The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines "elope" as "to run away secretly with the intention of getting married usually without parental consent.” However, over the last few years, elopements have trended in a way that presents a new definition.
Defining Elopements
Karen Norian, an elopement planner for Simply Eloped and professional elopement photographer, defines elopements as "blending both traditional and non-traditional elements, making your [an eloping couple's] day exactly what you’ve envisioned."
A leader in the elopement industry, Maddie Mae, gave her insight on the changing meaning of "elopement". Mae is a professional elopement photographer and planner with a 5 star rating from over 150 couples; additionally, she has photographed nearly 100 elopements a year for the past three years. She defines elopements as couples choosing to “adventure instead” on their wedding day. Mae feels so strongly about this that she recently rebranded her elopement business from Maddie Mae Photography to Adventure Instead.
The Data behind the Trend
This trend of an elopement from running away to an intimate wedding day can be seen through data. Elope as a Google keyword search began to rise in 2018 and hit a historical search high in February 2022. Additionally, Pinterest released that “elopement photography ideas” was up 128% in 2018 as compared to 2017.
Additionally, elopement planning communities have grown in the last few years. While there have been wedding planning groups on Facebook for awhile, elopement planning groups such as Let's Just Elope and Intimate Weddings & Elopements have over 20,000 members, respectively. These groups show that elopements are no longer a secret but rather an intimate wedding day that people are excited to plan.
So, why are elopements seeing a rise in popularity? I will break this down into three reasons - cost, location, and freedom.
1. Cost
An average wedding in 2021 cost $28,000 in the United States, according to The Knot. Adventure Instead found the average elopement cost $6,000-$15,000 in 2021.
The biggest factors for this cost difference is that elopements do not require big venues, large catering orders, or dozens of floral centerpieces. So, many people choose to elope solely because they can save money.
2. Location
Big weddings with lots of guests often limit the wedding venue options as you need enough space for everyone. For couples who envision sharing their vows somewhere from a mountaintop with an epic view, they will most likely struggle finding a wedding venue they can do that at.
So, if they want to follow their wedding-day dreams, they may have to opt for a location that is not a typical wedding venue, like right off a trail on a mountaintop.
While the view is worth it for the couple, it might not be feasible to invite guests as they would have in a typical wedding venue. For example, backcountry hikes sometimes lead to the most stunning and private areas, but they are also the most difficult to get to and may require overnight camping. These locations are so worth the effort, but are not ideal for large groups of people (and, often, not allowed by national parks).
3. Freedom
Without 100+ guests to think about and cater to, eloping couples have the freedom to do whatever they want to do on their wedding day.
Mae says that, “Couples shouldn’t have to feel like they are putting on a show on their wedding day, they should be free to enjoy their day however they want to.”
For example, the couple can start the day with a sunrise hike and picnic breakfast for two, then get ready separately before seeing each other in their wedding attire for the first time. They can then do a short hike to say their vows in front of a beautiful lake with the sun setting behind the mountains.
Eloping is a trend that is here to stay; between the lower costs, more location options, and freedom of the day, modern elopements have changed not only changed how they are defined, but the the wedding experience.
All photos and videos are copyrighted by Laura Elizabeth Photography.