperatures, and so on and so forth. Of course, when eloping in nature you have to prepare yourself for anything and everything, but this will help to give you the best idea of what you’ll be dealing with.

Plan a Destination Elopement

Be Patient When Corresponding with Vendors

When you email vendors be patient when waiting to hear back from them. The time difference will slow down your roll in emailing back and forth with your florist, officiant, planner, etc. You most likely won’t be able to meet face-to-face with all your vendors so having a Pinterest board dedicated to all the aspects of your wedding will tremendously help you and your vendors out. You should have a board for your florals and other visuals! By sharing your boards with your vendors they’ll be able to see your vision and more accurately be able to give you what you want on your elopement day! Since communicating by email isn’t the easiest to portray your vision, using visuals to communicate will be the easiest for both parties.

Add Personal Touches

Just because you are eloping doesn’t mean that you can’t have a creative vision! Do you want to get married under an arch? Do you want to have a first dance? Do you want to have a color scheme with your florals? Do you want florals? You can have whatever you want! After all, it is all about you.

Some other ideas for some personal touches are custom vow books, ring box, favorite wine or champagne to celebrate, custom wine glasses, bouquet, boutonniere, a watch, jewelry, clutch, etc.

Share the News with Your Family

I totally get it. Announcing Your Elopement can make you a little nervous! You might be scared of how your Mom or your best friend will react. You know your goal isn’t to hurt your family by leaving them out, but they probably don’t. Check out these articles for more in-depth conversations about this topic!

5 Tips for Announcing Your Elopement

How to Keep Family Involved in Your Elopement

How to Plan a Destination Elopement

Well, there you have it! I hope you found all this information on How to Plan a Destination Elopement helpful!

I am all about helping my couple’s dream become a reality. So, whether you want to go for a hike to an epic location in the mountains, whether you want to take a helicopter to a remote location, whether you want to frolic through a meadow in a forest, or whatever it may be–I will be here to help guide you through planning your dream elopement. I want you to have a fricken incredible elopement day that is 100% stress-free and all about you so you bet I will create an amazing timeline so you can kick back and just enjoy your day. Want to know?! YEAH YA DO!  You can contact me >HERE< and I can’t flipping wait to talk to you about your elopement!

Check out these related articles!

3 Reasons Eloping is Better Than a Traditional Wedding

Ultimate Elopement Planning Guide

Ultimate Olympic National Park Elopement Guide

How to Pack for Your Hiking Elopement

How to Write Wedding Vows for Your Elopement