Elopements have been flitting across my wedding blog radar for the last couple of years, and they’re right at the forefront of my mind just now. I love the idea of running away together!

Styled shoot by the fabulous Suzy Mitchell Photography. Click the image to see more; full supplier list below
UK weddings have changed so much but elopements have been happening forever. When society was strictly disapproving couples had to run away to be married for all sorts of reasons. Now, elopement is a choice. Marriage and weddings have grown bigger and more extravagant, and with the current trend for DIY, weddings are now hugely time consuming – and for many couples your wedding will be the biggest project of your lives!
The lifesaver comes in the form of elopement. Couples who choose to run away together now are embracing a new kind of creativity: creative thinking. Having a creative wedding doesn’t just mean kraft, sequins and a glue gun. It means breaking all the rules…
And instead of spending 18 months planning a perfectly styled day, instead of spending £10,000 on a wedding, instead of inviting dozens of guests and hiring a stately home, couples are choosing to elope. But there’s more…
9 reasons why elopement beats planning a wedding!
An elopement will save 18 months of your lives. That’s 72 weekends you can actually spend together, 18 months’ worth of your salary you can spend on whatever the hell you like…
- Romance – just the two of you
- Budget… no more than a holiday
- Oh! And you get to go on holiday for it! Bonus holiday!!
- Relaxed – no planning stress
- Fast: be married in weeks!
- Families – no interference, no distant cousins
- Easy… no DIY crafty stuff 🙂
- No seating plan. This is a BIG deal, trust me.
- The after party…
The styled elopement is on the rise
The perfect elopement, for me, has just three key things:
- Elopement outfits – a gorgeous dress (any colour) and a sexy suit (or jeans. I like jeans!)
- Flowers – ideally with that ‘grabbed from the fields on the way to church’ look!
- A photographer. Always worth asking if a photographer friend can spare you an hour or two on a Tuesday morning… and you’ll cherish a couple of photos forever.
The after party…
Having an elopement means you can relax when it comes to planning your celebrations afterwards. Weddings carry so many expectations with them the stress can be overwhelming. But a party to celebrate your elopement and marriage? …is just a party. Plan it how you like, where you like, and enjoy every second. Did I mention no speeches, no receiving line, no orders of service… and no seating plan? Tempting, isn’t it?!
Image credits are from a styled shoot by Suzy Mitchell Photography, published on the English Wedding Blog in August 2014
- Photography: Suzy Mitchell Photography (http://www.suzy-mitchell.com)
- Flowers: Sarah Richardson of Leafy Couture (http://leafycouture.co.uk)
- Dresses: Jackie Davison of Rose Pink Vintage http://www.rosepinkvintage.co.uk
- Make up: Annabel Bailey (www.annabelbailey.co.uk)
- Hair by Hannah D’Ath
- Wedding rings: Iain Henderson Designs (www.iainhenderson.co.uk)
- Bespoke wedding stationery and calligraphy: (http://calligraphy-for-weddings.com/)
- Hats: Beth at By Betty Hats www.bybetty.co.uk
- Venue: Denton Hall (www.denton–hall.co.uk)
- Wedding cars: www.classicweddingcarhireskipton.co.uk
By BettyelopementLeafy CoutureRose Pink VintageSuzy Mitchell Photography
1 COMMENT
Warning: Creating default object from empty value in /var/sites/e/english-wedding.com/public_html/wp-includes/comment-template.php on line 1057