India & Colin’s Romantic Glam Wedding – Photo Credit: Images by Amber Robinson
In March 2020, wedding planning became more complicated than it already was. As news about the coronavirus became abundant, the list of questions, concerns and complications grew. The first round of spring weddings was slowly and hesitantly rescheduled, and then in the blink of an eye, summer and fall weddings had been wiped from the calendar.
Most of the couples we heard from felt peace and relief as they pushed their events to 2021, hoping for better news as vaccines becomes more available. The question remains: when will it be safe to have large events again? Things are still changing every day, and we can’t predict what will come next. All we can do is watch the trends, prepare for the possibilities, and keep everyone’s safety and well-being as a priority. But no matter what happens, we know one thing is absolutely true:
Nothing in the world will stop two people who are madly in love.
Luckily, a long guest list isn’t required to marry the love of your life. In fact, all you really need is an officiant and two witnesses – and you can always celebrate later!
Hillary & Andrew’s Disney-lovers Wedding – Photo Credit: MKM photography
As we settle into our new normal, we can expect cleanliness and social distancing to remain top of mind for a while. Face masks, hand sanitizer, and extra space between tables will become a regular part of the wedding planning conversation. And after a while, it can all start to feel like… a lot. So can we just get back to the magic of two people declaring their love in an authentic way?
Wipe away the traditional wedding slate, just for a moment. Place yourselves in the center of the picture and close your eyes. How do you want to feel on your wedding day? What are you thinking about? What do you look like? What are you and your partner wearing? What parts of your personalities are shining through?
Brittany & Ryan’s Sweet, Blush Wedding – Photo Credit: Kelsey McGovern Photography
From there, the beauty of an elopement is that you choose how to fill the rest of the picture. You may want to include some of your favorite wedding traditions, like a first dance or cake cutting, and you can spend the day in that one location or move around. You can get as fancy or comfortable as you want, decorate to your hearts’ desire, and only include things you love. Imagine if you could eat all your favorite foods on your wedding day, instead of picking a menu that will please everyone at a price point that overwhelms! On your elopement day, from breakfast through dessert, you have the opportunity to splurge on the foods that make you happy.
And speaking of being happy, you get to spend your elopement day with your best friend. At traditional weddings, the couple are pulled in every direction and barely get to spend time together. But your day doesn’t have to be that way. You and your partner get to make the rules and the timeline, so you can choose if you spend the morning together, if you do any activities on your wedding day, and if you want to take any time on your personal hobbies.
When you get married, you’re holding your partner’s hands and promising to love them forever, and we’re big fans of doing that in an authentic way that celebrates your relationship.