Elopements have become commonplace since the early shutdowns of the pandemic. With families and friends being unable to gather like they used to, the scope for weddings shrunk to accommodate. While sad, we have found that elopements evoke an intimacy you generally don’t get when Grandma is breakdancing on the dance floor in the background of the couples photos, again–We get it Ethel, you can Windmill. I had a chance to reach out to Katie, a recent client and fellow photographer for her tips & advice to ensure your elopement is exactly as intimate and exact as you want it to be. 

“Eloping for my husband and I was the best decision we ever made. I used SimplyEloped to help plan things out & they were really informative and helped out A LOT! 

There were a ton of locations that you could choose from from their site. I knew from the very beginning though that I wanted to go to the beaches of California. That is my happy place.. The rocky beaches, the gorgeous waves and the perfect weather was just what we wanted. 

Once I found my ceremony site (I used simply eloped to help with that) I started looking for where I wanted to stay. I knew with it being an elopement we would have a lot of photos taken in our airbnb/hotel, so when you look for a hotel or a place to stay, keep in mind the natural light that’s available! Big windows for that beautiful glow.. Make sure to look at the furniture in the photos as well! You don’t want bright neon green in the background (unless that’s your style) but try and pay attention to those little details. 

Google is your best friend when you’re Eloping. Searching for makeup artists and florists was easy and when you let them know you’re Eloping, they seem to be even more excited to help out! ALWAYS get before and after from your makeup artists that THEY have taken. If they are only showing you after that are by professional photographers, be cautious. Those images are normally edited & you want to see what their work looks like without the added filters and skin softening. As far as florists, be sure to ask for photos and see if they have any full wedding parties holding their bouquets. READ REVIEWS and talk on the phone.. You can even book your makeup & florist through simply eloped, and they can provide you with officiants as well. 

Officiants though, I do suggest you look them up. I wish I did more research on ours, that’s my ONLY regret. She was very nice, but the ceremony wasn’t how I would’ve liked it to be. Book officiants that have full ceremonies posted to their sites so you can see how they are in action.. And don’t be afraid to tell them exactly what you want. This is YOUR day.. 

Finding the right photographers is also sooo important in an elopement. We wanted to be sure to have those memories captured so we were able to show it to our families, and we made the best choice ever. Lexi and her team are so creative and they will make any place you book look magical.. They will capture those emotions you felt throughout the day so you can look back and be reminded of all the beauty from your day..

Eloping is so personal. It’s about your love & how you two share it. You can be all in your feelings without anyone else watching.. You have just your agendas to worry about, and no one else’s feelings to consider but each other’s.. It may be a bit of planning, but it’s so worth it at the end of the day. SimplyEloped.com made the day that much easier, and I couldn’t have asked for a better wedding day.”