What is an Elopement? Elopement Definition & Debunking 7 Elopement Myths
What is an elopement? What does it mean to elope? There are a lot of misconceptions and myths about elopements. Even when you search for the definition of an elopement, it says eloping is when a couple runs away and secretly gets married without parental consent. Let us just say now... that is NOT TRUE! An elopement is anything but that! We are going to review what an elopement is to us and debunk elopement myths.
What is an elopement?
An elopement means different things to different people, so here is our definition:
An elopement is an intimate, intentional, and meaningful wedding that focuses truly on the couple and is a representation of who they are and what is important to them.
An elopement is when a couple decides to have a wedding day that is truly about them and not about the guest experience.
So what does that mean?
That means that an elopement can be whatever YOU want it to be! That’s the incredible thing about elopements. If you want to elope in your backyard with 20 of your closest family and friends, you totally can! If you want to elope next to a beautiful waterfall with your parents, you can! If you want to elope across the world on top of a mountain with just you two, you can! Eloping can be whatever is meaningful and special to YOU.
And you can have a FULL DAY elopement just like you would have a full day traditional wedding. But how can you have a full day elopement?! As we mentioned above, you can do and incorporate anything you want into your elopement! You can spend the time before, after, or during your ceremony sightseeing, hiking, picnicking, stargazing, cooking, sitting by a campfire, or anything in between. This is your wedding day and will be a memory you cherish for the rest of your life, so you should spend it doing anything meaningful to you.
Let’s envision it for a second.
Close your eyes. Picture yourself looking into your significant other’s eyes on your wedding day. Now zoom out away from their face. Where are you? What is your background? What landscape are you in? Who is with you? What do you hear? What do you smell? Picture everything about that moment. Does everything you picture make you so happy? If the answer is yes, that is how you should spend your wedding day.
If you picture everyone in your life, including distant relatives, at that moment, then have the big wedding day you are picturing! If you picture you two somewhere intimate, then do that for your wedding day! Not everyone wants to elope, and that is okay! Whatever you envisioned during that moment should be how you spend your special day because it is what makes YOU happy. Because at the end of the day, it is one of the most special days of your life and should be everything you have dreamed of.
Debunking Elopement Myths
Now that you know what an elopement is, let’s debunk some common misconceptions and myths.
#1 Elopement Myth: Elopements aren’t as meaningful as traditional weddings.
Alright, let’s get this myth busted right away because this is NOT TRUE. Elopements are still wedding days and just as meaningful as traditional weddings. An elopement IS a wedding day, only smaller. We think a lot of people lose sight of that when they think about elopements.
When a couple chooses to elope, they are choosing to do what they want to do and what is meaningful for them. The couple is choosing to focus on themselves rather than the guest experience. And that is not to say anything against traditional weddings, but for some people, a traditional wedding is not for them. But that does not mean their elopement is any less special.
Elopements are real, they are legally binding, and they are just as special as traditional weddings.
#2 Elopement Myth: Elopements are last minute.
Elopements are not always last minute. We work with many couples for anywhere from a few months to two years before their elopement day. Elopements are intentional and meaningful, and the same time and effort is put into an elopement as a traditional wedding.
A lot of people think elopements are rushed, last minute, and require no planning, and that is simply not true. An elopement is a wedding day, even though it is smaller, so the planning is still there! We plan elopements for couples that include anything from sightseeing all day to backpacking. You can take as much time planning your elopement as you need, and we are here to help you every step of the way!
#3 Elopement Myth: Elopements don’t include family and friends.
A lot of people think that elopements are lonely and do not include family and friends. The best thing about elopements (and we mentioned this a billion times) is they can be whatever YOU want them to be. If you want your elopement to be only the two of you, that’s incredible! If you want to have a few family members and friends there, that’s incredible, too! Elopements aren’t about running away and doing things in secret. They are about doing what is meaningful for the couple. And that can include being with others or just them two.
#4 Elopement Myth: Elopements are for saving money.
A huge misconception is that couples choose to elope to save money. Yes, that can be the case, but it usually isn’t. Couples want to elope because they want to spend their money on an experience.
#5 Elopement Myth: Elopements only include a ceremony.
Elopements do not only include a ceremony. They can include a full day of adventuring, exploring, and celebrating! We can’t say this enough - an elopement is still a wedding day and deserves to be treated as such. And an elopement can be ALL DAY! Yup, that’s right. You can spend the day sightseeing, hiking, picnicking, or anything in between.
And the best part about an elopement? You can do whatever you want for the day! Do you want to elope on a local beach? Or at an epic location in the mountains? Or in your backyard? The options are endless! You can spend your elopement day anyway and anywhere you want!
#6 Elopement Myth: Elopements are only for people who hike.
False. False. False. Elopements do not have to include hiking. A lot of the well-known elopement photographers do a lot of hiking or backpacking elopements, which is where we think this misconception comes from. The beauty of elopements is they can happen anywhere that is meaningful for you. If hiking is meaningful to you, then you can totally hike on your elopement day! But if you don’t want to hike, you can do anything else your heart desires. Literally anything. We have seen couples walk along a beach, scuba dive, hike, stargaze, and everything in between.
#7 Elopement Myth: Elopements don’t need as much photography as traditional weddings.
If you have learned anything from us busting these myths, it is that elopements are wedding days and should be treated equally. That goes for everything, from planning to an all-day experience to photography. Your wedding day should be documented from start to finish, no matter where it is or what it includes. Your wedding day is something so special, and the beautiful photos from your elopement will be cherished and looked back on forever.
So what’s next?
An elopement is not just signing a license or taking a few portraits. An elopement is so much more than that! The best thing about elopements is they can be whatever YOU want them to be. An elopement is a wedding day spent doing whatever you want, however you want, wherever you want, with whoever you want.
And we are here to create and capture your beautiful wedding day! Are you excited and ready to plan your elopement?!
Hi,
New Hampshire elopement & wedding photographer serving New England & beyond
My name is Alex, and I am an adventure enthusiast, travel addict, and your dream-making wedding photographer! I am a New Hampshire elopement photographer and wedding photographer but will travel well beyond New England to capture your elopement or wedding day.
I got my start in photography capturing stunning landscapes around the world but realized my true passion was capturing beautiful photos of a couple’s love. There is something about the magic of love that draws me to couples like a magnet.
Over the years, I have met so many amazing couples, and I am so excited to get to know YOU! I am here to provide you with beautiful photos of your elopement or wedding day, so you can look back and relive those memories forever!
