7 Ideas for Creating Meaningful, One-of-a-Kind Celebrations
As elopement photographers, we do so much more than just show up with our cameras and photograph your wedding day. Head over to our Elopement Experience page and you’ll see all the ways we help couples navigate an experience that is so different from anything they have known before.
Some questions we do hear over and over are:
- How can we make our elopement special and unique?
- What are some things we should do?
- What should we bring?
If you’ve ever asked yourself these questions, you’re in the right place. In this blog post we are sharing a few ideas our past couples have loved, plus tips on how to make your elopement special and create a day that is filled with personal, heartfelt moments. We hope these ideas will help inspire you as you start dreaming up your beautiful day.
Why Your Elopement Should Feel Personal
Choosing to elope already means that you have chosen intimacy over tradition. When you elope, you are giving yourself the chance to create an experience. Your elopement is a time to celebrate your love story the way you envision it, not just a day curated for social medias.
Here at Henry Tieu Photography, we believe that your elopement should be a reflection of the relationship you have already started building with your partner. You aren’t just beginning a brand new chapter. Rather, you are continuing to write the one you’ve already started together.
When sitting down and planning your elopement day, instead of asking yourselves, “What are some cool elopement ideas we should do?”, a better question is, “What experiences do we want to have?” or “What places feel most meaningful to us?”. The answers to these questions will help you decide how to make your elopement special and unique to you!
7 Ideas for How to Make Your Elopement Special
1. Choose A Destination You Love
When it comes to elopements, one of the most important question is always “Where should we elope?”. The location you’re going to for your elopement dictates the vibe of the entire experience. Are you thinking of a low-key warm day running on the beach for your elopement? Or are you thinking about hiking up the mountains and say your vows in front of some grand, dramatic snow-capped mountains? Truly, the location does matter a whole lot as it creates the entire feeling and backdrop of your day.
Some of my couples choose to elope at a place that means something to their relationship. Maybe it’s the first place they did a road trip together. Maybe it’s the place where they first met. For example, in the photo above, you see Jess and Vanesa eloped at this gorgeous trail looking over Mount Rainier because this is where the very first trail they hiked together when the couple first moved to Washington State. Although the couple has been here before, it has been years since and to them, their elopement day at this exact same trail feels so new and different but at the same time very nostalgic. Click here to read all about their picturesque elopement day at Mt Rainier National Park.
On the other hand, some of our couples choose to elope somewhere totally new that none of them has ever been to. Did you know that an average wedding costs around $33,900, whereas an average elopement costs around $15,350? You can read more about how much it costs to elope here.
For some couples, investing in a new experience and traveling somewhere they have never been allows them to let go of unwanted traditions or expectations, and fully immerse themselves in the experience of celebrating their love in their own way. Choosing to e