So, what is a modern elopement anyway?

Elopements are a truly authentic way to say “I do.” Many couples choose to elope because it feels more aligned with who they are—without the pressure of hosting, entertaining, or meeting outside expectations. Elopements are especially meaningful because they strip away the idea that a wedding has to follow a script. There’s no obligation to impress a crowd or design a day around what others might expect. The focus shifts entirely to what matters most to you. There are no place settings to finalize, no seating charts to manage, no guest list dynamics to navigate. No need to tour venues or select a single space that’s “good enough” to accommodate everyone. Instead, you have the freedom to choose a location that already inspires you—and let everything else unfold around it.

The fundamental differences between a traditional wedding and an adventure elopement are the location, the number of people involved, and the level of intentionality.

The view from the cliffs of Dyrhólaey in Iceland, at Patrick and Zach's elopement.

For an adventure elopement, the location isn’t just a pretty backdrop—it’s the whole foundation of the experience. Most couples choose somewhere that feels like a dream vacation. It might be a place they’ve always wanted to go, somewhere that’s been on their bucket list for years, or a destination they already love and want to return to in a meaningful way. Sometimes the elopement day serves as the kick off to their honeymoon. Sometimes it is the honeymoon.

Think about this: When you have a traditional wedding, you choose a venue and then spend a lot of money and creative energy trying to make your vision come to life. Flowers. Table settings. Ceremony arch. You have to create the vibe you want.

But when you elope, you choose the destination that is the vibe you want.

Mountains in the background.

A 200-foot waterfall tucked into a wall of moss.

Red desert rock glowing against a pastel sunrise.

These are settings that even the most talented wedding planners and designers can’t recreate. This is nature doing what it does—quietly, beautifully, and differently every single day. The landscape itself becomes part of the experience, and in a way, it’s something you don’t have to design, manufacture, or replicate. It’s already there, and it’s entirely unique to the moment you’re in.

And because you’re not anchoring the day around a single venue or the logistics of hosting a group, you have the freedom to travel somewhere that truly excites you—often at a fraction of the cost of a traditional wedding.

That shift alone can open up possibilities, both in terms of location and in how you experience the overall trip.

For many couples, this naturally evolves into blending their wedding and honeymoon into one intentional journey instead of separating the two. Rather than investing the majority of your budget into a single day and then scaling back on the honeymoon, the focus shifts toward creating something that feels expansive, unhurried, and actually enjoyable from start to finish.

And once the location is chosen, something else naturally follows: the people you choose to share it with.

Because when the setting itself is the experience, the size of the group starts to matter in a different way.

Megan, James and their closest friends after a hike out to Cora Lake, just south of Mount Rainier in Washington.

Elopements are typically kept very small—usually fewer than 20 people. There’s no strict rule, but once you go beyond that range, the experience naturally starts to feel more like an intimate wedding or "micro" wedding, simply because the logistics begin to change.

This isn’t about being against guests. It’s really just about recognizing that every additional person adds layers—more schedules to coordinate, more expectations to consider, and more variables to manage throughout the day.

That matters because the kinds of experiences many couples envision for an elopement are often less structured and more immersive. For example, if your idea of getting married includes hiking to a remote overlook, spending time exploring, or exchanging vows somewhere off the beaten path, that’s very easy to do when it’s just the two of you (or a very small group). It becomes more complicated when you’re also accounting for group pace, accessibility, comfort, and transportation.

Elopements tend to feel more natural and less performative. There’s less pressure to “host” and more space to simply be present with each other. And when guests are included, it’s usually done very intentionally so that the experience still feels balanced.

That might look like spending part of the day with family or close friends for a ceremony or shared moment, and then carving out time that’s just for the two of you. Some couples even split things across two days—one focused on celebrating with guests, and another that’s entirely their own experience. That way, you get both: meaningful connection with the people you love, and uninterrupted time to actually soak in the day together.

And once you start to strip away the pressure of accommodating a large group, something else becomes possible. The day doesn’t have to follow a script anymore. There’s more room to move intuitively, to make decisions in the moment, and to focus on what actually feels meaningful instead of what’s expected.

That’s where intentionality comes in.

This is where elopements really start to feel different.

There’s no template you’re required to follow, and no checklist of things that have to happen for the day to “count” as a wedding. Instead, you get to decide—honestly and intentionally—what matters to you, and build the day around that.

Traditional weddings often come with a set of expectations, even when couples don’t feel strongly about them. Certain traditions get included simply because they’re familiar, or because they’re what people have seen before. Eloping gives you permission to step back from all of that and ask a simpler question: do we actually want this?

And if the answer is yes, you keep it. If the answer is no, you don’t need it.

Maybe that means having a wedding cake just because it sounds fun, even if it’s just the two of you. Maybe it means reading your vows somewhere private, away from any outside attention. Maybe it means skipping a first dance, a formal reception, or any kind of structured timeline altogether.

It can also look like giving yourself flexibility throughout the day instead of locking everything in ahead of time. You might choose your ceremony spot once you arrive. You might shift plans based on weather, light, or how you’re feeling in the moment. You might leave space in the day to explore, rest, or simply exist in the experience without rushing from one thing to the next.

Even traditions that are common in weddings—like grand entrances, bouquet tosses, speeches, or tightly scheduled reception timelines—don’t have to be part of an elopement unless you genuinely want them to be. They can be reimagined, simplified, or completely left out.

At its core, that’s what makes an elopement feel so intentional.

Nothing is included out of obligation. Nothing is done just because it’s expected. Every part of the day is chosen with care, based on what feels meaningful to you as a couple. And because of that, the experience ends up feeling less like you’re following a script—and more like you’re actually living the day as it unfolds. It’s a quieter kind of clarity. A sense that the day belongs entirely to you, without needing to perform it for anyone else.

The bottom line?

A modern elopement is a deliberate, meaningful celebration focused on you as a couple. And I am here to help you plan and document the whole thing.

Check out some real elopements below!