Why do people elope ? The top 8 reasons to plan an elopement

1) Just the Two of Us

Not surprisingly, one of the most common reasons to choose a highly exclusive wedding celebration is the intimacy of the affair. Elopements are private ceremonies of commitment between two hearts, nothing and no one else is really needed.

A traditional affair has so many other factors brought into the equation that can easily sap the focus and attention between two people trying to make a sincere connection and exchange their vows of commitment. With all the obligations, pressures and external distractions that can be brought into a traditional wedding, it is not surprising that some folks would rather go it alone.

The “just the two of us” school of thought favors individuality and absolute freedom for two people to express themselves in this most hallowed occasion in whichever way suits them best. Furthermore, the endless intimacy of the event allows for romance and wild abandon that goes unbridled by a single sacrifice to pressures from exterior sources.

Those that have looked back on their choice to elope rather than celebrate with family and friends seem to share a common feeling. The choice of celebration allows two people to truly meld into each other and consolidate a commitment with total focus on each other. There is no stress, no regrets and not distractions from well-meaning relatives.

2) Enhanced Value of the Experience

Another important reason many people are fleeing the traditional wedding scene is in search of authenticity. Marriage and the connection between two people in love is a somber and timeless celebration that has been lost in the media, literature, expectations and massively by the entire wedding industry.

It is not uncommon for the wedding process and minutiae of organizing and preparing for the event to sap the entire meaning from the experience. This can cool off the passion and fervor that would otherwise make this such a memorable occasion. Others would rather lose a limb than face an ostentatiously-decorated aisle, sickening wedding cake, ridiculous get-ups and throngs of invited guests only a fraction of whom are even recognizable.

Sadly, the wedding industry is filled with “good ideas” for “important traditional wedding elements” very few of which will actually reflect the values of the couple tying the knot. By the time the big day arrives, it is not uncommon for the couple themselves to be relegated to just another prop in a massive celebration of what society deems traditional and picture-perfect.

Elopers have the unique advantage of making things up as they go along. This means engaging in the activities and tailor-made rituals that have the most meaning to them personally. Rather than walking down an aisle as if to an execution, how about an evening walk up your favorite hiking trail – with your dog?

Planning a trip to a significant location to bask in the beauty around, play songs that reflect the feelings of the moment and sitting around a warm campfire can be far more romantic and memorable than capitulating to a mindless and heartless wedding industry.

In the end, an elopement is a celebration that can perfectly celebrate the goals and values of the individuals making the great step to a new life.

3) Greater Intimacy and Intention

Another important reason that many elopers shun the traditional wedding ceremony is the greater opportunities that a tailor-made affair can afford them. The feeling is that the many traditional elements specific to a wedding ceremony rob the occasion of the vital intimacy and connection that a wedding ceremony is supposed to celebrate.

And this is a sentiment shared with those who have gone through the large traditional wedding ceremony. The sad truth about all those that invest in the “wedding of their dream” is that in the end they have found themselves hosting the most elaborate party of their lives and found out that it was never even about the couple getting married.

Big weddings are certain to rob the mind from the meaning of the event. It’s not even about having many guests that are sharing in the celebration. The biggest problem is the time-consuming nature of wedding preparations, the desire for everything to go as planned and the expectations riding on each small decision and moment. Soon the entire value of the wedding day is lost entirely.

4) Less Drama and Spectacle

To be completely fair, the idea that a wedding will bring two families together and that everyone will be happy and thrilled by the experience is a long shot at best. The unfortunate truth is that not every family is not as close or on good terms as most others. This can add a level of discomfort to what should be a memorable and deeply sentimental experience.

Even in the most tight-knit families, there is always the looming fear that someone’s personal baggage is going to be brought out and drama will have to be dealt with and edited from those essential wedding videos. This can be a lot to deal with in this time of new beginnings.

It is actually part of the whole package deal of having a family that there will be interpersonal conflict, feuding, rivalries and all manner of interesting and unexpected encounters. Nothing can bring these small details to the fore like a big complex wedding celebration. It is only natural to look for a way to escape all that and find a way to make this important and greatly romantic step away from the madness that can come from the most well-meaning family and friends.

5) Valued Experience or Material Value

What is the main expression of the wedding anyway? Many of those that are seeking to enhance the true value of the wedding experience over the material symbolism of a wedding event are often more likely to choose and elopement. This has nothing to do with being cheap and not wanting to invest in a costly wedding ceremony. It’s all about choosing to emphasize something less material and more personal and beautiful. It could also be about simply not investing in a considerably wasteful and environmentally unfriendly event.

That’s right! Many eco-minded people would be disgusted by the amount or resources consumed and trash generated by a single wedding event. In addition to harmful single use plastics in the form of cheap party favors, disposable objects, decorations and more, there will be a considerable amount of items acquired that will never be used or never used again.

On the other hand, all this emphasis and investment in stuff can be redirected to something you will actually choose, cherish forever and can use to set the stepping stone of your new life. This is where eloping allows you the freedom to plan and enhance the values most dear to your own heart.

6) Avoid Stress and Anxiety

It is only natural for people to feel stressed and anxious about their wedding day and wish for the whole thing to be over even before it has started. In addition to the feelings of excitement and even apprehension of making a commitment to a significant other, the engaged couple will also have to consider every last detail of the big plans for the wedding day.

From the high costs of getting a wedding celebration off the ground, to the frustration over small things that ALWAYS go wrong to the logistics of organizing such an event, things can reach a boiling point. There are many reasons that a wedding ceremony can be a source of frustration and heartache before the vows are even read.

Why should this be the scenario for the day where two people will declare their love and devotion to each other? A wedding celebration should be memorable for the sentiments exchanged not the rigors survived. This is where eloping can help circumvent the stress and anxiety and allow greater focus on increasing the intrinsic value of the new couple.

7) Improve the Sense of Adventure

One thing you are sure to notice when you begin planning your wedding event, is that all the fun and excitement of adventure is cleared out so that every little thing can go according to plan – and damned if it don’t!

Eloping has no such objectives. For those looking to begin a life of adventure and excitement, the idea of committing to a rigorous plan that is a wedding ceremony is counterproductive. Adventure isn’t aisles, color codes and judgmental relatives. It’s leaping out of an airplane, being places you have never been and in the company of the person with whom you want to share this new life.

This is where an elopement will allow you to do and see things you may not have imagined were possible for wedding celebrations. There is no marriage that is not 100% unique with its own flavors, challenges and adventures, so why should the wedding day be any different?

8) Better Memorabilia

Would you rather the same dull wedding pictures and cheesy party favors that everyone else uses to recall their special day? If you are still reading this article, probably not. How about pictures of the newlyweds on the slopes of Kilimanjaro? Or a lovely souvenir found at your elopement spot of choice. There is no way to say how you will remember your elopement, but the choice will be made by the moment, location and the couple involved – not some boring wedding planner’s picture book.

Have you decided to elope? What is the number one reason your decided to take the leap? Let me know in the comments!