HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR DREAM elopement DESTINATION
A 7-step guide to intentionally choosing the best place to elope on your wedding day.
FROM SANDY BEACHES TO MOUNTAIN TOPS AND COZY CABINS... COUNTRY AFTER COUNTRY...
THERE ARE SO MANY GORGEOUS PLACES IN THE WORLD TO ELOPE!
This can be a daunting task, but I’m here to help make it fun while being intentional and honing in on what’s important for you two.
Step one
What type of scenery or views do you love?
Jaw dropping mountain tops, sandy beaches, mystical forests or wildflower meadows? The great news is you can elope anywhere your hearts desire! Depending on the type of landscapes you love, keep in mind that there can be multiple types of scenery available in one place! For example, Killarney, Ontario has mountains, crystal blue lakes and mystic magical forests!
Ask yourselves some of these important questions:
1. What is your favourite type of scenery that inspires you as a couple?
2. Do you love travelling to foreign countries or is your local province or state more meaningful to you?
3. Think about the type of nature that you both enjoy being in and love as a couple.
4. What do you want to be surrounded by as you say your intimate vows?
5. Where would you both feel the most at peace and feel the happiest on your elopement day?
Step two
What’s your favourite season?
Whether you want to get hitched in the summer, fall, winter, in cold or hot temperatures, this can help determine your elopement date! Choosing a season will also determine what types of activities are available, how accessible the location is and what to wear! If you’ve fallen madly in love with the autumn leaves in Algonquin Park, you’ll have to choose the time of year that type of season occurs. However if you’re drawn to the beaches of Costa Rica, they are available all year round!
Ask yourselves some of these important questions:
1. What type of weather do you both love to be in? Be honest with yourselves, if you absolutely hate the extreme cold or hot weather a mild temperature can be a middle ground.
2. Is there a specific season or time of year that feels perfectly aligned?
3. Is there a symbolic or meaningful date that you have in mind?
4. How do you both feel about the wind in your hair, the sand under your feet or diving into warm water?
5. What types of photos do you envision on your wall or in your album? That might help a season come to mind.
Step three
Is it accessible?
Once you’ve decided on the perfect environment that feels aligned for you both, something to consider is how far you want to travel. Whether that’s by plane, helicopter, ferry ride, hiking or an epic road trip. What feels the most aligned for you? Would you love to be surrounded by a beautiful forest on a cliff overlooking the ocean but you’d like a short walk to get there? Or do you want to take a helicopter ride or hike to a mountain top? Depending on how much you’d like to travel and the type of scenery you’d like around you, these are all things to consider.
Ask yourselves some of these important questions:
1. Do you like to hike or would you prefer an elopement spot that doesn’t require hiking at all but still has epic views to say I do? I know SO many places that are super easy to access that also have stunning views, this is where I come in ;)
2. How accessible do you want your elopement location to be?
3. What forms of transportation feel exciting and amazing? A gondola, a 4x4 or your feet on the ground?
4. Are you willing to travel far from the nearest airport? Maybe a road trip is in order?
5. If you’re having guests, this consideration flows into my next tip.
Step four
Do you want guests?
Bringing friends and/or family can change the vibe of your elopement depending on your interpersonal relationships, the logistics of where you want to elope, or if you prefer a more intimate experience.
If you do want guests but you also want intimacy we can totally design that for you! That’s the best thing about elopements - you can create the day that you two want that feels amazing and exciting!
If you want to have a reception with guests but you want to recite your vows privately, you can do that! You can do anything!!!!! Picture saying your vows to each other beside a waterfall, popping champagne and enjoying a picnic. Then you can head to a rustic waterfront cottage where your top 10 people are waiting for you to have a catered meal and party!
Ask yourselves some of these important questions:
1. Do you both really desire to have guests at your elopement or are you feeling obligated or pressure from family and friends?
2. Would you love to have guests and experience your wedding together or do you truly desire the intimacy of only the two of you?
3. If you are bringing guests, how many people would you like to be there? Maybe it’s your close 30 people or maybe it’s 2 besties.
4. Do any of your absolutely fav people that are coming to elope with you have any accessibility or health needs to consider when deciding on your location spot?
5. How far are your guests willing to travel for your epic eloping adventure?
6. Would you love to have your guests with you all day or for a portion of the day?
Step five
What are your favourite activities as a couple?
First let’s define activities. Activities can be swimming in a blue lake, holding hands and skipping through the forest, petting animals at an animal sanctuary, drinking coffee together by a cozy fireplace - pretty much, it’s whatever you want!
Elopements are permission to throw all the obligations out the window! You have all the possibilities in front of you! If you need some inspo, check out my blog '50 things to do on your elopement day.'
If all of your favourite activities don't fit into one day, then take a month, a week, or an entire weekend to celebrate your love however you want, whatever feels perfectly designed for you two. Do whatever you want and adventure or lounge in ways that feel amazing!
This is your chance to make a dream to do list of all the activities you love to do together (pssst — jumping on the bed and running on the beach totally count!) Dream BIG, when I say the opportunities are infinite - it’s true!!!
You can combine your elopement with your honeymoon or plan a day to sleep in, get a massage, get your drink on at some wineries and say your vows under the Northern lights. *omg sooo dreamy*
Ask yourselves some of these important questions:
1. Make your dream list of all the fun activities you love to do together, outside, inside, all.the.things!
2. Once you’ve considered all the possibilities, number your choices from 1-5, 1 being a ‘We absolutely must do this how could we not!’ to 5 being a ‘This is fun but I don’t feel totally lit up by it.’ Then ask: should we cut everything labelled 4 & 5?
3. How long do you want your elopement day and trip to be? Don’t make the mistake of packing a million things into your day. This is about slowing down and being intentional with each other. Maybe a two day elopement is right for you. Take the time together to decide what’s most important and feels exciting :)
4. Besides your elopement day, are there any other activities that you want to do? Maybe there’s a larger trip for you both to experience!! How exciting!! Remember that when we plan together I’m going to help you include buffer times. Your elopement is about enjoying yourselves which means I’ll be there to document it but it’s important to really be in the moment without a camera in front of you the entire time. So for example, after I snap some cute and romantic swimming photos, I’m going to give you space to fully be in the moment together, feel the water on your skin, breathe in each other and that clean beautiful air! That buffer time is so important!
Step Six
How important is seclusion and privacy?
This is an extremely important detail to consider! Some of the most beautiful places have a lot of tourists. Depending on where it is, sunrise might be very private while mid morning is packed with people. Whether it’s during the off season, during the week, or on a weekend can also be a determining factor. There’s gorgeous secluded spots that may take more planning to get to, like a helicopter ride or hiring a boat to a private island. There are options and ways to navigate this!
I’m here to help you! One of the biggest things I do is research upon research to find a secluded spot for you to elope. So no worries on this, I got you ;)
Ask yourselves some of these important questions:
1. Do you value privacy on your elopement day? How private do you want it to be? If a few other people are around instead of a crowd, is that okay?
2. What parts do you feel are important to be private? For example, you may want your vows to be just the two of you, but you're okay to pop champagne somewhere where there may be people around. Look at your list of activities and rate how private you’d like each activity to be. I can help you figure this part out once I know what your privacy values are.
3. Do you want everything to be completely private? If yes, a cozy private cottage in the forest is perfect for you.
4. Do you want to be surrounded by nature or are the sounds/view of the road okay?
5. Would you be willing to get up early while it’s dark and travel to the location for sunrise in order to have a location all to yourself?
Step seven
What is meaningful to us?
Your elopement will be special and meaningful no matter what because it’s inherently meaningful to have found your person and promise to choose each other everyday. To be there through it all and take care of each other when you’re old and grey.
However, adding layers of intention and what is deeply meaningful to you both creates an even more special experience. After going through each tip you’ve now curated ideas that are especially ‘you two’.
When reviewing all the details, remember that there are even deeper ways to create intention. Maybe you’ll choose a location that you’ve visited before and holds meaning for you. Or maybe you’ll choose a bucket list destination that you’ve dreamed of visiting and want to visit together every anniversary. Maybe it’s a sentimental place that represents family to you (like where your grandparents got married) or another type of symbolism like freedom. Maybe it’s a place you never knew existed but after we’ve gone through the process, I send it to you and it just feels right. Maybe it’s a place you’ve written about in your journal, kept in a scrapbook or is hanging on your wall at home.
Are you wanderlusters who want a brand new adventure or wanting a sentimental choice like where you both met?
The point is, eloping somewhere you’ve intentionally chosen is so powerful and will connect you to that place and point in time. You’re literally creating a memory and designing your life story. It’s so beautiful and an honour to witness couples get married at a location outdoors that is close to their hearts and will be remembered forever and cherished as a part of their story. After looking into each other’s eyes and expressing your deepest love, imagine looking around you at the great beauty that is our natural world. What an incredible gift it is as humans to love each other and the breathtaking world around us.
What will your story be?
Ask yourselves some of these important questions:
1. Is there a place that is already meaningful to both of you?
2. Bust out those journals, bucket lists and scrapbooks! Is there somewhere you have always dreamed of going together?
3. When you flip through your album and pass by the walls in your home, what places do you want to remember?
4. What story do you want to tell about your life, how do you want to be remembered?
Remember that these are guidelines and there is no wrong or right answer. Only the two of you know what feels aligned.
The best place to elope is the place that makes you and your partner’s hearts happy and excited!!!
The whole world is yours to choose from! What’s that magical place for you two?
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