Elopement

[justadress]

OH and I are engaged and would really like a small wedding- in an ideal it'd be just the two of us! I've been Googling and discovered elopement packages. Has anyone done this? Any recommendations/ tips/ ideas?

at this point my son and dil are planning a helicopter elopement/wedding package (in canada which is where we live). very interesting concept.

Oh interesting!

You need to make sure you understand any fully comply with all the legal bits (and have all the right documents with you)

And if you need a translated (notarised?) copy of the certificate, get that done whilst you're there

Yes! DH and I eloped to Gretna Green. It was a November day about 5 years ago. The sun was out and it was really mild.
We honestly had a wonderful day!

We did tell people beforehand what we were doing, and we're met with comments like "oh that's a shame we wanted a big day" from OHs grandparents mostly.
But we were firm and went through with it. Now I don't think anyone particularly cares that we did that so it worked out fine 😊

My advice would be to do it. If you're like me and you'd dread a big wedding day, then you don't have to do it. Go and have the best day of your life instead.

I should mention that we flew to the Maldives the next day and it was so worth spending the money on the honeymoon instead 😂

Recommend eloping big time, we went to Vegas as part of a road trip and did it there, in our hotel suite with a celebrant and two witnesses (family members) I told my parents before we went, other than that it was a secret.

Overseas or in the UK? Is it a budget elopement or would it be more luxury?

My cousin went to Las Vegas and got married in the desert. It looked beautiful. I went to New Zealand and got married on a mountain. Both options were expensive but much less than feeding our giant family. Also, it was easy to get legally married in both countries.

There are some beautiful town halls in the US and most are easy to organise the legal bits. Closer to home there's Gretna Green and also wee weddings in Scotland. I tried to find options in Ireland but it was difficult.

Yes sorry should have said it'll be UK. Fairly small budget.

@julz85 that's definitely us, really don't like the idea of a big wedding with all eyes on us!

I am worried about family reactions- we have two children who wouldn't be happy if they weren't there! But I'm thinking if we take the children we need to take someone to help us with them, so that's one of our mums so to make it fair we would need to invite both sets of parents which then also means step parents... siblings would moan so that means in laws, nieces, nephews.... before you know it, it's not a small private wedding anymore!

@justadress I know what you mean, it's like where do you draw the line!
We invited my family only and didn't tell DHs family. So we had my parents, my brother, my sister and her fiancé. This was before we had kids.

Still to this day DH family don't think anyone came with us. We even made up the witnesses names before hand.

Is there anyway you could just have 1 set of parents and your kids? And tell everyone else you're keeping it really low key.

I totally understand how difficult it all it though! X

Yes, in 2020. A beautiful place in Cornwall, the owner and her husband were our witnesses. Was the best day of my life. Feel free to DM me and I'll send you the details if you like.

@emz11 what was the reason you didn't invite DH's family?

My daughter did this. We knew about it though. They had it done in a castle on a package.

Very happy for them both that they did it the way they wanted. Go for it.

How old are your children? If old enough to want to be there do you really need help with them?

Just take yourselves off somewhere grab a couple of witnesses off the street, or ask MN, people have done it here before, and just have a simple ceremony. Afterwards do whatever suits you as a family.

Or alternatively have parents only or invite step parents too depending how close you are and then say that is it. Let siblings moan. It's your day, your choice.

they are all mass murderers!

Any advice for the OP?

@emz11
We couldn't invite just one side, I'd feel awful! We could never choose. Totally get how that must work well for some people though.

@LadyDanburysHat
They're 10 and 13- the eldest has additional needs so that would be where we might need an extra pair of hands. Although I don't think the wedding would be this year, so they'll be another year older at least, and maybe then just the four of us could be an option.

@KittyCatChat nice to hear it from a parents point of view, thank you. I feel like my parents (and my grandparents, who I'm really close to) would be quietly disappointed but would understand. OH's Mum is likely to get really upset!

Interested in how you go about this!

Hi OP, I eloped in 2021 to the lake District, there are so many places there that do elopement packages I would definitely recommend having a look! I have 2 young children and didn't take them as I would of needed help to look after them...I don't regret any of it. It was perfect just how we wanted it, so romantic

We eloped!
If I had to do it again, we would do it exactly the same.
We hired Auchen Castle in Moffatt not far from Gretna Green.
That was just over £1k including photographer & 2 random witnesses.

JoandLily where did you get married if you don't mind me asking, we have also been looking at packages in that area

Hi, we got married at low wood bay hotel and spa, highly recommend, the staff were amazing and acted as our witnesses. The hotel and area around is gorgeous, our photos are stunning

We got married last year in Crear Scotland. It was an elopement package and we had the weekend there!
Took our children and a couple of family members as witness was a lovely laid back weekend no stress and everything taken care of
Good luck! Hope you find what you're looking for

DD started talking about it today and it seems she would be happy to just have a party afterwards and wear a bridesmaid dress- so if DS is also okay with that perhaps we can do it with just us two. That changes things a little!

When you elope do you have to do the notice of marriage stuff locally beforehand?? Interview etc??

Hi my fiancée and I have recently got engaged and are thinking of eloping to either Cyprus or Greece and I honestly have no clue on where to start,I'm just wondering has anyone got any advice on which is the best way to do it?, am I better off finding a company to do it all for me and if so which one or am I better off just turning up in greece/Cyprus and just sorting it all from there,and which is a more child friendly place?,I'm sorry for all the questions I'm suppose kind of afraid to ask family as I know they're not going to like that we don't want a big wedding at home
Thanks