Gabbi Hall
Hey there! Congrats on your engagement. Woohoo! It feels like I was just there with my fiancé. We knew we wanted to elope (aka get married with just us, our officiant and photographer) from the get-go. We didn’t necessarily want to do the “surprise” element—just the intimate element.
Of course, after you decide to do it, the question becomes “Where do we want to elope?” As you’re choosing your elopement venue, let me lay out some considerations for you that hopefully will help you as you plan.
You may also be interested in my blog post with a sample elopement day timeline.
Which Elopement Venue Is Right For Us?
Eloping gives you quite a bit of flexibility in terms of venue. We chose a spacious Airbnb for the epic views of Lake Tahoe, but you can also hike into the wilderness, go to a fancy resort abroad or do it in your own backyard. Much of it comes down to your budget and vision when choosing your elopement venue.
Eloping at an Airbnb
The first thing to note is that not all counties allow weddings to happen at Airbnbs. It will likely be stated in the description. That said, I asked all Airbnbs we considered if it would be okay for us to host a small, private ceremony there with no more than 8 people. I found that most locations were fine with it as long as 1) it was okay in the county, 2) we didn’t do it during quiet hours in the neighborhood, and 3) we didn’t exceed the available parking spaces and total number of people allowed in the house.
We also ended up choosing the final location because of the fun extra spaces like a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf and vintage bathrooms.
If you can afford it, it’d be nice to stay in the house before you book it for the elopement so you can see it for yourself. But we didn’t and it worked out just fine!
Eloping in a National Park or Other Public Lands
National and State Parks as well as BLM land can provide unmatched beauty and backdrops for an elopement. And while they are public lands, you will likely need to get special use permits for many areas. Your photographer will also likely need a special photography permit. All that said, once you identify the park you want to get married in, do research on that park’s permitting process, and I also recommend talking with your photographer first to make sure they won’t have any issues (assuming you want the day documented).
Eloping Abroad
If you plan to elope abroad or even just in an unfamiliar location, don’t try to plan it on your own. Go to an expert. Look for an elopement photographer, officiant or planner in that area who can help you navigate everything from the rules around wedding licenses to locations to the best places to stay when you come to town. It’ll be an extra monetary investment, but save you headaches in the long run.
Is There Getting Ready Space?
There are couples who get ready together when they elope, and those (like us) who did a traditional first look. In our Airbnb, we made sure there were enough rooms to be able to separate for the getting-ready period.
If you are going to have someone do your hair and makeup, you’ll need a space for them to plug in and set up. You’ll want to make sure it’s a room with plenty of natural light (aka a window). If you want your photographer to take traditional “getting ready” shots, you’ll want to choose a clean space that’s aesthetically pleasing (whatever that means to you).
Is There Easy Parking for You and Vendors?
Parking feels like a small detail, but if your vendors can’t park, it’s going to be frustrating and could cause delays. Make sure the venue you choose can accommodate your planned vendors (1 car for each). In our case, we could have 6 cars at our Airbnb (including our own). I drew a map of the available parking spots, assigned them to each vendor based on planned arrival and departure time and sent them a photo so they knew the game plan.
Also, as you sign on vendors, makes sure to read the contracts and get an understanding of whether or not you’re responsible for parking-related costs.
Available Elopement Packages or DIY?
Depending on the venue you choose, you may be able to DIY things you need as well as piece together vendors based on your vision. Ideally, you can get recommendations from the vendors you choose. It’s nice to have a team that’s worked together before. I handled most of the planning and vendor relationships with support and advice from my photographer. If you like planning and can stay organized, it’s a good route.
But there are also pop-up elopement companies (like The Hytch in Reno Tahoe) that can do it all for you. Just search “pop-up elopement packages” + the city or area you’re considering to get a lay of the land. It’ll be a larger investment than DIY, but the expertise and ease can be well worth the cost.
Are There Nearby Photo Locations?
If you elope in the great outdoors, this section doesn’t really concern you. However, if you go the Airbnb or abroad route, you may want to consider photo locations outside of your elopement venue. If you’re at an Airbnb, do you want to hop over to a nearby lake at sunset? Do you want photos at night with the Welcome to Las Vegas sign? Work with your photographer to establish what additional locations you may want to go to for photos.
At the end of the day, choose the elopement venue that matches your vision and find vendors that understand that vision. Together, you can create something beautiful just like we did.
Until next time, here goes nothing!
