One of the most common questions I get asked is “What do we do for a whole day for our elopement”? And the short answer is: whatever you want! A large majority of the time in a traditional wedding is spent waiting on other people- dressing up the bridesmaids and groomsmen, wrangling family members for photos, bridal party and family giving speeches, greeting guests, and carrying out traditions and processionals for the sake of the performance- and it takes a ton of time out of the day! Now imagine you spent all that time focusing on other people doing something you actually enjoy. It can be going on an adventure, doing something you’ve never tried before, doing an activity you both enjoy, or celebrating in a way that feels best to you. Elopements are all about doing things your own way and breaking tradition, so get creative! Start a new tradition. Think about what kind of story you want to tell from your day.

Table of contents

Why You should do something amazing to make the most of your elopement
Elopement ideas
- Elopement ceremony ideas
- Elopement celebration ideas
- Winter elopement ideas
- Adventure elopement ideas

Why you should do something amazing to make the most of your elopement

1. It’s your wedding! If there’s ever a time to go all out and do something you’ve dreamed of, there’s no better time than when you’re tying the knot

2. It’ll help you remember the day better. Psychologically speaking, the memories we tend to remember the best are the ones where something really special happens- a surprise, an exciting rush of adrenaline, an event you’ve been anticipating for a long time, etc.

3. It’s a good way to commemorate the day. What better way to celebrate the best day ever than to do something exciting, something you love, or something you’ve never tried before?

Your elopement day is a day of celebration that is entirely about you, so you should do whatever feels the best for you and your love. What float some peoples’ boats might sink others’, so don’t let the trends and traditions of other peoples’ perfect day define yours. To help you brainstorm and dream about your day, I’ve compiled a master list of 45 of the best ideas I’ve witnessed. Let these ideas help you imagine a day that will best serve you.

Elopement Ideas

Elopement ceremony ideas

Facetime/call friends and family
Take part in local traditions/culture
Incorporate you or your partner’s culture
Hand fasting

First look
Create art together
Play music together
Unity ceremony
Have a pet sign your marriage license

Elopement celebration ideas

Pop champagne
Have a bonfire
Cook together
Take photos/videos of eachother
Grab a beer

Have a party with friends/family after reading vows alone

Wine tasting

Have a picnic
Exchange gifts
Have a private dinner/hire a private chef
Read letters from friends and family
Get a tattoo
Cook together
Visit a museum
Attend a concert
Play a board game/cards

Winter elopement ideas

Snowmobiling
Skiing/snowboarding
Snowshoeing
Dip in hot springs
Dogsledding

Adventure elopement ideas

Helicopter ride
Scuba dive/snorkel
Boating
Camping/glamping
Ride a gondola to the top of a mountain
Tube down a river
Go surfing

Hiking
Jeeping/offroading
Ride a motorcycle/scooter
Hot air balloon ride
Skydiving
Horseback riding
Stargazing
Canoeing/SUPing

Bonus:

Make it multi-day or go backpacking

If backpacking is your thing, then what’s better than going deep into the wilderness to some place no one has ever said their vows before? Say your vows somewhere totally remote in a place where no one else has. Go to that one place that’s special to the two of you deep in the mountains- just be sure you hire a photographer that is capable of accompanying you for this adventure. Alternatively, you can also have a multi-day elopement. It’s common in some cultures for weddings to last several days, and sometimes it’s just logistically more convenient. Sometimes the timeline of your wedding or elopement day can already be full, so it makes sense to spend the following day or the day before doing something special with your love. Take the day to adventure or get more intimate photos with just you and your love without the pressure of a timeline, ceremony, or celebration with family.