So you’re 2 months into planning your wedding and…you kind of hate it. Maybe it’s the money. Maybe it’s the stress. Maybe it’s the fact that you never really wanted a big wedding anyway. Well, today, we’re giving you permission to fully play with the idea of eloping. And we’re teasing you with the most beautiful San Francisco elopement ever, photographed at City Hall by Anna Jones. Here are the 10 reasons that you should probably consider jumping ship from your crazy wedding planning adventure!
From the bride…We agreed from the moment that we got engaged that we wanted our day to be the two of us…together from the beginning until the I-Do. So, that’s where we started planning and everything just fell into place from there and ultimately helped us make our decision to elope.
We really focused on having our style be appropriate for both having a morning ceremony and at city hall. We didn’t want to look overstated or out of place inside the building and also wanted to be comfortable walking around in the city during the day on a Tuesday. We tried to steer clear of anything too trendy and pick pieces that would be as timeless as possible but still have a uniqueness to them.
Since it was just the two of us and our photographer, we wanted to bring small pieces of home/family/friends with us. My friends and our moms signed the bottom of my wedding shoes, I wore my mom’s wedding band on my right hand, and I also carried the handkerchief with my bouquet that my mom carried with hers on my parent’s wedding day. My bracelet had the coordinates of city hall on it and Alex got the city hall coordinates embroidered in his suit.
We got up at sunrise to get photos with the fog and we had intended to go to a point in the city where the golden gate bridge was in the background for photos. When we got there though it was very foggy (couldn’t even see the bridge) and it was windy and cold. I was pretty bummed at first but we just decided to go to city hall early and get photos. When we got there it was almost completely empty other than a guided tour that was happening on the other side of the building. We were able to get the most amazing photos where it looked like we had the building to ourselves. Then when the tour came past us to leave, we were told congratulations in several different languages. It was such a special moment for us, I loved it.
My one piece of advice to other brides is to constantly remind yourself during planning that the purpose of the day is for you and your husband-to-be to celebrate your commitment and love to one another. There are no specific rules as to what your day needs to consist of. Alex and I were together the entire time from before the sun rise to after the sun set that day and I would change absolutely nothing about it.
TEN REASONS YOU SHOULD CONSIDER ELOPING
1. Cost. Because duh. We’ve seen elopements like this one where the cost is minimal and we’ve seen those that are intensely elaborate. Regardless, you 100% will save money eloping. But, this is true for simply trimming your guest list too. Those tiny weddings that we feature are very similar to eloping – you can spoil yourselves and your crew a little more if there are only a handful of you!
2. Stress. Wedding planning is not for the faint of heart. It’s tough and can be incredibly stressful. If you’re finding that the anxiety of planning is taking away from the love you share, from your relationship or that it’s damaging your friendships, your heart, your job, your anything…you should definitely consider eloping.
3. Time. If you’re short on time for one reason or another, eloping is usually the easiest option. You can always host a big party on the other side when all is said and done!
4. Guest List. If yours is just too big and you can’t seem to make it work, consider eloping.
5. The Just-The-Two-of You-Ness. Regardless of how in the moment you may be at your wedding, it’s hard to block out the noise and just focus on your soon-to-be. It’s actually impossible, really. Because there are other people in your life that love you and care about you and want to celebrate WITH you so it’s a quick kiss and hug away from total distraction.
6. Privacy. In today’s day in age where it’s very hard to control the social media tendencies of our friends and family, it’s pretty hard to be a private person and get married at the same time. Photos get leaked, facebook posts get posted, instagram stories are uploaded. If that gives you the heebie geebies, you should consider eloping.
8. No Limits. Truly. When you elope, you can basically get married anywhere. On a cliff, in a canoe, in a park, on a beach, anywhere. There are ZERO limits. And the limitlessness of the venue also means that you have limitless options with what you wear, how long your vows are, where you take your photos, how late you party or how early you go to bed! And that is pretty incredible.
9. The Spotlight. If being the center of attention makes your stomach go flip, consider eloping. I didn’t love the all eyes on me thing as I was walking down the aisle either!
4. Honeymoon. If you plan a destination elopement, it’s basically the beginning of a long honeymoon! You can piggyback your trip onto your ceremony and let the fun begin right away. Plus, it saves money on that flight out!
10. BECAUSE YOU WANT TO, DAMMIT! The end.
Photography: Anna Jones | Floral Design: Rebekah Northway | Wedding Dress: BHLDN | Ceremony: City Hall | Groom's Attire: Indochino | Custom Rings: Bruce Owen