One of the first decisions couples need to make when they start planning their elopement is when they want to elope! When it comes to how to pick a wedding date, there are a lot of factors to consider, so this guide will give you some tips, and some cool ideas to think about for your elopement.
First, let’s talk about some things to think about before you decide, and how to pick a wedding date. Remember, each couple is unique, so the perfect day for your elopement will be too!
The perfect date for your elopement might be one that already has some significance to you – like an anniversary or a holiday. Later in this guide, we’ll talk about some cool dates to consider for your elopement, but any day that’s already meaningful to you can be a great day to tie the knot!
A great way to pick a wedding date and narrow down your options is to think about where you want to elope first. Having an idea of where you want to tie the knot can make it easier to choose a date, because many places are very different in the summer than they are in the winter.
For example, if you dream of tying the knot in the mountains of Norway and hiking on your elopement day, you’ll need to set your wedding date for summer to avoid snow on the trails! New Year’s Eve may not be a good day for a wedding in Iceland (unless you like the cold!), but it would be an amazing day to elope somewhere tropical, like Hawaii.
This one goes hand in hand with your dream elopement location. Before you set an elopement date, think about what you might want to do on the day you get married! Some activities can be seasonal, so this can narrow down your options. For example, if you want to go skiing, you’ll probably be thinking about dates in the winter – but if you want to hike in the mountains, summer might be better for you!
Don’t worry if you don’t know exactly what you want to do yet, but take some time to talk to your partner and come up with a few ideas. Consider what you imagine the landscape to look like when you get married, and whether there’s a season that works better for you!
Another piece of the puzzle when it comes to how to pick an elopement date is the slightly-less-interesting stuff: logistics like work schedules and other responsibilities, like whether you’ll need a pet sitter or someone to take care of the house.
Some people have an easier time taking time off work during certain parts of the year – for example, summers might be slower, while the holiday season might be too busy!
If you want to invite guests to your elopement, you may also need to consider your friends and family, and their schedules! If there are people who you really want to be by your side on the day you elope, it can be helpful to talk to them about when the best time for you to tie the knot might be.
Now that you have some ideas about how to pick a wedding date, here are some cool dates to consider for your elopement. Choosing a day that already has some significance to you can be a helpful way to remember your anniversary each year!
One great idea for an elopement date is to choose an anniversary that the two of you already share! This couple be the anniversary of when you started dating, or even something creative – like the day you got engaged, the anniversary of your first kiss or your first date, or any other anniversary that means something to the two of you.
This can make the day you get married even more special, since it’s a day that’s so significant to the two of you!
Holidays are great because they’re easy to remember, and you’ll be reminded of them each year – helpful for couples who have a hard time remembering important dates! You can choose a big holiday, like Christmas, Halloween, or New Year’s (or New Year’s Eve), or something like Earth Day. Earth Day is an especially great day to elope, since eloping is all about getting outside and celebrating your love in nature!
The summer solstice is the longest day of the year – the day that the sun sticks around longest and night is the shortest! This day, though not really a holiday, can be another significant date that makes a cool, unique day to tie the knot. The summer solstice happens in the summer – June in the northern hemisphere, and December in the southern hemisphere. In some parts of the world (those that are close to the poles), the sun doesn’t set at all! This gives you lots of time to explore on your elopement day without worrying about running out of daylight.
On the flip side, the winter solstice is the shortest day of the year – the sun rises late and sets early, and in some parts of the world, the sun doesn’t come up at all! This long period of darkness can be really amazing for stargazing, or for keeping an eye out for the Northern Lights. The winter solstice is the opposite of the summer one, which means it happens in December in the northern hemisphere and in June in the southern hemisphere.
Once you’ve decided on a wedding date for your elopement, you’re ready to dive into the exciting details of planning your adventure! As an elopement photographer, my job is to help you create the perfect day – which means I’ll give you recommendations for places to elope that are perfect for you, recommend vendors who will help your dream day come to life, and work with you to plan an incredible adventure!
If you’ve got an elopement date in mind, or you need a little help brainstorming, contact me to get started!