Your elopement announcement is a big deal. It’s your opportunity to let those you love and trust into your lives and share the joy and happiness. But you might feel a little stuck thinking about how to tell people. On one hand, you might be worried about people’s reactions. On the other hand, you might be confused about how to announce your elopement in a way that’s meaningful to you and your partner.

Whether you’re looking forward to the big day or have just eloped and are ready to spread the news, this guide takes you through the process of how to announce you got married and some ideas to help get your creativity flowing.

Do You Need To Tell People You Eloped?

Firstly, I want to address a critical aspect of eloping. The whole point of going this route is to have the freedom to make the celebration your own—whatever that means to you. If you have friends or family who don’t accept your love, especially if you’re part of the LGBTQIA+ community, you don’t have to tell them anything!

Personally, this is my experience in my elopement journey with my partner. My family is not accepting, so I fully understand that it might feel weird to do things differently than what you grew up imagining. But I promise the day can still be beautiful and special, even without those people!

You and your partner have cultivated a safe space with each other, and hostile family and friends don’t deserve a place in this bubble. At the end of the day, other people don’t have the right to insert themselves into your love story. It’s a privilege, and you get to decide who will be part of it. 

The tips in this guide are designed to fit a wide range of circumstances. Whether you have one or two people to share the news with or a big family and friend group, you can adapt these elopement announcement ideas to fit your unique situation.

Should You Announce Your Elopement Before or After the Day?

This is entirely up to you. If you are on good terms with family and friends and want to give them a window into your life before the big day, there are many creative ways to make this happen. Taking this route can look like a simple “Hey, just to let you know, we’re eloping,” or  “Hey, we’re eloping, and we’d like you to be involved.”

On the other hand, if you want to provide an element of surprise or aren’t ready to tell people until afterwards, there are also many ways to make your announcement memorable. Here’s a quick rundown of the benefits of each option:

Pros of Announcing Your Elopement Before the Big Day

• Close family and friends can share the excitement with you leading up to the day.
• It can create a sense of closeness with your loved ones as you go through the elopement planning journey. 
• You can involve loved ones in planning if that’s your style.
• You can feel a sense of support along the way.

Pros of Announcing Your Elopement After the Big Day

• You can focus on what you and your partner want without distractions from outside opinions. 
• You can take all the time you need—announce your elopement the day of, the day after, a month later, or whenever you want!
• You get to surprise the people you love.
• You can share all your photos and memories in a creative way.

Elopement Announcement Ideas: Before You Elope

There are so many unique pre-elopement announcement ideas out there—it wouldn’t be possible to name them all. But, to help you get started with your brainstorm, here are a few options that I love:

1. Keep it simple with a card. If you’re not big into flashy announcements, mail-out cards are a reliable way to communicate the message.
2. Write a poem. Channel your inner poet and craft a unique poem for others to cherish forever.
3. Pre-record a video detailing your plan to elope. Sit in front of the camera or put together some clips to send to your family and friends for a memorable announcement.
4. Invite them to get involved in the process. Whether through a formal invitation or in a casual conversation, you can get your loved ones involved in attire shopping, prop making, or writing toasts for you and your partner to read alone on your elopement day.
5. Invite them to an after-party. Again, this can be a formal or informal invitation. You can let others know about your plan to elope and get them excited about celebrating with you after the big day.

Here are some fun ways you can craft your words for your elopement announcement:

• “Breaking tradition, tying the knot in our own way. Stay tuned for the post-elopement party details!”
• “We’re eloping, just the two of us, and we can’t wait to tell you all about our intimate celebration!”
• “Surprise! We’ve decided to skip the fuss and elope. Save the date for the after-elopement bash!”
• “Love is an adventure, and ours led us to an elopement! Details to come.”
• “Small ceremony, big love. Join us in celebrating our elopement journey!”
• “We’re eloping for a simple reason—love. Stay tuned for the full story!”

Pre-Elopement Announcement Tips

If your friends and family aren’t the biggest fans of surprises, you can hint at the idea of eloping long in advance. For example, bring up how you like the idea of eloping and how this would be your dream way to get married.

Some family and friends might ask you why you are choosing to elope. If this is a conversation you’re willing to have, tell them the truth about your “why,” which could include:

• We want the day to be intimate so we can focus on each other.
• We love the idea of going on an adventure with just the two of us.
• We don’t want the stress of planning a big ceremony—we’d rather celebrate afterwards.

Elopement Announcement Ideas: After You Elope

When announcing your marriage after you elope, you get to leverage the stories and memories already made. Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. The classic mail-out card. A staple in any situation. You can personalize this card with a photo from the big day.
2. Social media posts. If you want to share the news with a broader audience, consider putting together a short-form video or carousel of photos from your elopement with a meaningful caption.
3. Throw a party afterwards. You can approach this in different ways: let your loved ones know about a post-elopement party, or make it a surprise party and announce the elopement at that time. 
4. Send an elopement video or montage of photos. An excellent idea for those with family and friends spread across the country or globe. Sending a video with your narration or a meaningful song in the background can help them revel in your happiness with you.
5. “We Eloped” dog bandana. If you have a furry friend, consider getting a custom-made bandana that says, “We eloped.” It’s a fun, cute way to reveal the news.
6. Write a small story. If you have the creative prowess to string words together, consider writing a small storybook detailing the events of your elopement. It’ll help others feel like they were there with you!

If you’re thinking about what to write for your post-elopement announcement, here are some ideas:

• “The best-kept secret is out! We eloped and can’t wait to share the enchanting details.”
• “Breaking news: We’re married!”
• “We eloped! Because wedding planning sounded suspiciously like a group project.”
• “We’re excited to announce that we eloped in [name of place] on [date here].”
• “We did a thing! We eloped.”
• “Weddings really aren’t our thing, so we eloped! And we hope you’ll join us for the after-party.”

Preparing For Reactions When You Announce Your Elopement

You know your situation the best. Sometimes, friends and family might not react the way you hope. To prepare yourself for this possibility, here are some tips to keep in mind:

• Practice self-care. An element of vulnerability comes with letting people into your life to celebrate your love story. If you receive bad reactions, take some space with your partner to cope and ground yourselves. It can be hard to face rejection or hostility, especially from people close to you.
• Always wait until you’re ready. If you have a slight feeling that certain family members or friends will not react as you hope, ensure you take your time leading up to the announcement. Do it at a time when you feel grounded and supported by the rest of your connections.
• Speak from the heart. When announcing your elopement, speak your truth. If your loved ones react poorly, try your best to stand your ground and explain the reasons why eloping was so important to begin with. Remember, eloping isn’t selfish. It’s a celebration that honors your unique love, value, and worth.
• Lead with excitement. Showing how happy and excited you are about your elopement can positively affect friends and family. If they see how much joy this brings you, the hope is that they’ll mirror this happiness, regardless of their own opinions.

Getting Your Photographer Involved

As your photographer, I’m not just here to take photos of your big day. If you choose, I can help you navigate the process of announcing your elopement. And as a queer person, I understand the challenges you may face when dealing with friends and family members. I’m here for you, whether you need advice or want to incorporate your professional photos into your big reveal. 

Reach out to me today to learn more about how we can make your big day as special and memorable as your love is!