Please help me plan my elopement wedding!

[ohsheglows]

Hi everyone, we were due to do an elopement abroad a couple of years ago but when COVID hit, we decided to put plans on hold and try for a baby. Sadly we found out that I was infertile, and 4 failed rounds of IVF later, we are ready to accept things and move on. To keep ourselves busy, we have started to look around for ideas on an elopement wedding within the UK but I'm finding it incredibly overwhelming.

Does anyone have any experience in specialist elopement venues? Also is there such thing as last minute elopement packages, eg, if we wanted to do a last minute New Years wedding, is that even possible?

I would also love to hear your elopement stories if you have any! Thank you!

I'm no expert, but I think if you plan an elopement in too much detail it's no longer an elopement. It should have a more spontaneous feel than a traditional wedding, and hopefully that will take the stress out of planning. How many friends and family are you hoping to have with you, and how do you picture your ceremony?

www.withabandon.co.uk/

These guys are incredible.

To me the point of an elopement would be that we could have whatever we wanted. In my own case I'd do something like Google 'register offices sea view' and take it from there. Alternatively I'd fancy Marylebone or Chelsea register offices as lots of big celebs have married there and it would be fun and glamorous to go there, get married and hop into a black taxi to a posh restaurant.

The classic elopement venue is Gretna Green but I wouldn't fancy that, too far away and by all accounts not my sort of place.

Or go local? Dh and I had a blessing a few years into our marriage, it was just the two of us and the vicar as it didn't have to comply with the law, we walked round the corner to church and then strolled to a restaurant for lunch.

Do what suits you both.

Elopement sounds fun! How have you imagined it? Let's try and work from there :)

What about somewhere like this: englishlakes.co.uk/low-wood-bay/weddings/

You could keep it super small and just the two of you if you wanted to and then have a luxury week at the spa and exploring the lakes

Gretna Green is the original elopement wedding venue because the wedding laws were different in Scotland years ago.I ve seen some lovely photographs of weddings over the blacksmiths anvil .Dont know if you would fancy that ?

Run away on your own, do the Gretna Green thing, video it then have a party for your friends when you get back, screen the video.

Have you done it yet? Still looking for ideas?

Isn’t the whole point of an elopement that it isn’t planned?

We got married at Gretna,
Not exactly an elopement as everyone knew (they just weren't invited). It was a loooong time ago now but I found a company who arranged everything (licence, hair, flowers). They also arranged a photographer and piper, officiant and witnesses.
We booked a lovely apartment for the night before and night of and went further into Scotland for a few days, later. Our reception was a meal at a local pub in Gretna (although we had a party at a local pub when we got home).
It was honestly the best thing ever. Absolutely no stress, no having to please anyone. My siblings both had the big wedding and both were ridiculously stressed leading up to the weddings. And don't get me started on the cost!
I would suggest you think about what you would like for your wedding, where you would like it to be held and then search for companies around that area. You may find there is a company -like the one we used- which will arrange nearly everything for you.

We eloped to Gibraltar. Was beautiful.

We eloped in Vegas this December. Holiday had been rescheduled due to covid when we got engaged, knew that for various reasons we wanted a very small intimate wedding and decided to do it there, 10 weeks from the proposal. Picked a venue which did package for flowers, photo, ceremony, video, photos and car. The whole thing including dress/suit/licence was less than £1000 (rings not included) and we then had a party for friends and family when we came home. Perfect day for us ♥️