January 25, 2021
Elopement vs. Intimate Wedding: Choosing Your Perfect Wedding Day
While downsizing weddings is a growing trend due to that pesky pandemic, I believe this trend is here to stay. So, what’s the difference between an elopement and intimate wedding?
While these smaller do tend to save money, there are some vendors you shouldn’t skip, like hiring a professional wedding photographer.
As you consider the type of wedding you want, understanding the difference between an elopement and an intimate wedding will help choose which one is best for you.
What’s an Elopement?
By definition an elopement is “an act or instance of running off secretly, to be married”. However, not all elopements need to be done secretly.
An elopement can take place anywhere – from the courthouse, a destination location, to even your backyard. Typically, elopements have no guests except for the officiant and the photographer who acts as your witness. If there are guests the list is typically smaller around 10 people.
Elopements are more ceremony-focused since there’s not a formal reception for elopements.
Pros:
You might save money — you can invest in the details that matter most to you
It’s more intimate — the whole day is about you & your fiancé
Less stress & more flexibility
More “You” focused rather than “guest” focused
Cons:
You may miss your loved ones at the ceremony
Your decision may cause some hurt feelings in your family and loved ones.
Elopement Galleries:
Untraditional Galveston Elopement
What’s an Intimate Wedding?
The key difference between an intimate wedding from a traditional wedding is the size of the guest list. The focus is keeping the guest list smaller yet still enjoyable for your guests. Typically, intimate weddings are 25-50 guests.
Having a smaller guest list means you can splurge on what matters to you — your details, the venue or destination, gourmet dinner options, craft cocktails, or fabulous entertainment. This really allows you to create a personalized experience for your guests.
Intimate weddings make for a great destination wedding but also for local weddings. In short, an intimate wedding is a smaller-scale wedding that lets you save on your overall wedding budget and gives you more room to play with your budget due to the smaller guest count.
Pros:
You can celebrate with those closest to you
More relaxed timeline for the day
Wedding budget goes further to splurge on what matters most to you
Cons:
More planning involved than an elopement
Some family/friends could get hurt feelings for not being invited
Can be expensive
Intimate Wedding Galleries:
Robert Carr Chapel Intimate Wedding
Eagle Mountain Lake Intimate Wedding
Pros & Cons of a Traditional Wedding:
Pros:
You can celebrate your marriage with your family & friends
You’ll create lots of memories with your loved ones & get lots of treasured photos of those people
Cons:
Can be expensive
Lot’s of planning
Less relaxed timeline
Your wedding day whether you choose an intimate affair, an elopement, or traditional wedding deserves to be captured by a professional wedding photographer. Your wedding is not less than your more traditional extravagant affairs.
Now, making the choice between eloping vs. intimate wedding vs. a traditional wedding will be a completely personal decision. Weigh your options. Take a moment to sort through the pros and cons and choose what is most important to you.
if you found this blog post helpful, check out these posts:
Questions You WANT to Ask a Wedding Photographer
5 Reasons You Need an Engagement Session
Wedding Advice from KAP Brides
looking for a wedding photographer?
Now booking 2021/2022 Southern California & Dallas Weddings and Elopements
Kyrsten Ashlay Photography is a Dallas Wedding Photographer specializing in romantic, heartfelt, timeless imagery for joyful couples. If you’re looking for a wedding photographer to capture your special day in Dallas or the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, I’d love to hear from you! Send me a note – can’t wait to connect!
[…] What Type of Wedding is Perfect for You? […]