Wedding Planning can be overwhelming even when you’re doing a small wedding! This is why we want to help you elope without any of the stress associated with the planning experience. Here is a list of 12 tips to make sure you don’t forget anything before you elope!

Keep vendor contact information on hand

We suggest that you keep a document or a google drive with all of your vendors and their contact information. By keeping your vendors contact information organized and in an accessible place, you will be able to contact and get in touch with your vendors in an easy and efficient way. The perk of having your vendors contact information online, allows you access their contact information on smart devices and on the go!

Check with your venue for decor limitations.

An important aspect in decorating your venue, is checking and reviewing the vendor contract and rules. You may have imagined a magical reception with sparklers for everyone to hold, but the venue may prohibit the use of sparklers because of it being a fire hazard. You may want certain decor for your dream wedding, but we suggest that you review and check in with the venue to make sure the decorations are allowed.

Build some cushion into your timeline.

The day of the elopement wedding is always jammed packed with nerves and excitement, and the best way to keep calm is to have a wedding elopement day timeline in place for your big day. We suggest that you add some extra time while getting ready, because hair and makeup or transportation could take longer than you think. We also suggest giving yourself some extra time in between the wedding elopement day process, so you can have some wiggle room if things end up taking longer than they should have. By giving yourself extra time on your elopement wedding day timeline, minor delays and unanticipated obstacles will not set the event off track.

If you need more help in planning your elopement, you should check out our Modern Love Membership to get all of our tips!

Have an RSVP tracking strategy in place.

In elopement weddings you tend to usually have smaller and intimate weddings, with a guest list made up of family and close friends. Although you have a limited amount of guests, it is still very important to keep track of who is coming and have an RSVP tracking strategy in place. We recommend having a list of the guests who have RSVP, a list of guests who may be coming, and guests that are not coming, so that you have a neat and organized guest list.

Pay attention to the weather and the sunset

When getting married outside, it is always important to make sure you know what the weather is going to be like! Your ceremony site can go from clear sunny day to clouds and a rain shower in minutes, so it is always important to have a bad weather back up plan.

Check out our guide to handling showers on your day!

We also suggest knowing what time the sunset is, because of course golden hours photos are a must on your big day!

Put together an elopement wedding-day emergency kit

On your big day things will be moving fast, but by making an emergency elopement wedding day kit could help fix some of the unexpected bumps you might run into. We suggest that you pack a makeup bag with extra eyelash glue if your eyelash starts to fall off, extra lipstick in case you lipstick smudges, and Advil in case you get a headache. You never know what you might need, so it is always a good idea to be prepared!

Bring along your rings and marriage license.

When it comes to the big day, you may have a lot on your mind, but it is important to remember the small things. The small things matter, and it is important to remember your rings and your marriage license! You wouldn’t want to show up at your wedding without the rings!

Consider an “unplugged” elopement wedding.

In the age of technology, cell phones are on us wherever we go. Especially at weddings and important events, everyone will be trying to capture your big day moments. We advise to have an “unplugged wedding” so that the photographer can focus on the photos, and the bride, groom, and guests can focus on the experience. We also suggest that guests turn off their phones or put them on silent before the ceremony, we wouldn’t want a phone to ring when the vows are being said!

Kindly ask the officiant to move out of the frame during your first kiss.

When you get old and grey, and have grand kids of your own, you will want a photo to show your grand kids on your wedding day. What better photo to show than the photo of your first kiss at the altar. In that case, you may want to ask your officiant in advance to move out of the way so that your first kiss as a married couple can be flawlessly captured by your talented photographer.

Figure out tips and gratuities in advance.

To thank all the vendors for their work and help in making your dream wedding come true, you can thank them by giving them a tip. You can eliminate worry and stress at the end of the wedding day, but planning your tips in advance. Pull out some cash, label each envelope, and have the tips handed out near the end of the wedding.

Bring along some comfy shoes.

Let me tell you, once the ceremony is over and the recession starts, you are going to want some comfy shoes! We suggest bringing a pair or flats or flip flops to enjoy the rest of the day, and avoid blisters and hurting feet.

Don’t neglect honeymoon prep.

The days of your elopement wedding and days leading up to your big day will be busy. We advise that you do some honeymoon packing prep in advance. Your elopement destination and honeymoon may be all in one, it is best to plan in advance, so that you can have a relaxed honeymoon vacation!

12 Items you May Forget During Elopement Wedding Planning