The world is only just starting to return to normal, and it looks like for the foreseeable future, we’re going to be practicing social distancing. You might be wonder, what exactly does this mean for your elopement?

Right now it can be a confusing time for couples who simply want to get eloped but don’t really know what they are supposed to do when it comes to gatherings, hygiene best practices, and wedding norms in general. Are guests really expected to wear masks? Are hotels safe?

These kinds of questions can pose serious issues in the planning process, which is why it’s important to know where to start. These tips below will help you navigate your elopement and practice safe social distancing even on your big day.

Easy social distancing starts with the right venue, and that’s all the more important when it comes to your elopement. While small intimate spaces are popular elopement destinations, couples may want to reconsider for the time being. Right now is the perfect time to think about holding your elopement in a wide open park or open air courtyard or alley, rather than trying to cram into a hall or chapel of some sort.

We all know that in general, it’s easier to social distance outside, and it’s also effortless to create a beautiful, romantic elopement this way as well. New Orleans has several gorgeous parks and quaint streets that can be used as elopement settings, that don’t require you to have to cram a bunch of guests together in a small space.

You want to try and avoid small indoor spaces as much as possible during the course of your elopement. This holds true for you as well as your guests. The larger the venue, the better. To stay cost-effective, a park might make for the best elopement option, although there are certainly other places to choose from if you get eloped in New Orleans.

Elopements trend toward the smaller side anyway, but now more than ever you may want to think about a small guest list in order to give everyone their proper space. First of all, many cities and states have ordinances in place at the moment that limit the size of gatherings anyway, so you have to adhere to these if you are to hold an event such as an elopement regardless.

Once you know you are in the safe zone there, you want to consider scaling down your guest list even more. This is certainly not the time for a 100-person wedding ceremony, outdoors or not. You want to think about how easy it will be for everyone to move around of their own accord without having to brush up against others or be packed together for whatever reason.

The fewer guests you have, the lower the cost of the ceremony in general anyway, and we know how important saving money is right now. You can always hold a “one year later” anniversary party next year and invite more guests once everything returns to normal. For the time being, keep your elopement small in terms of who you invite. Your closest friends and family should be the only people making an appearance.

How will the rows of seats be laid out? Will there be an open buffet? How will everyone get around? You have to weigh some additional factors if you want to ensure everyone’s safety. For example, if you were considering a buffet style meal, you may want to shelve that idea even if it seems affordable and convenient. The health and safety of your guests is a critical priority now.

Pay extra attention to the spacing and “flow” of your elopement venue. You want to make sure there’s never any reason for your guests to get bunched up together and that everyone has free and easy maneuvering, whether indoors or out. Think about how everyone will enter and exit the venue, consider where your guests will park, or how food will be served. Remember to place appropriate signage reminding everyone to social distance if necessary. If you are planning on any dancing, how will you safely enforce social distancing?

A little planning can go a long way, and while you don’t have to spend weeks agonizing over how to make sure everyone is exactly 6 feet apart at all times, it’s simply a good idea to spend a little extra time considering the needs of your guests and everyone involved so that no one feels uncomfortable or that their safety isn’t compromised.

It's important that if you are planning on getting eloped at this time that you make sure you and your guests know the risks and to practice the right social distancing measures. You can certainly throw a beautiful and fun elopement right now, but you have to simply make sure you are doing what you can to be safe while you're doing it!

When you think about the top marriage trends, pictures of different kinds of dresses and décor come to mind, but you might be surprised to learn that more recently, couples have been completely changing the way they get married.

It’s not really all that shocking considering the costs associated with traditional weddings, combined with the state of our economy and the desire for something new. Couples these days want to focus more on the romance and excitement of their marriage ceremony and not just how to wow a bunch of extended family members.

So what about getting eloped makes it so desirable, and why are couples everywhere starting to adopt it?

It’s very easy to “elope your way,” which can’t always be said about many other wedding ceremonies that hold fast to the expected way of doing things. In fact, there are many facets of tradition style weddings that are more of an obligation than anything, whereas with an elopement, you can pick and choose what to include, or do away with the “classic” model of weddings altogether.

This is extremely appealing for numerous reasons. Maybe you don’t enjoy the stuffiness of long complex ceremonies. Maybe you don’t have many close friends and would rather have a small, intimate ceremony someplace other than a church or wedding hall. Perhaps you want to get married someplace more exotic rather than going there just for your honeymoon.

Whichever the case may be, elopements are simply easier to customize. One of the reasons why they are on the rise is because they are easier to fit into people’s busy lives. With all of the financial obligations and various responsibilities we have to deal with these days, planning a full-scale wedding and actually holding it may seem like a whole lot of work. Elopements are easier to fit into everyone’s schedule, because there are fewer people to think about and less aspects that need to be arranged.

Elopements also tend to be very spontaneous. There’s a lot more room for fun and deciding on the spur of the moment to try something or visit a certain restaurant that traditional weddings don’t really allow for. There’s more romance and excitement when you’re not tied down to the usual planned ceremonies. This makes for a more exciting, interesting kind of event that has a certain romantic appeal.

Also, given current events, having a more adaptable wedding option is more important than ever. You never know when a certain venue may be closed, or how you may be forced to work around certain issues in order to plan your big day. There’s no reason to place all your eggs in one basket when you have the choice and freedom to customize your ceremony exactly how you want it.

It used to be culturally acceptable and even expected to drop huge sums of money on a wedding whether you had the money to spare or not. In the days of family inheritances and bottomless wells of credit, this wasn’t difficult to manage.

However, times are changing and new couples don’t have the same kinds of resources that their parents did just a couple generations ago. In fact, the entire economy is currently undergoing a shift, and when this is combined with the clearly evident fact that the Middle Class has shrunk in recent years, you have the perfect storm of financial difficulty.

It’s far too burdensome for many couples to shoulder such a massive cost as is usually associated with a traditional style wedding. Elopements offer an affordable alternative that is far more forgiving and customizable. Don’t want full decorations? Don’t buy them. Not particularly sold on having a cake? No problem. The ceremony is completely yours to change and tailor to your needs, rather than adhering strictly to tradition.

This frees couples up to spend more on a luxurious hotel suite, or to invest the money they would have spent on the down payment for a house or similar purchase. Couples are looking for ways to make smart financial decisions, and in this economy, eloping just makes a whole lot more sense.

This is the big one, perhaps the number one reason why elopements are taking off as the new trend. With all of the other hardships and responsibilities we have to face these days, no one wants to turn their marriage ceremony into an ordeal.

Elopements are the furthest thing from a pressure cooker. They can be as lax and as laid back as you need them to be. In fact, they can be a getaway, spa treatment, and fantasy vacation all rolled into one. Rather than piling on a hundred little stressors, your elopement can actually serve to take away your stress and relieve you of your troubles.

Planning an elopement is especially simplistic. This makes a world of difference because the typical complexities of planning a wedding actually is proven to be quite stressful for everyone involved, especially the bride and groom to be. This seems quite counterintuitive, and is one of the points regarding our marriage customs that couples are starting to question. Should your marriage be the opposite of a stressful event?

By creating a low pressure environment, elopements are appealing and relaxing. You’re not trying to craft these crazy high expectations, you’re not trying to please family members or keep from embarrassing yourself in front of hundreds of people. It’s just you and your significant other living your best life!