Are you looking for a little more out of your elopement? You’re not alone!

Couples everywhere are beginning to push the definition of what it means to get married, and to that end, they’ve begun taking their ceremonies to the next level.

If you’ve dreamed of flying off to a faraway city or resort just to get married, why not take it a step further and ditch the traditional ceremony setting altogether?

Who says you have to get married in a chapel?

Turn your elopement into a true adventure with these inspirational ideas.

Adventure is waiting right outside your door. Okay, maybe not “right” outside, but you get the idea. If you had your heart set on getting married in a beautiful city like New Orleans, for example, but still want an adventure elopement, don’t feel pressured into choosing another location and flying to the Himalayas.

In fact, just a couple miles past the city limits of just about any major city in the country, great times are there for the taking. Only minutes outside New Orleans, there are beautiful biking trails, rivers to canoe in, bayou tours, sightseeing flights, gondolas, nature preserves, and more.

You can easily transform an ordinary elopement into a magical experience full of fun and adventure with just a little bit of planning and thinking outside the box. You don’t have to fly halfway around the world or climb a mountain to do it, either!

That being said, make sure that if you’re going to go out adventuring, you bring the right clothes.

If you’re planning on holding the ceremony after hiking up a trail, don’t forget your hiking boots. If you’re going out on a river, you still need life preservers. Not to mention protection from the sun.

In other words, the attire you would typically wear during a wedding, or even your average elopement, won’t cut it if you’re planning on going into the elements.

Plan accordingly and put together an ensemble that matches the theme and location of your ceremony, while also being practical and comfortable.

Where do you imagine yourself when you finally tie the knot with your significant other? In the middle of a lake on a canoe? Standing in a quaint field surrounded by ancient oak trees? On a beach with your feet in the sand?

All of this is possible if you plan an adventure elopement. The keyword here though is “plan.”
While part of the thrill of an elopement is taking advantage of the moment and keeping things somewhat unscripted compared to a traditional wedding, you still want to plan out some important things in advance.

If you are planning on holding the actual ceremony in nature, make sure you do your research beforehand.

How difficult is the area to access? Does it require a lot of walking? Would it be inconvenient for the officiant and your guests (if you have any)?

You might want to think about planning the ceremony in different parts. Maybe you want to go on a long nature hike before actually saying “I do,” and the end point of the trail, everyone will be waiting for you there. Or perhaps you want to tie everything up on the banks of a river and then spend the day going on a canoeing adventure.

Whatever it is you choose, just keep in mind the logistics of it. And remember to let your photographer in on everything so they know how and when to follow you around and get the best shots!

Maybe you can’t fit everything you want to do into one day. If you really want to take advantage of your time on your elopement, and sightsee or even camp in the wilderness, you might want to think about holding your adventure over the course of several days.

Keep in mind the needs of your guests and everyone else involved with your ceremony, but if your heart is calling to the great outdoors and you want at least three or four days to “get away from it all,” there’s nothing wrong with planning for this.

In fact, an adventure elopement should be about embracing what you want and going all in.
Don’t be afraid to try new things and embrace the thrill. The ceremony is just the beginning, if you want it that way. Alternatively, you could spend several days adventuring and then cap the trip off with the ceremony.

And that’s the key to making the most out of your elopement: it’s as amazing as you want it to be. There’s really no limit or anything holding you back.

The best part is, many nature activities are cheaper than what goes in to a typical wedding by a long shot, so even if you opt not to have a regular elopement, you’re still going to be saving some money.

Take advantage of the freedom and plan an event you’ll never forget.

At the end of the day, it’s what you make it, it’s what you want it to be. For you, that could mean a chapel elopement with a dash of hiking afterwards. Or it could mean a weekend exploring New Orleans beaches and then topping it off with a full ceremony right there in the sand.

Don’t limit yourself to the traditional ideas of weddings. As long as it fits your style and embodies what you want out of your ceremony, go for it!
Just remember those hiking boots!

The elopement of your dreams doesn’t have to break the bank. Quite the contrary, these summer trends prove that elopements are still one of the cheapest ways to get married.

Every year more and more couples seem to be looking into “unconventional” ceremony formats, and getting eloped just fits. What’s could be better than a romantic getaway that actually cuts expenses compared to a traditional wedding? That’s music to every couple’s ears.

Let’s take a look at a few trends that you might want to incorporate into your ceremony this summer:

A few months ago we wrote about how First Look elopement photography was taking off. That trend has only risen as couples everywhere are learning about this new “tradition.”

If you’re not familiar, a First Look is a pre-ceremony activity that allows the couple to meet each other right before the ceremony takes place, to give them a more intimate time together before the actual ceremony starts.

This is perfect if you are having a medium to large sized elopement with friends and family, which gives the couple some space before having to present themselves to the crowd.

As an added bonus, a First Look is often like a private photo shoot. It is becoming customary to invite the photographer to this intimate meeting, so they can shoot an on-site pre-ceremony collection that often creates beautiful moments.

After all, the bride and groom are seeing each other on their special day for the first time and this creates electric photography. First Looks are even more popular in summer months and warmer climates like New Orleans, where couples have the liberty of staying outside for longer periods and can decide to have a fully outdoors shoot if they desire.

Eloping has taken off in part because it allows couples to do away with many of the old formalities and just get married where and when they want without a ton of hassle.

This trend is only increasing, as we’re seeing more and more couples go the casual route when it comes to their ceremony. There’s much more focus on having a good time and an authentic experience rather than spending a fortune on a particular item or place.

When there’s less focus on the formalities, it allows couples to unwind and just enjoy themselves, and shouldn’t that be what getting married is all about?

It’s so important for couples to realize that if they are feeling pressure in wedding planning maybe it’s time they look into getting eloped. It’s a very different experience when you can just focus on your significant other and not have to plan for months on end just to “get everything right” and please 100 random relatives that insisted on coming.

Less formal also often means less money spent. Ditch the expensive trappings of typical wedding ceremonies and just let loose and enjoy yourself. Wear what you want, go where you want, and focus on the romance!

What could be better than getting married under the boughs of giant weeping willows, in the middle of a picturesque park, or right on the shoreline with the sea breeze in your hair?

Holding elopements and weddings in the outdoors is nothing new, but it’s certainly a growing trend. What better way to save money and transform your ceremony into a special adventure than having the entire thing outdoors?

This is the perfect answer for couples looking to save a ton of money on things like hotel halls and chapels. Not to mention, a natural backdrop is the ultimate elopement set. You can choose exactly the kind of atmosphere you want to accentuate your big day, whether you want a more earthy event in the middle of the woods or want to go full blown mermaid by the sea.

That’s the beauty of having an elopement, you don’t have to worry about the logistics of planning for 100 or more people on a small patch of beach or in a particular corner of a park. The crowd size will be small, no parking snafus, and you don’t have to somehow cater a feast in the woods.

And above all, most of the time it’s free! Some parks in New Orleans charge a small event fee for hosting crowds at certain times of the day and after a certain size, but for the most part, if you seek out a particular area of nature that you want to transform into your perfect elopement backdrop, you’re not going to be spending a penny.