The Elopement Blog
Ideas, Inspiration + Advice for Couples Planning Small Weddings
Wondering if a small wedding or elopement is right for you? Here are the top 4 reasons couples make that choice, from a former celebrity wedding planner.
Signing a wedding vendor contract? Learn what protections to look for before you book, from a former celebrity wedding planner turned small wedding expert.
Telling family you're eloping or having a small wedding? Get 4 expert tips for breaking the news without damaging relationships, from a 20-year wedding planner.
What counts as a small wedding? Get clear definitions of elopements, micro weddings, and intimate weddings, plus the top reasons couples choose to go small.
Planning a small wedding? Here's exactly where AI tools help — and where they fall short — from a former celebrity wedding planner.
Wondering if you should have a wedding registry for your elopement or small wedding? Get the dos and don'ts from a 20-year wedding planning pro.
Planning a small wedding or elopement? Learn how to navigate difficult family relationships, guest list decisions, and expectations — without losing your peace.
What is a Micro Wedding? Well, essentially it is a small wedding with less than 40 guests that can follow any format you want, but generally has a few more traditional wedding elements than an elopement.
When planning your wedding, the flowers you choose will play a huge role in setting the tone for your entire event. Whether you're dreaming of romantic roses, whimsical wildflowers, or tropical blooms, your floral design helps tell the story of your special day. But how do you choose the perfect flowers, especially when you're eloping or planning a destination wedding like in Hawaii? It all comes down to timing, trusting your florist, and being open to changes. If you’re eloping with Modern Elopement, we’ve taken the time to create gorgeous designs that you can choose from.
Choosing a venue for your elopement is one of the most exciting decisions you’ll make in the planning process. Whether you envision a breathtaking beachfront ceremony, a lush tropical garden, or an intimate cliffside vow exchange, your venue sets the tone for your entire wedding day. At Modern Elopement, we’ve helped hundreds of couples find their dream location, and we’re here to share our tips on how to choose the perfect venue for your elopement.
At Modern Elopement, our passion is creating magical, stress-free weddings for our couples. Our dedicated team of Elopement Concierges is here to ensure every detail of your special day is perfect. Today, we’re giving you a behind-the-scenes look at what a typical day is like for our team.
Need More Inspiration?
Real Elopement Weddings
Congratulations! You've said “yes” to forever, and the journey to “I do” begins now. The engagement period is a time of joy, dreams, and thoughtful planning. Here are 10 tips to help you navigate this special chapter and lay the foundation for a beautiful wedding day.
Weddings often come with long guest lists and grand celebrations, but there's a growing trend among couples to embrace the intimate and personal act of eloping—with no guests. While traditional weddings have their charm, more and more couples are choosing the path less traveled, finding profound meaning in a ceremony that's just about them and their love story.
Are you beyond ready to get married?! We know so many people have had to change their plans or postpone their wedding date. This is why you NEED to run away to Hawaii to get married. Right now.
How To Plan
As a planner, I talk with countless couples every single day who have been affected by the coronavirus. Couples who had to cancel the day before their wedding due to shutdowns. Couples who postponed one, two, three, four times. Couples who abandoned all hope of having a wedding this year. Couples who said screw it and went to the courthouse. Your story is unique, but you’re not alone.
Do you know the difference between a micro-wedding and a mini-wedding? A sequel-wedding and an elopement? A tiny wedding and a minimony??
There are so many new wedding terms this year that it is hard to know the difference between them all! Do they all mean the same thing? They are all just weddings at the end of the day, right!?
Photos are what you get to keep and hold on to forever after the big day, so you want to make sure that they’re perfect! Don’t let this stress you out — you will get those photos because we have the tools for you!
Inspiration
Are you beyond ready to get married?! We know so many people have had to change their plans or postpone their wedding date. This is why you NEED to run away to Hawaii to get married. Right now.
Eloping is the new way to get married! Between all of the craziness of the current pandemic and the ever changing restrictions on group gatherings, eloping is not only safer, but it is much easier and less stressful on the couple to plan. You will still want to get married even if you can’t have large groups of people there with you, so how do you make sure to let everyone know that you tied the knot?
We absolutely love all things pretty — especially these new elopement wedding accessories designed by the Elopement Experts themselves. We have put together helpful planning notebooks, handy bags to keep your day of necessary items, and cute items for your tropical honeymoon too! Just because you’re having a small wedding doesn’t mean you need to miss out on the style and details!
What Stationery Should I Send for my Micro-Wedding?
Let’s talk paper! Traditional weddings often send Engagement Announcements, Save The Dates, Invitations, RSVP Cards, Thank-Yous and more! That’s a lot of envelopes for you to lick and address. Like many other elements to planning a Small Wedding, your elopement stationery is nothing like the traditional.
Let’s talk paper! Traditional weddings often send Engagement Announcements, Save The Dates, Invitations, RSVP Cards, Thank-Yous and more! That’s a lot of envelopes for you to lick and address. Like many other elements to planning a Small Wedding, your elopement stationery is nothing like the traditional.
What do I send for a small wedding?
For a mini-wedding, you may decide to include a small amount of guests. You are not required to send formal Save The Dates, so skip this step! You’ll save money and paper by not sending out Engagement Announcements or Save The Date cards. We recommend that when you elope, you start the process at Invitations. If you are choosing to invite guests, you can send out a small number of invitations to the people that you would like to attend.
Shop our Invitation Suites here!
Invitations Vs. Announcements
We get this question all the time! The main difference between an invitation and an announcement is that you will send the Invitations prior to eloping and Announcements are sent after. Invitations are just that, a written request for family and friends to join you at your elopement. Announcements are a physical way to let the people closest to you know that you decided to have an intimate wedding and that you are already married. Announcements are a great way to make people feel special even if they weren’t able to attend in person. This is a far more personal way than finding out on Social Media or from someone else.
Shop our Announcement Cards here!
Change of Plans
With the uncertainty due to the global spread of COVID-19, many couples are changing their plans. Our hearts go out to you if this is your situation! A really easy way to let people know that your wedding is now changing in nature, is to send a written note.
Shop our Change of Plans cards!
If you were planning a large wedding and you are now choosing to elope, this can be a really delicate situation as you do not want to “uninvite” people. Let them know kindly that you are saddened that they will not be able to be physically present, but that you appreciate their love and support. You can choose to include a future plan to celebrate with them!
Should you be changing the date, location, or other details of your elopement wedding, but not changing the size of your event, you can simply send a Change of Date! These are great ways to let people know that you are being proactive about their safety, but you are excited to spend time with them!
Thank-Yous
You should absolutely still send Thank You cards! You may still receive gifts and kind acts from people who are very happy for you. You should start sending out these letters of appreciation as soon as you start receiving gifts in order to stay on top of everything. There is nothing worse than returning from your Honeymoon to a large stack of unsent thank you notes.
Wondering when to tell people you're eloping? Get an honest take on why waiting until after the wedding might be the better choice.