Why Do People Elope? 11 Reasons from Simply Eloped

If you just got engaged and can’t quite imagine yourself having a traditional wedding, then you might want to consider eloping instead – this type of ceremony is becoming a growing trend, and you might be wondering why do people elope?

The meaning of elopement has evolved to be about more than just running away to get hitched without the blessings of family. Nowadays, even couples who don’t share the same family issues as Romeo and Juliet are also eloping! In fact, this type of wedding is now a choice for couples who have a different concept regarding how to celebrate love and union. With an intimate elopement wedding, you have a choice, and there are many more reasons when it comes to why elope in the first place. In this article, we rounded up the top 11 things that make eloping a great choice for you and your partner.

1. Grants You The Freedom To Decide

Why do people elope? There are many reasons but the freedom this option gives you tops them all. The privilege to choose wherever and how you want to celebrate your love for each other makes an elopement wedding an attractive proposition for many couples nowadays – freedom from all the wedding traditions that you may not want to include in your ceremony.

2. Gives Flexibility in Your Wedding Budget

Do you know how much weddings cost nowadays? Traditional weddings cost an average of $19,000 despite the pandemic. That is even with the massive reduction in the allowable guest count. On the other hand, elopement gives you flexibility on how you want to spend your budget.

Although having no guests or only a few very close people attend your elopement automatically reduces your wedding expenses, this is not always the case. The truth is, eloping can cost more or less than a traditional marriage ceremony. So, why elope if there’s a possibility that you may pay even more? Because the money you will spend will be most likely used for YOU as a couple. The amount of cash spent on traditional weddings can be equivalent to eloping in the most wonderful paradise you can dream of – another vital point that definitely gives an answer to the question, why do people elope?

3. Creates Intimate and Personal Experience

As a couple who wants to truly cherish your special day as much as possible, it is natural that you will choose a more intimate way of celebrating your new chapter. This is definitely one of the reasons to elope. The intimacy that elopement allows for makes it an even more meaningful way of making your union.

4. Perfect for Destination Weddings

Are you a couple who likes to travel? Do you have a country you are both obsessed with, to the point that you imagine yourselves getting married there? Then, what’s stopping you? A traditional wedding abroad will cost you a significant sum, but that isn’t the case with these intimate affairs. Having a destination wedding is one of the perfect reasons to elope. Not only will you get to marry in a country that you both love, but it also won’t cost you as much since you only have to think about yourself and your partner when budgeting – plus, eventually your closest circle. Consider it as having a vacation at the same time. Isn’t that amazing?

5. Hits Two Birds With One Stone with a 2-in-1 Experience

Deciding to have a destination elopement is a perfect opportunity to plan your honeymoon at the same location as well. Having your elopement in the same place as your honeymoon will save you even more time and money. It will be a tremendous 2-in-1 experience that will surely be memorable for both of you.

6. Provides Opportunities for Stunning Photos

Have you ever seen pictures of couples in their wedding outfits while getting married on top of a mountain during the golden hour? Did you find it so magical that you wish you could also have wedding photos as stunning as theirs? Elopement offers you a plethora of stunning photos as there are no restrictions on where you can have your ceremony, may it be on a mountain, forest, coastline, lakeside, or desert.

7. Design a Unique Experience For You As A Couple

Why Elope? Because it is a unique experience which both of you will remember for a lifetime. Eloping allows for spontaneity compared to a traditional wedding where you have to follow strict timelines, to avoid the entire flow of your day ending up in a disaster. Unlike regular weddings, you can curate your special day in a way that will result in timeless memories that both of you will share for a lifetime.

8. Prioritizes Your Comfort

Let’s admit it! Weddings are exhausting, partly due to how you are expected to conform to the rules and expectations surrounding a big traditional wedding ceremony – this should not be the case. Couples should be comfortable at their own wedding. It is their special day after all! This is probably one of the best answers that people give to the question – why do people elope. In short, elopements prioritize your comfort. If you feel like you’re not happy with something, then you don’t have to do it. No one will reprimand or judge you for it. Your iconic day, your rules!

9. Prevents Cultural and Religious Issues

Getting married is such a wonderful thing. It is a marriage of two people so in love that they’ve decided to be together for the rest of their lives. It sounds romantic and beautiful until you come up against the differences between your families regarding their religious and cultural beliefs. Then you could end up with a family arguing about what your wedding should look like. This can ruin the special, once-in-a-lifetime wedding experience! You can avoid all the drama by eloping instead.

10. Promotes Sustainability

If you are an advocate of environmental awareness, you probably know how the wedding industry contributes a great deal to pollution levels. A single wedding produces an average of 400-600 lbs of garbage. Just imagine how much trash is accumulated in a year. You don’t have to use disposable materials to decorate your wedding venue in elopement as you have nature to make everything beautiful for you. If you choose to elope, you will be choosing a more sustainable way to commemorate your love for each other.

11. Makes Your Focus More On What Is Essential

Suppose you strip down your wedding and remove the expensive large wedding venue, massive guest list, extravagant decor, and lavish ceremony. In that case, you will be left with what is essential – just a couple who loves each other. Why not focus on that from the start and opt to elope instead? By concentrating on you two and your love for one another, you will see that there are many things that you don’t need to do that are a part of traditional wedding day. Don’t focus on those things and pay attention only to what you want as a couple.

As you can see, eloping has evolved to now be a wonderful option for couples who want something different from a traditional marriage ceremony. So, now that you know the answer to why do people elope, we hope this has convinced you to get one of our elopement packages as well! We have endlessl eloping ideas you might love. Just be true to yourself and follow the wishes of your heart!

Written by Janessa White

Janessa White is the co-founder of Simply Eloped and has helped thousands of couples plan elopements. As an expert in the field, she has been featured on Martha Stewart, Brides.com, Vox, and HuffPost. Janessa thinks elopements are the ultimate way to tie the knot.