Your Personal Elopement Guide
If you’ve followed Kim Captures Elopements for a while now, you very well know a little bit about what it means to elope. To add to your knowledge, we wrote this blog post for two reasons: to give you the inside look on our elopement process and to explain what eloping is for those of you who either don’t know or have a vague idea about the term.
WHY
Let’s begin with the most important question. Why? Why do people elope? More specifically, why should YOU elope?
On my wedding day, cousins, aunts, uncles and immediate family came to support us. We ate delicious food. We danced and sang through the evening. Yes, I am grateful for the memories I have of that day! But now as I look back, I realize I didn’t even know what I wanted.
After having years of experience capturing special moments through camera and helping couples plan a day just for themselves, I wish I would’ve planned my wedding day around just Caleb and I. I wish every detail felt significant and intentional. Instead I had more of the attitude of, “ya that’s good enough.” Number ONE rule of eloping: let’s not settle for good enough. This is your day. Let’s celebrate it the way you WANT!
I like to think that I can use my own wedding experience (the good and the not so good) as motivation to inspire YOU to plan a day that isn’t just good enough, but that feels like you. From your favorite cake, traditions, activities, down to how many people will be there. That’s the beauty of eloping; you get to call the shots, and Kim Captures gets to make them happen!
So, why should you elope? Because, if you’re going to get married, you might as well make the experience as intimate and as unique as the story of your relationship;)
WHAT
When I meet my couples, the beginning of any elopement planning session begins with some detective work. So, let’s imagine you and I are sitting down to plan your elopement day, and we begin by getting a feel about your story.
What is important to your relationship?
What activities do you like doing together?
Do you have any activities you’ve always wanted to do together but haven’t done yet?
What experiences do you want to create together?
What vibe are you going for?
Are you thrill seekers? Adventurous? Relaxed and chill?
These prompts are everything when it comes to planning an elopement tailored to you. One time I had a couple plan their entire itinerary around a hike they were itching to explore. The bride wore a beautiful white dress, and the groom cleaned up nicely. They smiled as they stood in front of each other, as my husband married them just as the morning shadows started disappearing and the sun arose.
We said our goodbyes and set them off to enjoy the day as a newly married couple. Friends! You guessed right. Not every elopement is the same. You may value adventure and excitement. Or you might value relaxing by the pool and keeping it low key.
If you value the mountains, we’ll plan an elopement in the mountains. If you’re adventurous and thrill seeking, you better believe we can plan a helicopter or hot air balloon ride. If you want to spend a couple days after your elopement to explore the sights, we’ll plan an itinerary that’s full of hiking, restaurant and activity options for you to choose from.
WHEN
Discussing all things what leads smoothly into the when. When do you want to elope?
Do you have specific dates you’re thinking about?
What season of the year do you want to elope in?
Do you want to elope in the evening? Morning?
Let’s say, you’ve enjoyed skiing and snowboarding together since you first started dating; having a cozy winter wedding might be right up your alley. Maybe you want to say your vows privately in a meadow of wildflowers. Choosing late spring, early summer will allow for that to happen. Or maybe you LOVE the look of fall leaves. (I’m right with you!) Fall might be the perfect season for you to to elope in.
After we chat about when you want to elope, we’ll pick an anticipated time and finalize the dates once we determine accommodation options for your elopement night and honeymoon. We ask for you to be flexible at this time, as the places you want to stay may not be available on your chosen date.
WHERE
We want to make your day feel as seamless as possible. And to make it even easier, we’ve hand selected five of Utah’s most breathtaking bucket-list elopement locations for you to choose from: Lake Powell, Sundance, Zion National Park, Moab and Park City. Not only can you elope at any of these top locations, but depending on the location you choose, you also get to explore all of the vast and beautiful scenery that that place has to offer.
Instead of asking you to choose where you want to elope first, we ask you about what’s important to you when we first meet, which gives us a good look inside where you want to elope. If you like the lush, green mountains, we would recommend you choose a location like Parky City and Sundance. Some of the clients I’ve worked with in the past were obsessed with the deep canyons and red rocks of Zion, which is why we naturally planned their eloped in Zion. It’s simple and easy.
Once you choose a place to elope, we’ll give you a list of some of the top-rated hotel-resorts and lodging in your decided location. Now it’s time to finalize the dates and book!
HOW
This is where everything comes together. You know the what, when and where. At this point think about how do you want to elope? Remember this is your day. You get to decide.
Do you want to more ceremonial wedding?
Do you have inside jokes you could intertwine within your day?
Do you have any culture traditions you’d like to include in the ceremony? Small celebration afterwords? (If you choose to have one)
Apart from the ceremony itself, think back to these questions. Is there something you haven’t done that you’ve always wanted to do together? What activities do you like doing together? What memories do you want to make?
This is where the fun starts. Think outside the box. Get creative! Plan your elopement around a big adventure. You could elope on a house boat in Lake Powell and celebrate by cliff diving. Or you could start the day off with a helicopter ride to an overlook in Zion, elope at one of the famous overlooks and celebrate with sky diving and finishing the day off with sitting around a campfire with your loved ones.
Add in all the little things that make you happy. I remember, at one elopement I was touched when the groom picked up his guitar and started serenading his sweet wife with a song he wrote just for her. LOVE IT! Don’t be afraid to get sentimental and lovey dovey!
WHO
Three simple questions.
Who is important to you?
Who do you want to support you on your elopement day?
Who has been apart of the journey of your relationship?
Try to make this as uncomplicated, as it needs to be. You know deep down who you want there. Get rid of all the guilt and the fear of hurting feelings. This is your day! Trust me. You’ll want to spend your day with the people who mean the MOST to you! And if that’s a lot of people, then let’s have a party!
Do you remember when I said that I wished my elopement felt more significant and intentional, but instead I had more of the attitude of, “ya that’s good enough.” PLEASE. Take it from the advice I’d give my younger self. Make your day one in a million. Complete with sentiment, joy and adventure. Like I said above. “Let’s not settle for good enough. This is your day. Let’s celebrate it the way you WANT! Kim Captures will be with you the entire time.