Why you should elope?
If you're reading this, you might be planning a big event and finding it is spiraling out of control. Maybe the wedding planning is so all-consuming that you are finding it next to impossible to spend quality time with your sweetie. Maybe you find yourselves squabbling over the petty details. Or find yourself planning the wedding of your mother's dreams, but not your own. Perhaps expenses are totally out of control and you have this nagging feeling that the money could be put to a better use than a one day extravaganza.
There is great joy in celebrating all types of commitments of love. It may be a private ceremony for two on the beach, a 500+ gathering of your closest friends at the poshest hotel in town, or a wedding party in the park. What we don't want is anyone being married at a gathering that stresses their nerves, their budget, or simply is not a reflection of who they are as a couple. If a big wedding isn't for you, then don't be pressured into having one.
Maybe your planning process hasn't started yet, but you know that a big wedding is not who you are. You want your commitment to one another to be simple and pure and just between the two of you. You also know that your family and friends will be upset if you chose to elope. It takes courage to inform them that you will be marrying in a way that is opposed to their pre-conceived notion of what your ceremony should be. Here are are a few reasons that will help convince you if you're teetering on the edge of the elopement decision.
Prefer a small wedding
Many people simply want a small intimate wedding. Many people decide to run off and get married on their own and then have a celebration party or dinner after they return.
Intimacy
Your day is about the two of you. It may sound romantic to proclaim your love in front of a large group of people, but how meaningful is it when these people are made up of your partner's boss, your parents’ friends, your cousin's date, etc. ? Your wedding can be personalized, with no concerns about catering to anyone else. Imagine just the two of you committing your lives to each other in the sanctity of each other's company, or in front of the few people who mean the most to you. An elopement doesn't have to be totally exclusive, it's just that you actually own the guest list.
There are as many ways to personalize your wedding day as there are ways to get married. A beautiful event can take place in your own backyard, or with a dream destination as the setting.
Getting married is one of the best days in your life. Make it the day you want and not the day that your parents, bridesmaids, guests, or the wedding industry insists upon.
Eloping is all about Intimacy! It's going to be much easier to emotionally connect with your partner while saying your vows on the beach, than by worrying about flubbing your lines before your boss and your parent's best friends. The staff at Florida Nuptials have the experience for creating a relaxed and comfortable event for the bridal couple. If you really want it to be "all about you" then there is no better way to attain this than by eloping.
Less Stress, Ease, and Convenience
Planning a wedding is well known to be a serious stress factor, and very time consuming. There is a multitude of decisions to make with the (seemingly) endless planning. A wedding can take a lot out of a couple. Consider the following example of a ceremony layout: setting a date and time-summer, fall, winter, spring, ceremony and reception location - outside or inside, the guest list - be prepared there are several people who will be contributing to this list, choosing the invitations, wedding dress/suit, alterations, shoes, jewelry, hair, makeup, wedding planner, photographer, portraits, officiant/minister, rehearsal or not, flowers, centerpieces, meal-buffet or formal, bar-what to serve & cut-off limits or not, band/dj, cake décor and flavor, to video or not, cocktail hour music, choosing bridesmaids/groomsmen, vows - traditional or custom, ceremony poem/song/reading selections, picking out ceremony music, selecting your wedding registry, honeymoon, flights, car rental, hotel, speeches, flower girls and ring bearers, bridesmaids dresses, attendants gifts, guest favors, guest transportation…we could go on, but we think we've made our point.
If you're looking to avoid stress on your wedding day, an elopement is the only way to go, without a doubt. Let the pounding of your heart as you walk to your groom be from love, not anxiety! You're virtually guaranteed a celebration that you will remember with a smile for the rest of your life.
Want to Marry Quickly
There are so many reasons why a couple might want to marry quickly. It might be that they are totally in love and don't want to wait another second. It can take 6 months or much longer to plan a wedding. It might be any one of the following as well:
· Availability - Saturdays may book up for wedding services from a reputable officiant a year or more in advance
· A Military relocation
· Job relocation - you want to get married before you move away from the area of family and friends
· One of you has an immigration or visa issue
· Family or friends already have events (graduations, weddings) booked for same time frame
The planning time for an elopement can be minimal to non-existent when compared to the traditional 6 - 18 months that it takes to plan a traditional wedding. The Officiants at Florida Nuptials have been dispatched to ceremony locations within 1 1/2 hours from initial contact, and covered several “emergency” situations where other officiants were unable to carry out their duties with a booking. All you need in advance is the Marriage License which can be obtained at any courthouse within the State of Florida
Not the First Marriage
You know the ropes, it's not your first time around, been there done that, you've had the cake and overpaid the photographer. You don't need the family and friends, don't need the hassle, and you're older and wiser. Many people entering second, third, etc. marriages decide to elope because they have already had the big wedding and now are interested in a simple ceremony with the person they love.
Cost of a Wedding
You don't want to spend much, can't spend much, or you don't want to pay for guests to eat and get drunk…
The average cost of a "regular" wedding in this country is $24,500 and up, depending on which information source you research. The ballpark cost of an elopement (including a hotel for a few days, the marriage license, simple flowers, the Officiant's fee, an intimate wedding dinner, a cake for two and your dress) will be somewhere in the area of $1,000 to $4,500 depending on your choice of location, method of transportation, etc. When the issue of funding the big day turns thoughts to elopement, it's usually the vision of forking out for a bland buffet and supporting the liquor habits of the guests to blame. Really it's the expense of the entire wedding, in 2005 the average wedding cost $26,327 (according to CNNmoney.com), which makes couples take a step back to look at what the happiest day of their lives will cost them.
With an elopement you can both save money and indulge yourself. For example you could put that money on a down payment for a house and you could have the honeymoon of your jet set dreams. Florida Nuptials has economical packages available from $425 that offer more than just the services of an Officiant for the eloping couples that would like an event with a little pizzazz.
Family Issues
Non-traditional - divorces in either or both of your families can leave you with a lot of possible sticky situations.
· Sometimes your family opposes your marriage or portions of your wedding choices, like the location, date, or having a bar.
· Family is sponsoring the wedding with strings attached.
· Family is not contributing—but just as vocal and opinionated.
· You or family members are living abroad and may not be able to travel.
· Large size family and extended family can mean a very large guest list.
· There is a black sheep / embarrassing relative and you don't want them to ruin your day.
· Aside from the initial shock, the stress on your familial relations will be considerably less with an elopement.
Eloping avoids the "whom to invite" predicament. You won't have to deal with the worry of offending distant relatives or have the unpleasant duty of telling your co-workers that they can't bring a date.
Religion/Culture
You may face opposition from your family and friends on your choice of a life partner for religious, cultural, and ethnic reasons. Perhaps you don't have strong religious convictions but your parents do and expect a religious ceremony or vice versa.
Eloping avoids the religion issue and relieves pressure to be married in the church. It also eliminates the "I'm one religion, he's another" dilemma. The Destin Officiants and Panama City Beach Officiants at Florida Nuptials are all Notaries or non-denominational Ministers that are able to officiate civil unions, spiritual ceremonies, or religious events.
Dislike Attention
Not all brides and grooms want to be the center of attention…and that's exactly where they would be in a guest filled wedding. The reception line, the wedding table, the ceremony, and the constant glances throughout the ceremony from the guests…you get none of that when it's just the two of you.
There is great joy in celebrating all types of commitments of love. It may be a private ceremony for two on the beach, a 500+ gathering of your closest friends at the poshest hotel in town, or a wedding party in the park. What we don't want is anyone being married at a gathering that stresses their nerves, their budget, or simply is not a reflection of who they are as a couple. If a big wedding isn't for you, then don't be pressured into having one.
Maybe your planning process hasn't started yet, but you know that a big wedding is not who you are. You want your commitment to one another to be simple and pure and just between the two of you. You also know that your family and friends will be upset if you chose to elope. It takes courage to inform them that you will be marrying in a way that is opposed to their pre-conceived notion of what your ceremony should be. Here are are a few reasons that will help convince you if you're teetering on the edge of the elopement decision.
Prefer a small wedding
Many people simply want a small intimate wedding. Many people decide to run off and get married on their own and then have a celebration party or dinner after they return.
Intimacy
Your day is about the two of you. It may sound romantic to proclaim your love in front of a large group of people, but how meaningful is it when these people are made up of your partner's boss, your parents’ friends, your cousin's date, etc. ? Your wedding can be personalized, with no concerns about catering to anyone else. Imagine just the two of you committing your lives to each other in the sanctity of each other's company, or in front of the few people who mean the most to you. An elopement doesn't have to be totally exclusive, it's just that you actually own the guest list.
There are as many ways to personalize your wedding day as there are ways to get married. A beautiful event can take place in your own backyard, or with a dream destination as the setting.
Getting married is one of the best days in your life. Make it the day you want and not the day that your parents, bridesmaids, guests, or the wedding industry insists upon.
Eloping is all about Intimacy! It's going to be much easier to emotionally connect with your partner while saying your vows on the beach, than by worrying about flubbing your lines before your boss and your parent's best friends. The staff at Florida Nuptials have the experience for creating a relaxed and comfortable event for the bridal couple. If you really want it to be "all about you" then there is no better way to attain this than by eloping.
Less Stress, Ease, and Convenience
Planning a wedding is well known to be a serious stress factor, and very time consuming. There is a multitude of decisions to make with the (seemingly) endless planning. A wedding can take a lot out of a couple. Consider the following example of a ceremony layout: setting a date and time-summer, fall, winter, spring, ceremony and reception location - outside or inside, the guest list - be prepared there are several people who will be contributing to this list, choosing the invitations, wedding dress/suit, alterations, shoes, jewelry, hair, makeup, wedding planner, photographer, portraits, officiant/minister, rehearsal or not, flowers, centerpieces, meal-buffet or formal, bar-what to serve & cut-off limits or not, band/dj, cake décor and flavor, to video or not, cocktail hour music, choosing bridesmaids/groomsmen, vows - traditional or custom, ceremony poem/song/reading selections, picking out ceremony music, selecting your wedding registry, honeymoon, flights, car rental, hotel, speeches, flower girls and ring bearers, bridesmaids dresses, attendants gifts, guest favors, guest transportation…we could go on, but we think we've made our point.
If you're looking to avoid stress on your wedding day, an elopement is the only way to go, without a doubt. Let the pounding of your heart as you walk to your groom be from love, not anxiety! You're virtually guaranteed a celebration that you will remember with a smile for the rest of your life.
Want to Marry Quickly
There are so many reasons why a couple might want to marry quickly. It might be that they are totally in love and don't want to wait another second. It can take 6 months or much longer to plan a wedding. It might be any one of the following as well:
· Availability - Saturdays may book up for wedding services from a reputable officiant a year or more in advance
· A Military relocation
· Job relocation - you want to get married before you move away from the area of family and friends
· One of you has an immigration or visa issue
· Family or friends already have events (graduations, weddings) booked for same time frame
The planning time for an elopement can be minimal to non-existent when compared to the traditional 6 - 18 months that it takes to plan a traditional wedding. The Officiants at Florida Nuptials have been dispatched to ceremony locations within 1 1/2 hours from initial contact, and covered several “emergency” situations where other officiants were unable to carry out their duties with a booking. All you need in advance is the Marriage License which can be obtained at any courthouse within the State of Florida
Not the First Marriage
You know the ropes, it's not your first time around, been there done that, you've had the cake and overpaid the photographer. You don't need the family and friends, don't need the hassle, and you're older and wiser. Many people entering second, third, etc. marriages decide to elope because they have already had the big wedding and now are interested in a simple ceremony with the person they love.
Cost of a Wedding
You don't want to spend much, can't spend much, or you don't want to pay for guests to eat and get drunk…
The average cost of a "regular" wedding in this country is $24,500 and up, depending on which information source you research. The ballpark cost of an elopement (including a hotel for a few days, the marriage license, simple flowers, the Officiant's fee, an intimate wedding dinner, a cake for two and your dress) will be somewhere in the area of $1,000 to $4,500 depending on your choice of location, method of transportation, etc. When the issue of funding the big day turns thoughts to elopement, it's usually the vision of forking out for a bland buffet and supporting the liquor habits of the guests to blame. Really it's the expense of the entire wedding, in 2005 the average wedding cost $26,327 (according to CNNmoney.com), which makes couples take a step back to look at what the happiest day of their lives will cost them.
With an elopement you can both save money and indulge yourself. For example you could put that money on a down payment for a house and you could have the honeymoon of your jet set dreams. Florida Nuptials has economical packages available from $425 that offer more than just the services of an Officiant for the eloping couples that would like an event with a little pizzazz.
Family Issues
Non-traditional - divorces in either or both of your families can leave you with a lot of possible sticky situations.
· Sometimes your family opposes your marriage or portions of your wedding choices, like the location, date, or having a bar.
· Family is sponsoring the wedding with strings attached.
· Family is not contributing—but just as vocal and opinionated.
· You or family members are living abroad and may not be able to travel.
· Large size family and extended family can mean a very large guest list.
· There is a black sheep / embarrassing relative and you don't want them to ruin your day.
· Aside from the initial shock, the stress on your familial relations will be considerably less with an elopement.
Eloping avoids the "whom to invite" predicament. You won't have to deal with the worry of offending distant relatives or have the unpleasant duty of telling your co-workers that they can't bring a date.
Religion/Culture
You may face opposition from your family and friends on your choice of a life partner for religious, cultural, and ethnic reasons. Perhaps you don't have strong religious convictions but your parents do and expect a religious ceremony or vice versa.
Eloping avoids the religion issue and relieves pressure to be married in the church. It also eliminates the "I'm one religion, he's another" dilemma. The Destin Officiants and Panama City Beach Officiants at Florida Nuptials are all Notaries or non-denominational Ministers that are able to officiate civil unions, spiritual ceremonies, or religious events.
Dislike Attention
Not all brides and grooms want to be the center of attention…and that's exactly where they would be in a guest filled wedding. The reception line, the wedding table, the ceremony, and the constant glances throughout the ceremony from the guests…you get none of that when it's just the two of you.
