Elope with Family (A Little Something for Everyone)

Let’s talk about how to elope with family, it’s a marriage of something for you and something for them. It’s a little something for everyone. For many couples, wedding planning becomes a balance of what we want versus how to be a good host.

There’s something to be said for the fact that it’s your day and you can do what you want. And there’s also something to be said for the desire to host a party, to celebrate with friends and family, and to be surrounded by your loved ones.

These are crazy times and we’ve had a lot of couples trying to navigate the waters of what weddings look like in 2020/2021. Therefore, we started a series I’m calling, “just in case we can’t have weddings in 2021 elopement planning blog post series.”

Check out more in this wedding advice series:

why elope with family

It’s simple. Eloping doesn’t have to mean running away in secret. In fact many of our couples that have chosen to elope over the years don’t do it to run away.

They elope to go on an adventure or to have a special, quiet, stress-free day. Some of them hate being the center of attention and some of them just don’t want all the planning.

Many of our elopements probably aren’t even called elopements if we went by the strict definition of a secret wedding in which couples run away. More often, we see couples get married with their immediate family or a very small group of friends.

It’s even happens organically. A couple calls us about an elopement and tells us it’s just going to be the two of them. More often than not the guest list grows and we get to meet their mom, sister, and best friend too.

Maybe you don’t want the stress, expense, or restrictions of a big wedding. Or maybe you’re restricted by the pandemic. That doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate in style and that doesn’t mean your bestie doesn’t want to be there.

For many of us, our communities are important to us. We don’t do life in a vacuum. Therefore, it makes sense that when something big happens in our life, we want our people there to help us celebrate.

how to elope with family

When it comes down to eloping with your family, throw out the rule book. If there are only a handful of people involved in the plans for the day, don’t limit yourself to what you think you have to do. The main problem we see is simply a failure of creativity and a lack of imagination.

“I want to get married at sunrise but my mom’s not a morning person. This will never work.”

Not true, we’ve had couples go for a sunrise hike with us (their photographers) and then head back for a ceremony with the family.

We’ve had couples read private vows to each other on a mountain top and more public vows in front of their friends and family. There have been breakfast weddings, lunch weddings, dinner weddings, and all day weddings.

To be honest we’ve gone hiking, rock-climbing, and hanging out by a river on various wedding days. In fact, we did all three on one couples wedding. Who says you have to spend all day apart hiding getting ready?

5 tips for eloping with family

Communicate. This means that you share your expectations and ask their expectations and then rewrite the expectations.
Use your creativity and imagination, I bet you can find a way to fit the puzzle pieces together.
Focus on your priorities. My main wedding planning advice is ALWAYS to figure out what your priorities are. That will help you stay on track and make the right decisions.
Above all, love your people. If you’re considering eloping with family, it’s because community is important to you. Don’t lose sight of that when you get annoyed that your brother won’t hike or your nephew needs constant snacks. Remember you love these people and they love you. Remember why you want them there.
In conclusion, food. Enough said.

Check out more in this wedding advice series:

Or tips for wedding photographers like this ND Filter Guide.

Next check out more of our wedding photography advice for brides here. Lastly, read more about us and view our Colorado elopement guide or elope in Estes Park.

FREE comprehensive e-guide: Prioritize your planning so your wedding is a memorable adventure.

We are Marc and Brenda Bergreen, a husband and wife photography team specializing in Colorado mountain wedding photography, videography, and other adventures. Let us help you make your wedding an adventure! It would be an honor to capture your love.

Don’t hesitate to contact us and let us know how we can help! Be sure to follow us (weddings instagram & adventures instagram) and/or like us (facebook) to stay tuned.

In the meantime, remember to…