10 Benefits of Eloping

REASONS TO ELOPE | UPDATED FOR 2025

Weddings have evolved a lot over the years. Today, there are lots of different ways to get married. One of our favorite ways to say “I Do” is eloping, but why do people elope and how do you know if it’s right for you?

We’ve gathered the reasons couples chose to elope instead of having a traditional wedding and put together this list of 10 benefits of eloping.

Keep reading to find out the top reasons to elope (from real couples who hired us for their elopements)!

Why Do Couples Elope?

the benefits and reasons to elope

When it comes to elopements, there are no rules. This means that you can go anywhere you want, do anything you want, and invite whoever you want. Elopements are completely customizable which is what makes them so unique. They allow you to invest your money in the things and experiences that matter the most to you and, they give you freedom to live in the moment and experience a day that is uniquely yours! To learn more about elopements, check out our guide on what it means to elope.

There are lots of great reasons to elope (and no, we’re not just saying that because we are elopement photographers)! In fact, when we were planning our wedding, we changed plans part way through and decided to plan an elopement instead, but more on that a little later in the post.

Here’s a quick list of the top reasons couples to elope:

Reduce Stress
Preserve Intimacy & Privacy
Save Money & Invest in What Matters Most
It Feels More Authentic
Sustainability and the Environment
Valuing Experiences over Things
Avoid Family Drama
Include Pets
A Day Filled with Adventure or Travel
Epic Wedding Photos & Videos

Top 10 Reasons To Elope

Over the years, we’ve photographed dozens of couples on their elopement day. Through talking with our couples, we’ve learned some of the reasons behind why they chose to elope and a few reasons kept popping up over and over again. Here are 10 of the top reasons people elope, as well as exact reasons from our past couples why they chose to elope!

REASON

Reason #1: To Reduce the Stress That Comes With Planning a Wedding

It’s no secret that planning a wedding can be STRESSFUL!

Between choosing a venue, creating a guest list, building a menu, and selecting vendors, it can feel like the planning never ends. All of this can add up to a lot of stress for the couple.

We believe that getting married should be FUN! While some planning is required for an elopement, there are fewer details to navigate, making for an overall less stressful experience.

“Having been to multiple weddings and noticing how stressed out the couple is over seemingly unimportant things – we thought it would be really stress free and move the focus to ‘us’ by eloping! We still would like some amazing memories and pictures to bring home with us which is where you guys came in!”

“We both have done larger scale, traditional weddings. We don’t want the hassle of that again. Wanting to avoid planning for months and securing all of the vendors, making a registry, the hassle of planning multiple steps, all drove us toward the ease of elopement.”

Reason #2: To Preserve Intimacy & Privacy

One of the best things about elopements is that they focus on the couple and their experience throughout the day. We hear a lot of couples say that a big wedding doesn’t feel like them, or that they hate the idea of being the center of attention.

Eloping allows you to create an experience that is centered around the two of you without hundreds of people watching. Because elopements tend to have a limited guest list, this allows more time for meaningful moments and a “just us” experience that many couples are looking for.

REASON

“It was an easy decision for us. We are very private and want to spend our special day doing everything together, truly enjoying it.”

“We are both introverted people and having a large wedding where everyone is watching us does not appeal to us. We love hiking and the mountains and thought it would be a great alternative.”

“We wanted our wedding to focus on our relationship and ensure we both had an amazing day we would love and remember forever.”

REASON

Reason #3: To Save Money & Invest in What Matters Most

There is no one-size-fits-all-all when it comes to eloping. While the costs of eloping can add up, they generally are less expensive than a traditional wedding. With fewer guests, couples are able to save money on items like a venue, catering, etc. which can be a big factor when choosing to elope.

Even if money doesn’t play a large part in your decision to elope, choosing an elopement allows you to invest your money in what’s important to you. Instead of hosting a bunch of guests, you can spend your money on travel or experiences that are meaningful to you.

ELOPEMENT COST BREAKDOWN

“Instead of paying for a big party (that we would have been stressed about), we wanted to allot our funds towards traveling to a bucket list location and getting epic photos and videos of our elopement day.

“We both have large families and the expense of having large wedding is more than we are wanting to spend at this time. We love the idea of not having to work on other people time lines and visions for our wedding day.”

REASON #4: IT FEELS MORE AUTHENTIC TO YOU AS A COUPLE

Over and over again we have heard couples say that they want to elope because it feels authentic to who they are. Maybe you’re not one for tradition or your idea of a celebration looks different than what others have done.

The great thing about elopements is that they can look however you want. Want to exchange vows, but skip the traditional wedding attire? Go for it! Want to get married with just you and your partner and then celebrate with loved ones afterward? Do it!

Eloping is a very unique and personalized way to get married that allows you to celebrate in whatever way feels best for you, no matter what it looks like.

REASON

“We started looking at more conventional weddings that all of our friends have had (big venues with 100+ guests) but it quickly became clear that it just didn’t feel like us and we were trying to force the idea.. We enjoy things to be a little bit more low key.”

“We both do not like attention, and decided that having a smaller wedding would be perfect for us. We want the day to be more authentic, and feel like sometimes big weddings feel like a production.”

“We have never been one for “tradition.” We are very laid back, and we’ve never really been sold on the idea of a huge wedding with ceremony, reception, etc. We were overwhelmed with the idea of trying to plan something like that.”

REASON

Reason #5: You Value Experiences over Things

One of the things we love about elopements is seeing the unique experiences and activities couples incorporate into their day.

We’ve seen couples plan a helicopter ride at a brand new destination or ski down a mountain slope together! Not only do these activities make your elopement completely unique, but they also allow you and your partner intentional moments to share together.

Whether it’s trying something new, or revisiting a favorite activity, planning things to do on your wedding day truly makes for a special experience.

Elopement Ideas & Activities

“A desire to not be in the spotlight of hosting 150+ people and to celebrate with only close family. We love hosting small, intimate gatherings (dinners, parties) and adding fun details to those types of events that may not be feasible on a much larger scale. The concept of an elopement made us both feel most comfortable, something that reflected who we are as people who are more interested in a more meaningful personal experience. Financial impact is a big aspect as well.”

REASON #6: To Avoid Family Drama

Oftentimes, wedding planning can bring with it a whole host of unwanted opinions and drama. As well-meaning as they may be, sometimes family members can put pressure on a couple to do things their way rather than the way the couple wants. This can create drama and make for a stressful planning experience.

You don’t need anyone’s permission to get married in a way that feels authentic to you. Yes, some people’s feelings might be hurt, but they will be ok. By choosing to elope, couples can take control of their day and plan it however they want. You will never get to redo your wedding day, so choose what feels right for you.

P.S. – just because you choose to elope doesn’t mean you can’t also invite your loved ones. You can still include family and friends on your elopement day if that’s what you want. But remember, the choice is YOURS!

REASON

Reason #7: You Can Include Your Pets!

If you have a pet, you know they are part of the family! The great thing about eloping is that you can include your pet(s) into your wedding day.

Unlike traditional weddings when there’s too much going on, too many people around (or maybe they just aren’t allowed at the venue).. with eloping your pet can be present for as much of the experience as you’d like.

PLUS in Colorado your pet can even sign your marriage license! More on this in our full guide about CO marriage licenses and self solemnizing.

Self Solemnizing Guide

REASON #8: You Want A Day Filled with Adventure or Travel

When choosing to elope, the world is your oyster!

Because they don’t take place in a traditional venue, elopements can take place almost anywhere in the world!

Whether you want to get out in nature or travel to a new country, choosing to elope allows you to do that.

REASON

“The most fun times we have had together have been on trips just us, at home together in the backyard, or with our kids and immediate family. We realize that’s when we are happiest! We also LOVE to travel and absolutely love the mountains and couldn’t think of a better place to get married.”

REASON

Reason #9: You Want Epic Wedding Photos!

Most couples will tell you that your elopement day goes by so quickly. After weeks or months of planning, it’s over and all that’s left are your memories and the photos from the day. Because most of the elopements we shoot take place outdoors, this makes for some pretty epic photos!

Imagine, you and your partner standing on top of a mountain saying ‘I Do’ surrounded by incredible scenery! Well, that’s exactly what’s possible when you choose to elope, plus you’ll also get some amazing photos to remember that incredible experience.

Reason #10: You Care About Sustainability and the Environment

A lot of the couples we meet who choose to elope are very conscious of their impact on the environment. Weddings are large events which means they produce a lot of waste which has harmful impacts on the environment. Because elopements are smaller in size, the impact they have on the environment tends to be a lot less.

Many of the couples we work with choose to have an adventure elopement. When eloping outdoors, we always recommend following the principles of Leave No Trace to minimize our impact on the environment and leave these places just as beautiful as we found them.

Fact: The average wedding produces 400 pounds of garbage and 63 tons of CO2!

REASON

Hey, we’re Savannah & Greg

Elopement Photographers WHO ALSO ELOPED!

We’re a husband and wife team specializing in elopement photography and videography in Colorado. We believe eloping is the best way to get married, so much so that we did it ourselves! We know it can feel overwhelming not knowing where to start, which is why we help couples set a date, pick a location, make a timeline, etc!

The top reasons why we eloped

We get it! When we were getting married, we started planning a traditional wedding too. But, we quickly experienced that trying to find the right venue was stressful enough, let alone all of the other planning that came with planning a traditional wedding.

So, we changed our plans and decided to elope instead. The moment we made that decision all our stress and overwhelm was replaced with EXCITEMENT! We couldn’t wait to plan an epic adventure to a beautiful destination and get married along the way. Choosing to elope felt more aligned with what we truly wanted to do and experience during our wedding. It just felt right. Here are a few reasons we decided to elope:

Eloping in the mountains felt more authentic to us as a couple.
We wanted a day focused on just us, not entertaining guests.
We would rather spend a month traveling through a bucket list destination than have one big party.
Being the center of attention all day sounded too exhausting.
Planning a wedding is stressful.
We didn’t want the pressure of making the guest list.
We wanted our wedding day to be more eco-friendly.
Epiicccc photos + videos.

Elopement FAQs

Eloping isn’t right for everyone which is why it’s important to be prepared for potential downsides.

When choosing to elope you may experience negative reactions or disapproval from loved ones. This can be tough to navigate, but we recommend knowing the WHY behind your decision and lovingly communicating that to family and friends while sticking to your boundaries.

Another disadvantage of eloping is the potential for bad weather. We can’t control the weather which is why we include a weather back-up day with all of our packages.

There are lots of reasons couples choose to elope. Some couples elope because eloping costs much less than a wedding, while others want to prioritize intimacy and create an authentic wedding day filled with adventure and experiences that are often hard to come by with traditional weddings.

Ultimately, the choice to elope is a very personal one. We recommend sitting down with your partner and talking about what you want your day to look like. Go past the surface and talk about how you want to feel and what you would do if there were no restrictions.

Elopements are all about creating intentional moments with your partner. Couples who elope get to design their day around what is important to them, allowing for a more meaningful wedding experience.

planning Resources