Including Family and Friends In Your Elopement
So, you've decided to elope, huh? That's GREAT! Eloping is magical. There are no expectations and no one to tell you that you are "late" or doing it " wrong". Eloping is so individual and unique to you and your partner. I am so excited to help you, if you ask me to of course, plan your elopement.
If you read my last blog entry you already know I addressed how to know if eloping is right for you. In this blog, we are going to talk about ways you can include family, friends and loved ones (if you want to).
Sometimes I hear that my couples have a family friend or family member who is upset that they have chosen to elope and it creates unnecessary stress for the couple on their wedding day. So, I have devised a few options (and I am always trying to think of new ones) for you to include them without changing your vision for the day.
Video Messages
You can request video messages from family and friends that you watch as you and your partner are getting ready. They dont have to be long, twenty or thirty seconds, giving you their well wishes and sending their love. By recording these images and giving them to you they are actually a momento you can save for years to come.
Think, home video of your wedding day. Also, worth mentioning, If you are planning to have a videographer they might be able to include these in your video.
Handwritten letters
Handwritten letters scream LOVE to me. When was the last time you sat down and wrote a handwritten letter? I probably haven't in years. We live in a digital age where sending a text or email, however heartfelt it may be, is the way we go. Imagine opening handwritten letters written by your closest friends and favorite aunt who pour out their love + good wishes for you on paper. You get to read those as you quietly sip your coffee and get ready on your wedding day. These too will become lifelong momentos you'll have from your wedding day. Seeing a trend here, yet? By having them you will be able to revisit those moments in the years to come.
Skype/FaceTime
Video calling has come a long way over the years. Depending on where you are eloping and if the cell signal will be strong enough this may be an option for you. I have had couples set up a station for technology and have streamed their wedding ceremony for their best friends back home. They are able to share in your joy from the comfort of their own homes and will remember the moment you said " We Do" just as if they were there.
Special wedding day gifts
Think "Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue". The other loves in your life can package up items for you to open the morning of your wedding that you will wear/use/carry with you for the day. Perhaps a borrowed pair of earrings from your favorite aunt or an antique aquamarine ring that has been in the family for generations. It can be anything and your loved ones will get so much joy out of packing these little gifts for you and your partner. They will be sending their love in every fold of the wrapping.
Wedding day surprises
Your life is an adventure, right? Well, live on the edge. Let your Mom pick out your bouquet and have it ready for you at the florist. Let your Uncle pick the restaurant for your evening meal and make those reservations for you. Let your bestfriends send you a breakfast fit for kings complete with mimosas for your wedding day. All of those things, and many others, will leave them feeling a "part" of your day while still maintaining the essence of your vision.
All of these will have your family feeling the love and feeling included in your elopement without the aspects of a "traditional wedding day" celebration. Why should you have to choose between your dreams or your family? TRUTH TIME: You dont have to! Find a compromise - perhaps one I listed above - and let them feel like they are contributing to your life long memories of your wedding day. In the end, that's all they want, to feel like they were there with you <3
Leave a comment below if you think of any other great ways you can include family and friends without sacrificing your desire for an intimate elopement!
