​You may have already decided that the magic of New Orleans is the perfect backdrop for your destination elopement, but have you decided on the size of your ceremony yet?

Micro-weddings and intimate elopements are becoming more popular, as younger couples are looking for a more organic, romantic wedding experience without all of the planning and hassle of a traditional wedding.

What if you wanted a ceremony just for you and your significant other? What if you wanted to treat your elopement like a true honeymoon?

You can!

If you’re thinking about having a more intimate elopement experience while still enjoying all the fun and excitement New Orleans has to offer, we’ll tell you how.

First thing you should know about the “just us” style of eloping, it’s more common than you think! In fact, the classic imagery of a couple eloping typically didn’t involve relatives and friends. Thousands of couples every year fly out for their destination elopement in cities like Vegas and New Orleans without anyone with them.

This is perfect for couples who are looking for an intimate experience and a ceremony not bogged down with the pressures of entertaining family members or appeasing people in general. Not to mention the price tag that comes with such ceremonies.

When it’s just you and your significant other, there’s no giant catering bill, the cake doesn’t have to feed an army, you can book smaller (cozier!) venues, and said venues don’t need to be decorated to the hilt. It saves a load of hassle, not to mention money that could be better spent on other things, like memorable activities.

Another often overlooked benefit of not having guests is that booking accommodations is effortless. Nab that king suite in the fanciest hotel in the city and don’t feel a pang of guilt. You don’t have to think about the logistics of stuffing your best friends and beloved family into an overbooked hotel or worry about having to coordinate several hotels, transportation day of, food, and whatever else might be needed in order to ensure everything happens without any issues.

If it’s just you and your significant other, all you have to do is decide which hotel has an open suite that suits your needs, and snatch it up before anyone else does. Not only will you feel like you’re on your honeymoon before you even tie the knot, you don’t have to think about the awkward scenarios of friends and family cohabitating in the same space or conflicting personalities raining on your parade. Just do you and let the sparks fly!

Sometimes, traditional-sized wedding ceremonies can get bogged down in how everyone else feels, often leaving the bride to play mediator, parent, and peacekeeper when they should be focused on their special day.

Stress levels are one of the biggest complaints brides-to-be have. A large portion of that stress is derived from making sure everyone’s expectations are being met. But what about the bride and groom? Aren’t they the ones everyone else should be catering to?

That’s simply not how it is. Much of the planning for big weddings includes extensive research and accommodations for all guests. This includes everything from learning what your niece-in-law is allergic to, to figuring out how to arrange reliable transportation to and fro the airport for every member of your family.

All of this is part of the reason why more couples are scaling their weddings down and making them more intimate, with only a few family and friends, or even no one else at all.

Shouldn’t your wedding be about you and not the expectations of a bunch of other people? Even if culture and tradition is important to you?

The best part of a “Just Us” elopement package, you come first and you are the highest priority. No stressing out over how to cater to five different food allergies and picky kids, no wondering if the hotel you booked will somehow mess up your accommodations for 25 people, no fretting over whether or not the DJ will be to everyone’s taste.

New Orleans is perfect for every size elopement, but I know just the right place for the ultimate elopement for just two.

Our Just Us City Park or Tree of Life Elopement Package

$1895 + Tax (Friday and Saturday) | $1595 + Tax (Sunday thru Thursday)

• Collection of trusted and professional makeup artists, restaurants, hotels and other vendors will be arranged and provided
• Ceremony photos followed by full photo session around the park - up to 2 hours photography coverage
• All professionally edited hi-res images in an online gallery for downloading, sharing and printing (print release included)
• Officiant who will assist with obtaining marriage license
• Seasonal flowers created by professional florist - Bouquet and Boutonniere
• Private Online Gallery for 30 days to share with loved ones​​​
• Personalized e-announcement with 2 or 3 photos from your day - delivered within 48 hours of ceremony

Want to experience the magic for yourself? Please get in touch with me so we can start helping you put together the elopement of your dreams!

The past couple of years have seen a resurgence in classic and stunning “royal” style wedding dresses that have taken the bridal shows by storm.

As we close out the year and enter 2020, it looks like these same trends are continuing and becoming more refined. We’re also seeing some new and interesting entries from the “suit” or “business dress” style that first became popular a few years ago.

We’ll also be looking at the hottest new casual and non-traditional wedding dresses, perfect for outdoor ceremonies and elopements.

Sleek designs and luxurious flowing gowns: the royal look is in.

Popularized by Meghan Markle and now a trend unto itself, the classy yet modern “royal” wedding look is perfect for traditional weddings as well as intimate weddings and elopements for its combination of simplicity, elegance, and practicality.

The Givenchy gown that Markle popularized has a few standout features that can now be found in a variety of the hottest 2020 wedding dresses, such as long sleeves and a high neckline.

If the long sleeves and minimalist look of the “royal” gowns aren’t for you, you will be happy to know that there are much more glamorous trends waiting for brides this year!

If you want your wedding or elopement to match the fancy and timeless look and feel of a ball or pageant, you have to have the right dress to match. The timeless elegance of a ballroom style wedding dress, with all of its eye-catching features, will be the centerpiece of your ceremony.

This is another “classic” look that is coming back in full force. Creamy, elegant ivory-colored dress styles with minimalist, sleek gowns are becoming more and more popular as we head into 2020.

Ivory tends to be somewhat warmer than traditional white dresses, and is an amazing alternative depending on what you want your overall wedding aesthetic to be.

Well, not entirely new. Floral patterned wedding dresses were sort of a thing for a while in the 80’s, but they are back now with an entirely new, refreshing look.

Often paired with lace or sheer fabric, floral prints evoke a feeling of natural beauty and youth, and are the perfect choice for women who are looking for a dress that has a bit more going on. Since many of the floral patterns you find on wedding dresses are unique, the designs tend to stand out a lot more than other styles.

Floral style dresses are also a solid choice for outdoorsy ceremonies.

For brides who don’t want the hassle of long trains and billowy skirts, simple yet stylish bohemian dresses and jumpsuits are becoming hugely popular.

In fact, these are one of the most common kinds of dresses for brides getting eloped. If you’re planning a beach elopement or any kind of ceremony that takes place outside in the elements, the last thing you want is a dress you can drown in.

The minimalist and practical look and feel of these styles are compounded by their ethereal design: they are effortlessly eye-catching in a magical way.

For couples interested in a complete hassle-free elopement experience in New Orleans, the pop up wedding might be just what they’re looking for.

You may have already heard about pop-up weddings, and for good reason. They are one of the hottest wedding trends right now.

On the other hand, you may be wondering just what a pop-up wedding is and what the difference is between one and an elopement.

An elopement takes the idea of a traditional wedding and turns it upside-down by simplifying everything, and also adding travel into the mix.

Couples decide where they want to elope, and then plan everything from there. Since elopements tend to be on the cheaper side compared to traditional weddings, certain aspects of the ceremony are taken out or made to better fit a modest budget.

Things like decorations and catering are usually not as big of an issue. You’re also not going to get a massive cake if the only people present are you and a few best friends.

Elopements tend to be more intimate and have a bigger emphasis on fun and excitement for the couple, almost like a honeymoon combined with a wedding.

A pop-up wedding takes the idea of an elopement one step further.

What if you didn’t even have to do any planning? What if you could just pay someone to literally arrange every detail of your destination elopement, including décor, the photographer, hairdresser, and anyone else that’s needed, and then you just show up day of and get married on the spot?

No hassle. No stress. No planning. It’s all done for you!

Sound like the true wedding dream? You’re not alone.

More and more couples are discovering the fun and convenience of pop-up style weddings and are taking advantage of them all across the country.

NOLA is already famous for being one of the premiere elopement destinations in the United States.

The history, entertainment, accommodations, parks, sightseeing, food, and fun to be had are hard to come by elsewhere. The city has a unique feel all its own, and has grown over the years to provide the perfect range of services specifically catering toward eloping couples.

Pop-up weddings are no exception. Over the past couple of years, couples from all around the country (and the world!) have visited New Orleans just to have a pop-up style wedding.

This means everything was taken care of before they even got there.

Depending on what you choose to include in your wedding, you have a wide range of venues and services to choose from to make your day perfect. Because of the large amount of services available in New Orleans, and the convenience of having it all right in the city, it’s relatively inexpensive to put together a really amazing ceremony all for you, the way you want it, and you don’t even have to lift a finger.

Here’s just a few things to remember when you are looking for a planner that can turn your pop-up wedding dream into a reality.

• Make sure they have a great photographer. Great photos are an essential component to any successful ceremony!
• Settle on a date that works best for you and stick with it.
• Don’t feel pressured into bringing guests.
• Make sure you stay in close communication with your pop-up planner so nothing falls through the cracks.
• Don’t stress out about anything. The whole point of planning a simplistic style ceremony that’s hands-off is so that you can truly relax and not have to worry about anything.

Interested in experiencing a pop-up wedding? We specialize in elopements and pop-up weddings of all shapes and sizes right here in New Orleans!  Connect with us HERE or email us at:  Info@ElopeToNola.com