Getting married is one thing. However, having a wedding is quite another. Committing to spend the rest of your life with your partner is a great thing but having the wedding, big or small, to go along with it is not for everyone. And, although every couple is unique and each has their individual reasons for wanting to elope, there are a few reasons that come up again and again. Here are the top 5 reasons why couples choose to elope.
1. Money
The fact is, weddings are incredibly expensive. Many couples either do not have the financial means to throw a huge wedding party or they would rather save that money and put it towards something else they would enjoy more such as a house or a big trip. An elopement is a cost-effective way to have a beautiful wedding ceremony and still have money left over to do other things you want to do.
2. Family & Friends
While time with family and friends can sometimes be the best thing about a wedding, they can also be the worst. Unfortunately, many families and/or friend groups have serious issues that can negatively affect a wedding. People do not get along, do not know how to act, or think they are entitled to an opinion about your special day. Other times, there are so many family and friends to consider that it can become impossible to decide where to draw the line. In either case, eloping allows couples to get married either by themselves or with the smallest circle possible. They are the people who really matter.
3. Time
Sometimes, getting married is a time-sensitive issue that you want to happen sooner rather than later and weddings are just not conducive to that. When couples have a time crunch, for whatever reason, elopement is a great option. You can still have a very special ceremony with beautiful pictures and video but without the time commitment and the waiting that comes along with a full wedding.
4. Stress
Weddings are stressful. Period. There really is no way around that even if you keep the wedding relatively small there are still all the logistics, tension, and anxiety that come along with a formal event. A lot of couples choose elopement because they do not want to deal with the stress. They want a fun and relaxed experience where they can truly enjoy their special day without all the hoopla that comes along with it.
5. Weddings are “Not for Us”
For some couples, weddings are just not for them. Maybe they do not like the traditional nature of weddings or the pomp and circumstance or they do not have the time, patience or desire to plan every aspect of their wedding ceremony. Whatever the reason, plenty of people who get eloped are just not “wedding people” and that is ok! In fact, it is the best part of getting eloped. There is no one kind of person or couple who does it. It is for lots of people who have lots of different reasons. No matter why they do it, what every couple shares are that they walk away happy and married to the person they love.