The number one rule everyone needs to keep in mind when planning a wedding is that there are no rules. It is your day and should consist of things that bring you joy. For some couples, that means a big, traditional ceremony with tons of guests and a massive reception. But that isn’t what everyone dreams of.

For some couples, eloping is the way to go. Before you get visions of quickie vows in Vegas, elopement has a bit of a different meaning now. It has become a kind of catch-all term for intimate ceremonies. When brainstorming elopement ideas, the sky’s the limit, so here are some tips to think over to help you make your elopement into a perfect wedding day.

Make a Plan

While focusing on ceremony options is the most fun part of planning an elopement, you still need to keep in mind practical concerns. Eloping is generally less expensive than a traditional wedding — but you still need to keep a budget in mind.

Will you be traveling? Are you going to need permits to get married in a specific location like a state park or monument? Are you going to need to pay an officiant? Are you going to need an officiant? How many people need to be there to make it legal? What people do you need there to make it special?

As you read through the elopement planning tips that follow, keep in mind that they each bring their own challenges and costs. Luckily, there are also plenty of opportunities to save money. For example, many photographers will offer discounted rates to shoot for elopements because there are far fewer people to take pictures of.

A great way to figure out your plan is to brainstorm as a couple about places that are special to you, people you would want with you, and activities you would like folded into the day — many couples like hiking, for instance. Then whittle your lists down together until you have your ideal elopement day. At that point, start calculating your wedding budget.

With that out of the way, let’s look at some elopement ideas that can help you get your plans going.

Read More: What Does a Wedding Planner Actually Do? 

Choosing an Elopement Destination

For some couples, setting up an appointment at the local courthouse to secure a wedding license and get hitched in one trip is ideal. For others, an intimate wedding in a stunning outdoor setting is the dream. Here are a few elopement destination ideas to consider when planning your special day.

The Splendor of Nature

For the couple that loves nature, there is no shortage of potential wedding spots. The list of outdoor summer elopement ideas is practically endless. Hiking to the top of your favorite mountain trail in Appalachia, surrounded by lush woods in your favorite State or National Park, standing out as the only people for miles in a gorgeous Utah desert — these are all incredible options for an elopement.

Any natural habitat that is special to you can serve as your perfect wedding venue. Are you a beach person? Get married on a beach and jump in the ocean in all your wedding finery once you’ve sealed your vows! Do you love the snow? Get married in it! If it means something to you as a couple, it is the right choice for your elopement.

An Urban Wonderland

Nature is not the only beauty in the world. Consider the feeling you would have getting married on a rooftop, looking out over the shining lights of your favorite city. Think about the powerful memories you could make by tying the knot in front of your favorite piece of public art.

From unique architecture spots to those secret places only locals know about, cities are full of incredible places that are perfect for elopements. All you need to do is get access from the owners of the place you want to use, and you are good to go.

International Romance

Nothing says you need to limit yourself to domestic locations. Maybe you want to combine your wedding and honeymoon in one trip. Perhaps you’ve always dreamed of a wedding at a castle in England. Maybe you, as a couple, just love international travel and you want to make it part of your nuptials.

As long as you have the room in your budget and are clear on the legal requirements around a ceremony in a foreign country, anywhere in the world can serve as a backdrop for your elopement.

Making Your Ceremony Unique to You

As you consider the best places to elope, you can also think about how you will make your ceremony unique and personal. One of the great benefits of elopement is that you do not need to keep to any wedding tradition that you don’t want to.

If you are eloping to a special location, you can hand write your vows in that location — allowing that location’s meaning to influence the promises you make to your soon-to-be spouse. Not all elopement ideas need to be about bucking tradition, though. You can feel free to incorporate cultural or family traditions into your ceremony as you see fit. It’s your day. You get to decide.

When looking at potentially budget-friendly elopement ideas, a way to save money and personalize your ceremony is to forgo traditional wedding attire. Consider a wedding dress that matches the colors of the natural world around you.

Some brides that elope specifically choose dresses that don’t look like traditional wedding dresses so that they can wear them to special occasions year after year instead of putting their dress in the closet, never to be worn again.

Some modern elopement trends involve finding ways to insert some of the traditional elements of a large wedding into the small-scale of an elopement. Take the traditional first look when the couple sees each other in their wedding regalia for the first time — many couples create this moment in private by renting an AirBnB or Vrbo, getting changed in separate rooms, and then coming out at the same time to see each other. It’s a great way to maintain tradition while making it private and unique to you.

Sharing Your Ceremony

Just because you have been looking at creative ways to elope doesn’t mean that you don’t want to be able to share your special day with your loved ones. Hiring a photographer or videographer to preserve your memories is a very good idea — and as previously mentioned, many photographers offer budget-friendly rates for elopements.

You can also set up a live stream of your ceremony so that everyone that would have gotten an invite if you had a huge, traditional wedding can still see you get married. That way, you can avoid awkward conversations with relatives who can get a little upset about not being invited to a ceremony.

You can also give your loved ones the thrill of a surprise elopement. Say you rent out a location like The Fountain Room at the Lumber Exchange Event Center for an “anniversary party.” Then, as your guests mill about and enjoy themselves, you can gather everyone’s attention and reveal that you are getting married right there, right then.

Post-Elopement Celebrations

No matter how you decide to elope, you might still want to have a wedding reception. Obviously, this does not need to happen on the day of your elopement, but throwing a big party to celebrate your nuptials after the fact can make you feel special and gives your loved ones a chance to celebrate you.

Including a nice dinner party or reserving a space for a lovely cocktail hour in your elopement ideas can be a great way to ensure that you get the intimacy of an elopement while keeping your friends and family involved.

Make Your Elopement Ideas a Reality

Eloping is a great way to ensure that your wedding feels exciting, special, and personal to you. Sometimes the planning and expense of a big, traditional wedding can sap the joy out of the event until the actual wedding starts — that is not the case with an elopement.

Feel free to explore elopement ideas that are meaningful to you as a couple. The important thing is that your special day is special to you. And if you decide to hold a post-elopement party, reach out to The Lumber Exchange Event Center to see how affordable and easy reserving a room for your celebration can be.