We sincerely hope you are enjoying everything you are learning about weddings and wedding planning through our series for those brides who think they don’t need a wedding planner. Read on to learn more. Then feel free to share with your friends planning weddings!

Reason #11: The Not-to-be-bothered bride says, “Modern weddings are so.much.fuss. It is all just too much trouble & money & stress.  I just can’t justify spending all of that time/money/effort on just one day of my life. So…we’re eloping!”

Who she is: This bride is not at all about the pomp & circumstance of a big wedding.   She is not worried about being the center of attention, in fact, she likely avoids being the center of attention when at all possible. She takes the photos for others, instead of being in them herself. Maybe she isn’t a big spender either, thrifty to the core, some might even call her a cheapskate… though we’d never dare to do that, instead appreciating her knack for getting the best deals on everything.  She’s pretty resourceful and willing to put in the work to refurbish something old to make it new again.  She’s not a big fan of the extravagant, instead opting for simplicity and meaning with both the things and people she keeps in her life. She’s practical and in her spare time she sews, cans local produce, recycles any-and-everything and maybe even composts.  Maybe she’s been married before, so she feels like she’s already had her moment in the spotlight. Or maybe she’s not the thrifty type, but feels like she would rather spend a big chunk of money on a house, a new car or a fancy trip. Either way, she just doesn’t see herself getting caught up in the trappings of a traditional wedding.

Here’s what I have to say to her:  How fun! We love it when folks feel they can depart from the wedding norms to find what fits for them. There are lots of great things you can do to make your elopement a more special experience, whether it is just for you two or for your intended and a few close family & friends.  Some of those things cost money, sure. Others can be done really affordably.   For some, the danger of elopement is that it can lack  the significance and the “marking of the moment” that traditional weddings offer.  Whether you are eloping or throwing a big huge wedding party, is still the start of your married life together.  Don’t shortchange yourself in your planning process. Everyone should get something special from the experience of planning and getting married.  Even if you are eloping.

About our services for her:  When planning an elopement, there are still a number of factors to consider and plenty of ways we can help.  Will you travel to your elopement destination? What are the legal requirements for marriage in that location? Will you honeymoon in the same place or somewhere different? Will you bring anyone along or is it just the two of you? Will you have the experience photographed? Exciting elopements involve the right combination of fun, style and in some cases, surprise! Consider planning a family trip and surprising folks with a wedding. Think about taking a trip with just the two of you to a destination you want to return to over the years. Maybe instead of spending over-the-top amounts of money on your whole wedding, pick just one element to splurge on: a fabulous dress and accessories, a grand floral display, a gourmet meal cooked by a private chef on a beach at sunset. (Omigosh. That sounds amazing. Can I go there right this minute?) Even if those things are to be enjoyed by just the two of you, the making of these memories matters. For more info on big time elopements, check out this article from the NY Times.

Photo by Aaron Delesie, NY Times

Another thing to consider when eloping is how you will announce/share your happy news with those in your lives. Folks who care about you will be interested in sharing in your joy and will look for an opportunity to do so. Planning a casual party after the fact is a fun and simple way to include others.  If that seems like too much effort, an even simpler open house could do the trick, allowing folks to stop by and hear your elopement story. Know this now: They are gonna want to hear the story.

We are all about adding value to your plans – and eloping still requires plans.  From making your elopement special to figuring out how to share your news at home, we can help brainstorm on any or all of these plans!

The final reason #12 is here!  I bet you just can’t wait to clicky click, huh??

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