Vendors for Weddings vs Elopements

Elopements can be great alternatives to wedding for laid-back couples who don't want to worry about wedding planning. But often you'll find that a lot of planning still goes into elopements as you'll want to hire a lot of the same type of vendors. For example, you'll probably still need an officiant, florist, hair and makeup artist, dress, and a baker. While I believe that all weddings of any size should be 100% authentic to you, weddings tend to follow the same structure, while elopements can be more flexible. 

Planner: Many eloping couples still hire a planner or coordinator to take care of the details, especially if a small group of friends and family are coming, or if they are wanting an adventurous elopement and need to book a helicopter, or sightseeing cruise, etc.

Venues and Locations: While eloping couples may not be renting a building or a church, you may need a permit if you want to elope in a national or state park. And you may need to reserve somewhere for your after-ceremony celebration. For example, you may want to rent a hot air balloon, or a sightseeing tour.

Food and Drinks: Having a celebratory meal and sweet treat is a tradition you'll likely still want if you're eloping. Instead of a caterer, you may consider hiring a personal chef. Or maybe you want to have a pizza picnic on the beach, totally up to you!

Your Celebration: I firmly believe that elopements are just as meaningful as weddings, so I always highly encourage couples to have some sort of after-ceremony celebration in place of a reception. This can look like a romantic beach bonfire, a chartered yacht, a ziplining adventure, ice cream cones on a pier, horseback riding on the beach, getting matching tattoos, the possibilities are endless! Whatever you decide to do, you'll want to treat this like you would a reception and book your vendors and work it into your timeline!