Elopements have gained popularity in the past decade especially due to factors like rising costs, high demand in the wedding industry, the desire to do something differently, etc. All of this is great but what is an Intimate Elopement? Well, let us start with the true definition of those two words. According to Google, “intimate” as an adjective means, closely acquainted; familiar, or close. And also private & personal. The definition of “elope” or “elopement” as per Google means, “run away secretly in order to get married, especially without parental consent.” My first encounter of an “elopement” was in 9th-grade English studying Shakespeare’s literature of Romeo & Juliet. It’s giving ashamed or forbidden love.
However, it is 2023! You can marry whomever you want. Marriage is no longer used for political or social gain among one’s parents (at least it should not be). You are free to marry someone for love like Romeo & Juliet tried to do.
Back to the main point.
Having an intimate Elopement means you get to marry the one you love, surrounded by whomever or whatever you want. Whether you want to be surrounded by a few special individuals or surrounded by high peaks, Elopements give you the freedom to get married exactly how you want. There is no pressure to stick with tradition unless you want to. Eloping allows you to eliminate the fluff, to craft a day that is truly about your love and commitment to each other.
A big argument we hear is about “forgoing tradition”…
The average wedding cost in America is over $40,000, there is nothing traditional about that.
What was once tradition and celebration among families and friends is now moreso a business model. It is a race to see who can have the best wedding. You cannot blame the small business owners either, they are just trying to pay their bills. However, in the pursuit of marriage, we have taken something sacred and beautiful. Two souls committing to each other and we have said “Let’s make this a multimillion-dollar industry” Weddings have become commercialized and while there is nothing inherently wrong with that, they are simply not for everyone!
“The global Wedding industry statistics reported a $21.43 billion global market in the year 2022.” Oh excuse me I meant multi-BILLION dollar industry.
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We support traditional weddings and have photographed many traditional weddings and think they are so fun and special. What we do not love about traditional weddings is the pressure on couples to spend thousands of dollars they do not have for a day catered to others.
We are not trying to convince you to elope.
We love that in 2023 we have both options. Not everyone wants a big wedding and not everyone wants to elope. That is okay! We are all different and have different values, budgets, family dynamics, and goals. This is what makes every wedding and elopement unique.
We believe you can have an intimate wedding. It is all about how you decide to craft the day & your definition of intimate. We are firm believers in living life to the fullest and without regrets. Obviously, we will all have mistakes and things we are not proud of. However, we do not believe the day you get married to your soulmate should be one of regret. Whether that is inviting so-and-so, spending too much money, or compromising your values. This is the one day of your life that you get to call all the shots.
Intimate elopements allow you the freedom to be intentional, forgo tradition, and enjoy your wedding day. You can incorporate your family and friends into the whole day or just part of it. Your elopement can just be the two of you doing things you enjoy. You can incorporate your favorite things into the day like hiking, kayaking, coffee shops, sailing, or skiing. The possibilities are truly endless.
An intimate elopement is traditionally a secret way to run off and get married. However, we define an Intimate Elopement as, an intentional and genuine experience that reflects who you are as a couple where the focus of the day is on your marriage & commitment to each other.
If you’d like to chat more, fill out our contact form linked here.
If you’d like more information on eloping check out these resources!
