10 Essential Tips for a Stress-Free Elopement

Wedding planning (of any kind) can easily become very stressful. Traditional weddings are normally harder to plan, and much more stressful – but, even an elopement or an intimate wedding with very few guests has its challenges. Over the past 6+ years, we’ve helped lots of couple plan their day, and navigate through unexpected events on the day itself. On this blog post I’m sharing our 10 essential tips for a stress-free elopement!

#1 Don’t Worry About What You Can’t Control

Easier said than done, I know. As a person who is very organized and likes to *think* I have it all under control, I get it. But over the years I’ve learned that the best thing I can do is to stay informed and to trust the say “we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it”. Because really, it’s not effective or useful to worry about something that might never happen.

Over the past few years we’ve dealt with a lot of unexpected, uncontrollable events. A global pandemic, government shutdowns, snowstorms, wildfires, floods. Yes, we millennials are tired, lol. But we’ve also become more and more resilient.

When you choose to get married outdoors, the biggest thing you will not be able to control is the weather. Unexpected weather events can happen anytime. And yes, if they are *extreme* and *hazardous* then we do have to change plans (and believe me, we always have a plan B, C, or D). But if we’re talking about just “bad weather” let me tell you – we LOVE bad weather. The best, most unique photos we’ve ever taken were during a bad weather day. They were also the most memorable weddings, the ones we (and our couples) won’t ever forget! So if your wedding day is a beautiful, sunny day, great. If it isn’t… well, even better 😉

#2 Comfort Is Important (More Than You Think)!

I don’t think enough people talk about this. But unlike a traditional wedding – where there’s a lot of standing and sitting – when you elope, you’ll be doing a lot of WALKING. Maybe a lot of hiking, and maybe some rock climbing too (the sky is the limit here)! So having a comfortable wedding attire is a very important thing.

You don’t want to spend your wedding day uncomfortable and in pain.

I also always advise, no matter what kind of shoes you want in your pictures, to bring comfortable hiking/walking shoes. You will need them at some point. You’ll thank yourself for having them in the trunk of your car.

Being able to walk/hike around freely, and feeling good the whole day is essential for a stress-free elopement day!

Megan & Michael - Rock Climbing El Cap on their Wedding Day

#3 Be Strategic While Hiring Your Wedding Vendors

Hiring a team of wedding vendors who will be your support throughout the planning process and also on the day of is super, super important. This is specially true if you’re having a destination wedding and need help planning an event somewhere you might not be super familiar with.

For this, and other reasons, I’m a huge advocate for hiring local. Stephan and I made a decision to only work locally so we could better serve our couples. We also didn’t like the stress of helping someone plan a wedding somewhere we didn’t know like the back of our hands. Both of us want to be able to have answers right away, or at least know who to ask, where to research, etc. We feel that way with Yosemite, Sequoia, and other California locations. But, we would not be as knowledgeable if we were about to shoot a wedding in Alaska, for example. Although we’ve been there and absolutely loved it, working somewhere is entirely different than visiting.

Your wedding vendor team should be there for you. This is your first time planning your wedding and having all of those questions, as for us, we’ve done this hundreds of times over the past 6+ years, so we’re here to help.

#4 Take Your Time Making Your Guest List

Who you invite to your intimate wedding is a very important step during the planning process. Those are the people selected by you who will make your day better. I’ll say that word again: better.

On a traditional wedding day with 150+ people, you don’t normally even get to see or talk to everyone. Sometimes inviting someone that you didn’t really want to invite doesn’t even matter that much. You’re busy running around a big venue, so inviting your mom’s friend to make her happy is not a big deal.

But when we’re talking about an intimate wedding, the scenario is very different. Imagine your ceremony is at a National Park, guests have to stand on the sand on a beautiful beach overlooking El Capitan. There are no chairs, there’s no one serving drinks after, and the reception you have planned is a big casual picnic in the woods with everyone present. Not everyone is in love with this idea. We are, you are, but if you’re thinking “well, this person might complain the whole time” then maybe they shouldn’t be there.

An unhappy, ungrateful guest, will stress you out. Don’t invite them! 🙂

#5 Share Your Timeline & Plan With Guests

If you’re inviting some guests, I always advise our couples to share the wedding day timeline we build for them with their guests. The concept of eloping might be new to a lot of your guests, and they might have a lot of questions. They might have absolutely no clue how this day is going to go. So sharing your timeline with them might ease their minds, and also minimize the amount of questions you have to answer!

Isabel & Sentry - Adventure Elopement with Family

#6 Be Okay With Plans Changing

With any event, no matter how much you plan and prepare, life can throw curve balls at you. This is true for traditional weddings, but I think even more so for elopements. Elopements and intimate weddings normally happen in public spaces – a National Park, a State Park, a trail, mountain top, etc. You’re exposed to weather (as we’ve talked about before) and, well, the public.

You simply can’t reserve a specific spot for a specific event (ceremony, toasts, first dances, etc). That’s why a wedding permit to get married in Yosemite National Park costs $150, and a wedding venue in California costs anywhere from $5k to $30k.

So if your ideal ceremony spot is looking a little crowded, we might have to pivot a little, and that’s ok! Most people are incredibly kind and will move. And if they won’t, we always have a plan B up our sleeves!

#7 Focus On You!

While planning your day, people will have ideas and opinions. Some will be amazing and totally match your vibe. Some might not. When you’re hearing so many different opinions, it’s a good idea to have a list of priorities that you make with your partner. Things that both of you love and need to have on your wedding day. And just keep remembering, it’s YOUR day, it’s YOUR list. Ideas and opinions are welcomed, but it doesn’t mean you have to accept all of them!

#8 Plan A Celebration After

If you’re stressing out about people that can’t make it to your wedding, you can still celebrate with them!

A lot of our couples elope with just the two of them, or with 5-10 guests, and then have a celebration back home planned. Most are casual, a get together at a brewery, or a house party. Something low-key and stress-free just so you can celebrate with everyone. So don’t stress about your guest list. Do what’s right for your wedding day, and have another day of celebration!

Stephan and I had 2 weddings. First, we got married in the US, but of course, a lot of my people couldn’t make it. A year later we traveled to Brazil and had another party at my parent’s house! They were both super different, and both amazing and emotional!

#9 Research & Plan Ahead For The Legal Stuff

If you’re getting married you’ll need a marriage license. How to get a marriage license varies quite a bit state by state, county by county. It’s important to research ahead so you’re not stressing about the legal stuff a week before your wedding day.

Alternatively, you can get married at a Courthouse at home, and still have your ceremony where you’re eloping. A lot of our international couples do that so they don’t have to worry about the marriage license at all!

#10 Lastly… Enjoy Your Day!

Dreaming, planning, researching, hiring vendors, etc… all of that is work. You’ve worked for the wedding day of your dreams, and you deserve to ENJOY IT! Focus on the two of you, be present, and let go of little things that are bothering you in the back of your mind. They don’t matter today!

Mikayla & Jordan - Rainy Epic Taft Point Elopement