Where to Elope: Choosing the Perfect Elopement Location
Falling in love is a wild adventure, and your elopement should be too! That means that instead of a big venue, you get to tie the knot under the stars, in the mountains, in the desert, by the ocean… wherever your heart feels most at home and wherever you want to begin your marriage. But with basically endless possibilities for gorgeous landscapes all over the world, deciding where to elope can seem pretty daunting!
This guide is here to help you choose the perfect elopement location – because just like your love story, it’s going to be unique to you.
Things to Consider When Deciding Where to Elope
Before you pull out the map and start actually looking at potential locations, here are a few questions that you and your partner should answer. These might narrow down the options a little!
DO YOU KNOW WHEN YOU WANT TO ELOPE?
If you already know when you want to elope, that might be a big factor in where you elope! Because of course, with outdoor locations, the weather will have a big effect on what the day looks like. If you’re sure you want to get married in the summer, desert locations might not be the best option, while mountain locations will be ideal for this time of year!
It’s best to decide which one is more of a priority for you – your elopement location, or the day you elope, since keeping your options open on one, or both, will ensure more flexibility with the other!
ARE YOU INVITING GUESTS?
It’s also important to decide whether or not you’ll be inviting any guests pretty early on in the process. Couples who have family or friends coming along might decide to opt for more easy to get to locations than couples where it’s just the two of them! Any mobility issues that are specific to the people who will be at your elopement will need to be considered when deciding where to elope, but the number of guests might also impact where you can elope. Some outdoor locations have limits on how many people can be present for an elopement ceremony, so typically, the bigger your guest list is, the fewer options you’ll have.
But, don’t worry – if your dream day includes loved ones, there are still plenty of gorgeous places to tie the knot! And, some couples who invite guests decide to split up their day or to do a two day elopement, so that they can go off on an adventure on their own as well.
WHAT ABOUT FURRY GUESTS?
When thinking about guests, don’t forget fur babies! A lot of eloping couples want their dogs to be included in the ceremony, which is great! But, some locations might not allow dogs, so it’s important to think about this before you start thinking about where to elope. In general, national parks are the least dog friendly, so if you want to include your pup, you might want to look at national forests, state parks, and other public lands instead.
HOW FAR DO YOU WANT TO TRAVEL?
Another consideration when you decide where to elope is how far from home you want to travel. Are you down for a flight to the other side of the world, or would you rather stay close to home? Is flying there an option at all, or do you want to be able to drive to your dream elopement location? Guests and pets might be a consideration here too, as well as just your personal preferences and what you imagine for your day!
Where to Elope: Finding Your Perfect Elopement Location
Once you’ve got some basics figured out, it’s time to start looking for an elopement location!
SENTIMENTAL ELOPEMENT LOCATIONS
Some couples might already have an elopement location in mind! If there’s a place that’s special to the two of you as a couple, like the first hike you did together, your favorite national park, or a country you’ve already visited and loved, that might be the perfect place for you to elope.
But, you might also want to go somewhere new to tie the knot! Or, there might be an in between, like if there’s a state that you both love and want to get married in, but you want to explore somewhere you haven’t been within that area.
DECIDE ON A LANDSCAPE FOR YOUR ELOPEMENT LOCATION
First, think about what kind of landscape you want for your elopement day. Are you imagining yourself exchanging vows surrounded by mountain peaks? Standing in the middle of an old growth forest? Running barefoot in the sand?
Think about what kind of scenery you’re drawn to in general – what kind of views make your heart beat faster?
THINK ABOUT ADVENTURES
Another factor in choosing a landscape for your elopement location is what you actually want to do on your elopement day – what kind of adventure do you want to have? If you’re dreaming of rock climbing, the desert might be your ideal destination. For hiking, you might be looking for mountains. For kayaking, somewhere with water.
Anything is possible on your elopement adventure, so close your eyes, and imagine the best day of your life and what that would feel like. What do you want to see? What do you want to do?
But also, think about what you might not want to do – if you want a mountaintop location but you aren’t really feeling like hiking 10 miles on your wedding day, that’s important to know too!
NARROW DOWN YOUR OPTIONS FOR WHERE TO ELOPE
So now, you have an idea of what you want your elopement day to look like, and how far from home you want to travel. Make a list of places that might fit that description – you don’t have to get specific yet, but just general areas that have what you’re looking for. These might be countries, states, or parks. Resources like All Trails, or even just looking at Google Maps can help!
PRIVACY AND OFF THE BEATEN PATH ELOPEMENT LOCATIONS
One of the hardest things about choosing the perfect elopement location is that all those beautiful, popular spots that are easy to find are, well, popular! Ideally, you don’t want an audience for your elopement ceremony, so you want to find spots that are lesser known, but still gorgeous.
That’s often easier said than done, which is why I recommend reaching out to an elopement photographer before you decide where to elope! I virtually scout locations all over the world, which means I’m ready with recommendations that perfectly fit what you have in mind for your day. You bring me those half baked ideas and big dreams, and I’ll create a list of recommendations that’s completely personalized to the two of you and what you’re looking for.
If you’re ready to elope and find that perfect off the beaten path location for your ceremony, contact me!
