A wedding day can be a glamorous, beautiful, and significant moment in your life. While those aspects are important, what is perhaps more important is making sure that your wedding day is about you and the one you love. Intimate + Intentional. Eloping allows for creative, romantic, and freedom for you and your spouse without the usual concerns of a grand wedding bash. Eloping is a truly unique, truly personalized experience that you and your spouse will surely never forget. That being said, here are ten reasons why eloping in 2024 may be the perfect marital arrangement for you.

1. The Cost

Traditional weddings have a special sort of magic, complete with gorgeous dresses, gourmet foods, and luxurious venues. But no matter how magical, every wedding comes with a price tag, some of which are even more expensive than a brand new sports car. Eloping can be just as exciting for a fraction of the cost. With your dream venue and the right photographer, elopement can immortalize your memories just like a traditional wedding.  You and your loved one will be sure to treasure those memories forever—with cash left in your pockets for jump-starting your new life together.

2. The Freedom

While traditional wedding planners do a great job of personalizing your experience, nobody knows you as you know yourself. The freedom to dictate every element of your wedding day is reserved for elopers. You can wear your perfect outfit in your perfect place for your perfect photo-op. You can truly represent your relationship on a level that traditional weddings can’t quite touch, capturing your romance in its purest form.

3. The Simplicity

Your elopement doesn’t have to be simple, but if you could have a stress-free wedding day, why wouldn’t you? Big weddings mean a lot of coordination. You have to create and send invitations, oversee the planning, and account for all the unexpected circumstances, all while trying not to tear your hair out. With eloping, all that needs to be managed is you and your spouse—a simple, even stressless process, giving you the freedom to relax and enjoy the day that matters most.

4. The Adventure

An elegant venue is a sight to behold, but it isn’t for everyone. Some people want more adventure in their romance, and if that’s you, then your wedding day should reflect that. If you elope, nothing is stopping you from going wherever your heart leads you, be it an exotic beach, the verdant mountains—even a cozy ski resort. Love is an adventure, from start to finish, and your elopement photos and memories will highlight that beautifully.

5. The Intimacy

Weddings days are a celebration of you and the one you love. However, they can get bogged down by the other people and circumstances that traditional weddings involve. Intimacy and romance are the reason why you both said “yes,” so why not spend your wedding day living that out? A personalized elopement experience is perfect for embellishing the root of your relationship, allowing you to focus on what really matters—the love that got you there—all in the privacy of your spouse’s company.

6. The Solitude

Family is wonderful, but it can also be complicated—and there’s no getting around it. Sometimes weddings are more about our families than they are about ourselves. Eloping is a convenient solution for avoiding the potential drama of involving your family in the ceremony, allowing you and your spouse to focus on yourselves on your wedding day. You won’t have to worry about being the center of everyone’s attention. Afterward, you can host a lovely—but modest—gathering to celebrate your new marital union with all of your friends and family.

7. The Photo-Ops

The glitzy elegance of traditional weddings is best captured by a skilled photographer. But while they do create everlasting memories, an elopement photographer may be able to capture something more. Your backdrop, your outfit, your perfect smile—uninhibited by the stuffy procedure of lining everyone up and attempting to look candid. What’s more, having your photos taken at your dream locale will give your wedding photos a unique and truly personalized flavor.

8. The Experience

Your wedding day, whether traditional or not, should create everlasting memories for you and your spouse. By eloping, you might miss out on wedding gifts, but in exchange, you gain the experience of elopement. Experiences can be priceless, even if you have to miss out on a few generous gifts. No experiences are more valuable than those that you and your spouse spend in each other’s company.

9. The Values

Elopement is about you and the one you love. It is a beautiful reminder of why you agreed to marry, and why you fell in love to begin with. It represents the spontaneity of your meeting and the difficult but worthwhile journey that led you to where you are today. Eloping allows you and your spouse to focus on those values without being bogged down by concerns of cost, perfection, or other’s opinions.

10. The Eco-Friendliness

You may not realize it, but a wedding is just like a big party—and parties produce a lot of trash and waste. You print a bunch of paper invitations and have to deal with a lot of leftover food and garbage. Sources show that the average wedding produces 400 pounds (yes, that much) of garbage and waste. Elopement is a far more eco-friendly alternative to having a big wedding. If that sounds ideal, then elopement might be for you.

There you have it. Big weddings can be beautiful and unforgettable, but elopement also has clear benefits. If you are thinking about elopement and live in the Austin, Texas area, I would be delighted to immortalize your elopement experience through expert photography. On your wonderful wedding day, why settle for any less than the best?