Everything You Need to Know for The Perfect Elopement

I’m officially married! My husband and I had an intimate elopement last week and it was everything I could have dreamed of. The coronavirus is wreaking havoc on weddings this year and we had to cancel the legal ceremony we had planned for months. We are still hoping our destination wedding can go on this summer, but had planned a civil ceremony in NYC for March so we could celebrate with our families at home. However, the coronavirus lockdown in NY made that impossible.

We both were so ready to start our marriage, but knew it wouldn’t be possible to have the wedding we planned for at least a few more months. I know how stressful it is to have your wedding affected by coronavirus and wanted to share my tips for pulling off a last minute coronavirus elopement! These tips aren’t just for the coronavirus brides either. There are a lot of reasons to consider eloping instead of having a traditional wedding and reception. Keep reading for more about our elopement story and everything you need to know to plan a coronavirus wedding!

Pros and Cons of Elopement Weddings

There is a lot to consider when planning an elopement versus a traditional wedding. They may have a bit of a negative context because people used to elope when families didn’t approve of the marriage. However a modern elopement can be glam, fun, and a breeze to plan. The main con to consider is limiting your guest count. By nature, elopements are tiny and intimate. If you have always dreamed of a huge wedding surrounded by friends and family, eloping may not be for you.

However, in my opinion the pros far outweigh the cons! Elopements give you more creative freedom, less restrictions, and less stress related to planning. They are also a fraction of the cost of a wedding so you can save a ton of money. Plus the intimacy factor is unreal. There was something really special about our day being all about us and starting our marriage on our terms.

How to Plan an Elopement

We used Opus Events, a full-service elopement planner in Los Angeles. Their fee included day of coordination, scouting and securing permits for our location, the officiant, an amazing photography team, and personalized decor for our mini-reception. They pulled everything together in about 2 weeks and made the process super simple - all we had to do was approve a few options presented and show up and get hitched. I also considered Cactus Collective when we thought about eloping in Las Vegas. They put together some of the most stylish Las Vegas weddings and elopements I have ever seen!

If you want to save even more money on your wedding, you can totally plan it yourself. Get started by researching state parks and community gardens. Most public parks will grant a permit for a nominal fee. Due to coronavirus, a lot of parks are closed or not issuing permits. So you’ll have to do some extra research to find a space that doesn’t require permits. I’ve seen couples on Instagram getting married on beautiful street corners or in front of a stylish facade! Once you have ideas on a location, you’ll want to find a talented photographer to capture your special day. Instagram is the best way to look for photographers with a strong visual portfolio, and Yelp is great for getting reviews and real customer feedback.

You can also think of ways to make it more personal and special. I really wanted wedding cake for our big day. That meant finding a location that would allow food in and would have space for us to set up. I couldn’t find a bakery because everything has been shut down, so I decided to whip up a classic vanilla cake with lemon cream cheese frosting. I did a simple, semi-naked frosting style and topped it with fresh flowers that matched my bouquet for a charming, rustic feel. I also put together my own bridal bouquet with an assortment of grocery store flowers and blush ribbon I had left over from Christmas gifts. If you are not the DIY type totally fine! You can order a bouquet online, just give it a few extra days since shipping is slower. And you may be able to find a bake shop or at least grocery store cake if you need to have a wedding cake to complete your day. I would never DIY my cake or flowers for a big wedding, but since it was just me and my husband to be, there was less pressure for it to be perfect.

How to Include Friends & Family in Your Elopement

The groom told a few of his friends what we were planning, but I really didn’t tell anyone on my side until it was over! I had been feeling so paranoid about how covid-19 had affected our wedding plans and I didn’t want to jinx anything.

If you are less crazy than I am, there are lots of ways to help include your family or bridal party, even if they can’t physically be there. Set up a Zoom session so people can stream your wedding online, invite a few people if it’s safe to do so, and plan a group party to celebrate afterwards! Depending on your timing, you can do it right after your private ceremony, or even a few months down the road. One of my bridesmaids sent me a “something borrowed” for the ceremony, and we got to video chat with a few friends during our cake cutting. Elopements can be as private as you want them to be, or you can find ways to connect dozens of people you want to be present.

Resources for Brides Affected by Coronavirus

We are living in unprecedented times. No matter how crazy things get, you still deserve to have the bridal experience you’ve dreamed of. Hopefully your planners and venue are being flexible with the situation. Many wedding venues have been forced to close or cancel events, giving them no choice but to work with you to reschedule. The Knot and Wedding Wire teamed up to start a hotline for coronavirus brides and Brides has a detailed guide on postponing your wedding if need be,

And remember, there are thousands of brides in your exact same shoes! Follow wedding related Instagram accounts or Facebook groups to swap stories and resources and look for inspiration.

Hope these tips helped! No matter what, your wedding will happen (eventually) and it will be amazing! Also, make sure you check out the details of my super affordable wedding look below! Not counting the shoes, it was all under $200! My exact top and shoes are sold out, but linking a similar ones below.