16 Questions All Couples Have Asked

You’ve decided on forever and have officially become a Simply Eloped couple — congrats! We’re so excited to help plan your big day. We’ve planned hundreds of ceremonies all across the U.S., and we make sure your day is as stress-free as possible, because we feel that weddings should be magical and fun, not filled with anxiety and dread.

While our goal is to simplify your wedding day, your celebration still requires a bit of organization and planning, and a handful of questions typically comes along with that. We receive plenty of the same questions from our couples in all of our destinations — whether that means eloping solo on a beach in Hawaii or reciting wedding vows on a mountaintop in Colorado with a handful of friends — so we’ve compiled a list of helpful q’s to ensure that you’ll have all the answers you need for your big day.

What happens after we book your services?

Once you book with Simply Eloped, we begin to create your team for your wedding day. Once we confirm availability with our vendors, we introduce you all via email, and let your team members take the reins in getting to know you. On the backend of things, Simply Eloped makes sure that anything required for your venue (such as a permit) is taken care of, depending on which location you choose. We’ll also organize an itinerary for you, which you’ll receive prior to your big day, that will have a timeline of your day and helpful information about the venue you’ve chosen.

Can we change our ceremony date or time?

While we can change your date and time, we cannot guarantee availability of your team or your venue for your new preferred time. We always suggest making sure the date and time you’ve chosen initially has been carefully thought out, that way you don’t have to worry about the possibility of a new team or new location.

Consider what you’re doing both before and after your ceremony. Are you getting hair and makeup done? You might not want a sunrise elopement if you need two hours to get glammed up. Do you have dinner reservations with family and friends after your ceremony? You’ll want to leave enough time to arrive at the restaurant on time. Making sure that the timing of your plans for the day is super important, so choose your ceremony time wisely!

What is the best time for a ceremony?

From a photography standpoint, the best time for a ceremony is typically around sunrise or sunset, when the sunlight is warm and golden, and is low enough in the sky where it won’t produce shadows, as it sometimes does when the sun is directly overhead mid-day. However, if the sunrise or sunset time for your ceremony date simply doesn’t work with your itinerary, fret not! Our photographers know how to work with all types of lighting scenarios, and will make sure that your day looks as beautiful on film as it did in real life.

What do we do with our wedding attire?

Most often, we ask that you show up totally wedding ready to ensure we start your ceremony on time. However, if there are specific reasons why you cannot wear your wedding dress or suit to your big day, connect with your team and your Customer Experience Manager to see if there are any alternative options for changing once you’ve reached your wedding venue. Many times, there will be public bathrooms to get changed in, but it’s not always guaranteed, so knowing beforehand is crucial.

Can you provide local recommendations?

 

We can definitely send over any recommendations from local spots that our past couples have told us about! Your Customer Experience Manager would be happy to provide any local recommendations in the area.

Do you provide transportation?

Currently, we do not offer transportation services. Depending on the location you’re getting married, many couples will rent a car or take an Uber to their ceremony location. Others rent a fancy limousine or a horse and carriage — it’s truly up to you how you’d like to show up to your wedding!

How does the day of the ceremony work?

Depending on the time of the year, you’ll receive an itinerary anywhere from 10 to 14 days before your ceremony, which goes over a good deal of information you’ll need for your wedding day, such as the spot where you’ll meet your team, parking information, and tips for getting to your venue. Once you arrive, you’ll meet your team at the designated meeting spot, and your ceremony will take place shortly after! Should you need to contact your vendor(s) or your Customer Experience Manager on the day-of for any reason, that information will be in the itinerary email as well. Easy peasy!

How do I pay my remaining balance?

A month before your ceremony, your Customer Experience Manager will send your final invoice via email. This must be paid at least 1 week prior to your wedding, and if your invoice goes unpaid, we will not be able to send your team to perform the ceremony. Long story short: it’s very important to pay your remaining balance prior to your big day! Pro-tip: we allow partial payments up to 2 weeks prior, so it’s easy to hit that final balance!

How much should we tip?

Gratuity is always appreciated by our vendors, especially if they’ve done a great job helping you have the best day ever. The average tip is about $30-$40, but you can tip whatever amount feels right.

Our package comes with a photographer. When exactly do we take our photos?

If you booked our Sprout, Bloom, or Simply Photos Package, one hour of photography is included on your big day, while our Oasis Package includes 2 hours, and it typically begins as soon as everyone arrives and the ceremony starts. They will capture your entire ceremony (which typically lasts about 15- 20 minutes) and the remainder of time is spent taking portraits of the bride and groom, as well as any portraits with guests (typically 30–45 minutes). Your hour of photography begins at the predetermined ceremony time, so if you’re running late, that does count against your photography time — so please be sure to arrive in a timely manner!

Remember to relax and have fun with it! Your photographer will be able to capture more authentic emotions when you’re not worrying about how you look in front of the camera (spoiler alert: you look stunning!).

Some couples add additional photography hours to either have more time with their photographer after their ceremony, or to capture moments prior to the ceremony, such as a “First Look,” which is when the couple decides to see each other for the first time before the ceremony occurs. If this sounds like something you’re interested in, reach out to your Customer Experience Manager to let them know this is something you’re considering!

Can I pay towards my final balance with payments?

Yes! Just let your Customer Experience Manager know you’d like to make payments and they will send you the link to do so.

How do I obtain my marriage license, and what do I do with it after the ceremony?

While we do email our couples a guide that covers how to go about getting a marriage license, it never hurts to check in with the county that you’re applying to marry in (not the county where you currently live) to ensure you have everything you need to get your license. Be sure to ask whether you and your partner need to apply in person, or if only one person is enough. Typically, you will need proof of identification, such as a driver’s license or a passport, and will need to pay a fee, usually paid in cash or cashier’s check. If you have any questions or trouble finding the information yourself, connect with your Customer Experience for a little extra guidance.

Bring your marriage license with you to your ceremony, where it will then become certified once your officiant signs it. Depending on your location, either you or your officiant will mail that to the county clerk’s office where you first applied for the license. Once that document is certified by the county clerk, it will be mailed to you. Keep in mind that the amount of time it takes to receive your certificate varies on location, so try to wait as patiently as you can!

How many guests are we allowed?

Our packages include up to 20 guests, that way you can have your closest friends and family present on your big day. Keep in mind, however, that some venues have a maximum capacity that’s less than 20, so we can only allow as many guests as the venue regulates!

If your venue allows for more than 20 guests and you were hoping to add more people to your guest list, each guest is an additional $10 per person per vendor. This means that one additional guest for the Seed Package (which includes an officiant), would be $10, and the Sprout Package (which includes an officiant and a photographer) would be $20.

What happens if it rains or storms?

Mother Nature can be unpredictable at times, so rain and inclement weather happens! We absolutely love it when our couples embrace their wedding day weather, but we completely understand not wanting to deal with the elements ruining your outfit or your hair and makeup, as well as not wanting to have your guests braving the elements, either. So, we have a few options.

If the weather is looking very bad — such as a hurricane or a serious storm — we can go ahead and see if we can reschedule your ceremony for a different date. If the weather calls for something less extreme, like rain showers or thunderstorms, we can either find a spot nearby that provides overhead shelter, a local venue that will allow us to perform your ceremony indoors, or we can simply grab some umbrellas and rain boots and run with it! At the end of the day, your team will always have a Plan B, and you can decide what makes the most sense for you.

P.S.: we also have a blog post dedicated to how to handle rain on your wedding day!

What if we’re running late?

While we ask that you arrive 15 minutes prior to your ceremony to allow some wiggle room in the event that there’s more traffic than anticipated or you took a wrong turn, we understand that sometimes there are things out of your control. If you’re running late, please contact a member from your team to let them know your ETA! It should be noted, however, that your time with your team officially starts when your ceremony time is set to take place, so your team members are not required to stay later if you are late to your ceremony. If you want the full time with your team, arriving early is key!

What if I want additional time with our vendors?

We love when our couples want additional time with one of their team members, such as their photographer or videographer, and feel like this enhances your experience on the big day. Reach out to your Customer Experience Manager to let them know what you were thinking, and they will reach out to that particular team member to ensure their availability. So long as the vendor is available, we’ll add that additional time to your final invoice, and you can connect with that vendor to chat more details!