So, you want to elope, but you don’t know what this means or how to do it. Do you just exchange vows, kiss, sign your papers, and leave? The short answer is: It’s up to you. If you want something quick and straightforward for your elopement celebration, go for it. But, in most cases, many couples I work with like to spruce it up so that their big day is full of special little memories.

Think of it this way: You’re probably familiar with certain wedding traditions—the walk down the aisle, the first dance, the reception and the after-party. These are all ways that couples celebrate their love throughout the day. 

Now, apply the same logic to your elopement: What activities and unique celebratory acts can you incorporate into your day to make it feel special? In this article, I’ll provide my top ideas for what to do when you elope to make it feel unique to you and your love!

Questions to Ask Yourself

Choosing specific activities for your elopement can come in the later stages of the planning process, as I’ve outlined in my guide to eloping. When you get to this point, start by asking yourself questions to help with brainstorming. I recommend reflecting individually and then coming up with answers together as a couple:

1. What would make my elopement meaningful?
2. Are there any mainstream wedding traditions that I really love?
3. How do I want to be shown love on my elopement day?
4. Who do I want to celebrate my elopement with?
5. What kind of activities make me feel happy and alive?
6. What would I want to happen on our elopement day if there were no limits?
7. What does “special” mean to me?
8. What would make my identity feel seen and honored?

What to Do On Your Elopement Day: 10 Unique Ideas

Now that you and your partner have brainstormed, it’s time to throw all your ideas out there to see what sticks. Consider writing them down on a whiteboard and slowly filtering out your top contenders afterwards. Here are some unique elopement activities and ideas to help your imaginations run wild:

1. Have People Write Letters or Toasts Beforehand

If an intimate elopement is your style, you likely won’t want everyone in your life to be physically there for the ride. But this doesn’t mean they can’t celebrate with you in other ways! Ask your friends, family, and other close connections to write letters or toasts before your elopement day. Then, when you and your new spouse have a moment to yourselves, read them aloud to each other to feel all the love and support behind you.

2. Have a Celebratory Video Chat With Those You Love

Whether you intentionally planned a private elopement or some of your family and friends can’t make it to your celebratory activities, try scheduling some time to video call the ones who can’t be there. This can be as casual or formal as you’d like—you can plan sentimental messages beforehand or just go with the flow! 

3. First Dance Under the Stars

If your location and the weather permits, plan your first dance under the night sky. Bring a speaker and play a meaningful song that resonates with you and your partner. This is the perfect opportunity to have a moment with just the two of you. Or, if you plan to celebrate with a small group of people, this can also fit perfectly into your itinerary, whether you’re all hanging out until the sun sets or plan to have a late-night celebration.

4. Celebrate With An Adventure or Your Favorite Activity

If you and your partner love a bit of an adrenaline rush, consider planning an adventurous activity after your elopement, like kayaking, ziplining, or hiking. Keep in mind that adventures don’t always have to mean adrenaline rushes—you can opt for other types of activities, like searching seashells along at the beachfront or taking your dog for a walk. For more ideas on incorporating adventure into your elopement, check out my previous blog. 

5. Leverage Your Creative Passions

Are you and your partner artists? Musicians? Writers? Whatever creative passions you two love, try finding ways to celebrate your elopement with them. For example, consider sketching or painting the location of your vow exchange or writing songs and singing them for the first time together (or to each other) on your elopement day. 

6. Visit the Place Where Your Love Began

If your elopement location is near where you and your partner first met, take a trip down memory lane to take in the incredible journey you two have been on (and will continue to go on!). You can do this with just the two of you or your loved ones. Either way, you can retell the memories out loud and experience a full-circle moment bound to fill your hearts with even more love and gratitude.

7. Virtual Guestbook

Thankfully, in today’s digital age, there are many platforms out there that allow you to celebrate online. If you have a small number of people attending your elopement, try using a virtual guest book so they can snap photos, share messages, and give thoughtful words of wisdom from the convenience of their phones. Even if you don’t plan your elopement to include guests, you can use the guest book to have your loved ones chime in on your big day from wherever they are in the world.

8. Create a Time Capsule

Put special mementos from your elopement, like maps, accessories, letters, or Polaroid photos, into a box and open it back up on a future anniversary. You can also have close family and friends contribute to the time capsule to make the celebration even more special!

9. Dance It Out

Dance party for two, anyone? If you don’t have guests at your elopement, why not have a dance party together? You can have your first dance in a memorable place (or forgo the tradition altogether) and then bop the night away until you’ve filled your happiness bucket—or get sleepy. If you have a small group of people attending your elopement, consider creating a shared playlist where everyone can add their songs to keep the party going.

10. Surprise Each Other

If you and your partner love an element of surprise, consider setting aside some time in your day to surprise each other. There are a few ways you can go about this:

• Set two separate blocks of time for each person’s surprise.
• If one person likes surprises more than the other, have one surprise.
• If you have guests coming to your elopement, consider incorporating them into the surprise or having them help you execute it.

Up to this point, you and your new spouse have likely planned everything together. Surprises can be a unique and meaningful way to show how much you love and care about each other, so consider mixing up the celebration with one or two of them. A surprise could be anything—a gift, a dinner, an activity, you name it.

How to Plan Your Itinerary

As your elopement photographer, I can help you plan your day with your chosen celebration activities and ideas to ensure you have enough time to soak in every moment and enjoy each other’s company. The last thing you want is to pack your day to the brim and feel rushed when hopping from one thing to the next.

When planning your itinerary, we’ll consider things like:

• How long it takes to get ready
• How long it takes to get to your elopement location
• How much time to budget for breaks and rest
• When the sun rises and sets
• When the best photo opportunities are
• What your priorities are (this can help us roughly allocate more or less time to particular activities)

If you have too many good ideas and can’t narrow down what you want on your elopement day, you can discuss your options with me—I can provide a more objective perspective on what works and what might not be realistic. If you’re still tied between options and can’t pick the activities most important to you, consider leaving it up to fate with a random online generator or drawing your ideas from a hat.

Capturing Your Elopement Moments

No matter how you sprinkle your elopement with memorable moments and celebrations, you’ll need someone to capture these memories so you can look back on them forever. That’s where I come in! As a queer elopement photographer, I go beyond just taking photos; I’m here to help tell your unique love story, capture who you are as people, and make your elopement dreams everything you’ve ever imagined. Ready to get started? Reach out to me today! I can’t wait to meet you.