Time certainly flies on your wedding day! You plan for so many months and then the day is just “over”. But, you CAN slow the experience down and make sure you enjoy allllll of the small moments! Planning some micro-experiences throughout the day can help you remember those individual blocks of time for years to come! So let’s get to it! Here are some elopement ideas to help you slow down time and enjoy the small moments on your wedding day!

Elopement Ideas

1. Choose a place that is special to the two of you

Hellooooo! This one is the most obvious and could be considered the MOST IMPORTANT of the elopement ideas! The location of your elopement will hold a place in your heart, if it doesn’t already, so big you will absolutely have to spend anniversaries, vacations, and holidays there! The place where you exchange vows should be something super special – OR just somewhere super cool!!! So, let’s brainstorm. Where did you two meet? Maybe you could elope there! What’s your fav spot to go on adventures? Maybe there would be a good place! What’s your go to vacation? ELOPE AND VACATION AT THE SAME TIME! Holla!!! That is exactly what Bryt and I did 🙂 🙂 Let’s twin!

2. Start The Day Together

Start the day together by enjoying a cup of coffee by the fire or go get breakfast before getting ready or doing anything else. Sometimes it is okay to say goodbye to old wedding traditions and make your own 🙂 Who cares if you see each other before the wedding starts if you want to?! DO WHAT YA WANT! Spending an extra hour together before your day starts can assure your day can start WITHOUT stress! Bring some of your favorite coffee, or try a new brew and then keep that roast for all of your special breakfast dates!

3. Get Ready Together

Who says you have to get ready apart? No oneeee! 🙂 Your day, your rules y’all! Spend some quality time together, have some laughs before the big day beings, and help each other get ready and enjoy preparing for your special day TOGETHER. Together is always better! This cute little tradition not only maximizes your time together but helps you slow down and enjoy ALL the moments! Do you still want some of the typical wedding day normalcies? Do not worry! You can still do a final reveal after you get ready! 🙂

4. Have a First Look// Elopement Ideas

This little tip can play along with the one we mentioned before! Do all of the little things together and enjoy those quiet moments, say goodbye, and finish your get up! THEN you can have the cutest first look ever!!! Find an adorable location of your choice, grab your photog (heyyy!), and get some pictures of your first reactions to each other on your big day! SO sweet!

5. Enjoy a picnic overlooking your ceremony site

OKAY this is a new one I haven’t heard of before, but now I will always be someone to recommend it. THIS IS TOO CUTE! Grab a bottle of your favorite wine, your favorite kind of meal, a little dessert… BOOM! You are so ready to go. Have yourself a little picnic overlooking the spot where you will exchange your vows. What a cute memory this would be, am I right?! Just the two of you, a picnic, and a special view.

6. Reading letters from each other

This one is bound to pull on everyone in the freaking rooms heartstrings! The plan is to write love letters to each other the night before… maybe make a date out of it!!! Make a home made dinner the night before, watch a movie or drink some wine… WRITE LOVE LETTERS! Hell to the yessss. Then, you read the love letters in private before your big day. Maybe in between getting ready and your first look?! Whenever!

7. Read letters from other family members

Love letters from your lover… check! NOW you need letters from your family who wont be in attendance. This one is a huge yes for anyone eloping, but honestly, this little tip/trick could be used for large weddings too! Reach out to anyone who you cant have there who you still want to hear from and have them write you a letter!!! Then it’s like they’re still there with you until you can celebrate your marriage with them 🙂

8. Give a special gift to one another

This one is so cute, don’t ya think?? You have to know your partner really well for this one… we would hope so considering you’re on a blog of tips and trick for elopements 😉 Haha! Brainstorm a little… what would be a small but VERY meaningful gift for your love as a little surprise for the day of?! Favorite flowers… earrings… watch…shoes…the options are endless! Just something meaningful of course! This is one of the elopement ideas that you will be able to reflect on for years to come!

9. Record a video message to send to your family and friends 

When I first heard of this idea, I was a little speechless. Maybe just because of the crazy times we are living in, but this is one heck of a way to keep your family in your wedding day when you elope/they wont be there. VIDEOS FOR THE WIN! After you exchange your vows, record a video to send to your family + friends! They could even record a video with individual or group messages with well wishes or advice on your day! Cue the tears!

10. Take selfies and quick photos with a Polaroid//Elopement Ideas

There’s something beautiful to be said about the way a couple really sees their day. We capture the day as well, but realllly seeing it through the eyes of the couple! That’s why we love when couples bring a polaroid along and snap photos of their day, throughout the day! Then you can combine the polaroids from the day into an album to show family + friends when you get back!

Elopement Ideas Continued…

11. Schedule some “down time”

After ceremony/photos, schedule some down time between those and your “recep” or dinner so you can have some time just to yourselves. Take a nap, watch tv, etc! Just have some time to be in the moment and reflect over the day before your sunset photos! This is one of the best “ways to slow down your elopement” ideas out there!

12. Reflect together!

Write down your thoughts separately and read them to each other. Just another reason to crest that everlasting bond. Save them in a box and read them in the years to come… you could even buy a super cute little journal for this occasion! Just another reason for you to buy something on Amazon, am I right or am I right? Hahaha 😉

13. Say a toast together//Elopement Ideas

“TO US!” Yes! This is a personal favorite just because champagne pictures may or not be my (Sam) favorite pictures to take like everrr!! Champagne pictures are so fun… so plan a toast! Start your marriage off on the right food and pop some of your favorite bubbly! This tip is bound to bring ya sone epic pictures from your photog and hey! It’s just plain fun!! (Leave No Trace Tip- Sparkling water works just as easily! And saves the enviornment!)

14. Enjoy a wedding cake or dessert

Wedding cake. YUM. Want a unique elopement while keeping some normal traditions? This is one to include! Get yourself a wedding cake (or any dessert really) and share a moment enjoying it together. Plus, it’s so fun to photograph a cake in the mountains! Maybe if I’m lucky, you’ll share it with me haha!

15. Cook a meal together

We mentioned this one above when we talk y’all through writing love letters the night before… and we stand by it! Make a nice dinner together the night before! OR you could do it privately after your wedding! It is completely up to you and we think this option is just so intimate and private and ahhhh! The idea of cooking your first meal together as a married couple sounds so cute, doesn’t it?

16. Hire a Private Chef

Are you all not into the whole cooking thing? Would you rather eat out? WELL, you don’t necessarily have to eat out… Hire a private chef! Depending on your area of elopement, you are bound to be able to find a professional chef who makes house calls LOL! A private chef would be quite the memory and will surely create boundless moments you will cherish for years and years to come. This is one of our fav elopement ideas. If you hire a private chef, you can have dinner on the table right when you get back from your epic photos!

17. Enjoying a quiet moment by the campfire

 Just like a hallmark movie, HA! What gets better?! You can do this anytime during your elopement and with however many people ya want! If you want to keep it personal, do it before or after festivities! That way it allows a ton of downtime and honestly, just allows you time to soak it all in! Roast some marshmallows, have a couple beers, and enjoy the stars! Not going to lie, the smell of a good campfire is AMAZING! Plus campfire pics are so fun!

18. Dancing under the stars to a few songs

This one. This is the one. We literally cannot think of anything more romantic, more serine, or more peaceful than this tip. What’s YOUR song together? (Click the link, thank me later). Maybe something from The Lumineers, or Taylor Swift? Vance Joy? WHATEVER IT IS, play it! Put it on a a little speake and then have a dance under the stars. This option is straight out of a freaking movie and we have a feeling you’re going to want to include this in your big elopement day.

19. Spend the night in a cozy Airbnb

We are huge fans of AirBnBs over here, seriously! Could ya tell? HA! We are always plugging our favorite ones in various locations just because we think you’ll like them just as much! Here’s a few that are worth checking out if your eloping out in amazing Colorado. Need any more AirBnB elopement ideas or recommendations?! We are your girls! We help you plan your entire trip!

20. Time Capsule//Elopement Ideas

Now you may be thinking, ya’ll…. what the heck are you talking about. WELL! We are glad you are curious because this one is OH so awesome! Make a time capsule!!! Get yourself an aesthetically pleasing box, or bag, or anything really capable of holding objects haha! Now – the easy part – put some stuff in it!!! ANYTHING you want or anything you want to remember, it doesn’t have to be a big item, but make it significant! THEN, dont open it until your first anniversary! So cute, right?? In a year when you open the box up you will be flooded with so many memories from your elopement that you love – and maybe some you forgot about!

Let’s Sum it up! Elopement Ideas//Tips + Tricks to slow down time & enjoy the small moments

AND THERE YOU GO! Some 20 awesome, fantastic, sweet elopement ideas that will help you slow down and enjoy everything about your big day!! We had so much fun coming up with this list for you… we hope you found some things you might now have thought of for your elopement that now you’re including! If you are overwhelmed planning your elopement, don’t worry! We gotchu! Our elopement planning takes you through the whole process! Leaving no little detail out! Are ya ready?! Lez do this! Book us here!

What is something you did on your wedding day that allows you a moment to take it all in? We want to hear alllll about it!

XOXO
Sam + Bryt