If you’re thinking of eloping over having a big wedding, I can speak from personal experience that it is so worth it. When planning my own wedding years ago, I didn’t want a traditional, country club-style wedding. Even the idea felt stuffy and also like SO much work. My husband and I wanted to focus on what mattered most to us: our marriage, an intimate gathering, and travel to somewhere beautiful. Of course, this included epic photos to document our special day. I compiled a few reasons to elope as inspiration in case you’re looking for a permission slip to have a wedding day that’s non-traditional!

I know I’m not the only one that felt like planning a big wedding was just not for me. If you want to do things differently when you tie the knot, I may just be the photographer for you. So go ahead, creep around, and check out these portraits below for inspiration for your own elopement.

A little about this elopement shoot:

If you’ve ever been to Utah, you know it’s a special spot, full of national & state parks with endless picturesque landscapes.

Utah natives, Kim and Caleb, modeled for a styled shoot in the Little Sahara Sand Dunes, just two hours from Salt Lake City. In the winter, these snow-laden dunes are even more breathtaking — the perfect background to highlight some magical bridal portraits. If you’re thinking about eloping, Little Sahara is a gorgeous choice for an outdoor elopement or intimate wedding!

Still on the fence? Keep reading…

⫸ Here are some of my top reasons to elope:

1. To have a unique wedding day, specifically tailored to you.

In my opinion, it’s best to craft your wedding day to what makes sense for the two of you. Make it creative, intentional and playful! Go somewhere you will feel yourself, where you both feel most alive. If you want to forego the church nuptials, and go straight from saying your vows to hitting the slopes in Tahoe, you can. Want to hire a helicopter to say your vows in the air surrounded by waterfalls in Kauai? You should! If you’re dreaming of a small beach ceremony, with your dog in a bow tie as your best man, you absolutely can.

Throw the rules out the window and do what makes you happy, without the influence of others interfering with the decision process. It’s YOUR day, so feel free to do exactly what you want to do.

2. Two words: less stress.

If the thought of planning a wedding is more stressful than exciting, it’s your sign to elope. There is a lot involved in planning a large wedding. From choosing table sizes and linens to worrying about a seating chart, or finding a space that will fit your style. Not to mention coordinating with multiple vendors for months on end. An elopement will require some level of work, but definitely on a much smaller scale.

3. To focus on what’s important: your love as a couple.

Do you crave a wedding day where you can be present, and enjoy the day from start to finish with the person you’re marrying? A small wedding is the perfect way to enjoy an organic, low-stress day where you can celebrate your marriage. Wedding planning should be fun, rather than a big list of to-dos.

I love working with couples that care more about the success of their marriage than about putting on an event that will please everyone. The truth is, you can never please everyone anyway. 🙂 Your wedding is the start of your journey as a married couple, so spend that time well, and with intention.

4. To prioritize spending on an experience together as newlyweds.

Elopements are typically much more cost-effective than large weddings. This leaves an opportunity to take a trip, use those funds toward a down payment, or save to invest in your future.

If you’re engaged, but already in honeymoon mode, you can integrate your love for travel by having a destination wedding! This automatically cuts out the need to invite your entire contact list and parents’ friends you hardly ever see. Instead, take a trip with your favorite people and tick a new spot off your bucket list. This way, you’ll be reminiscing on memories of your trip together for the rest of your lives.

Want to brainstorm ideas of best places for destination weddings? I’ve got lots of ideas and travel experience up my sleeve and would be so excited to help you plan!

5. To actually spend time with your close family & friends on one of the most important days of your lives.

Lastly, if you’ve ever been to a big wedding and paid attention to the bride and groom, you know they are getting pulled in a million directions throughout the day. Most commonly, a couple’s biggest complaint about their wedding day is they hardly had time to speak with their guests at their own wedding. Oftentimes, they didn’t even get to take more than two bites of the dinner they’d spent hours curating.

Elopements and small weddings allow for an intimate guest list, so you can actually spend time with the people you love most. It provides you with time to step away and take some time to be alone together, too. You’ll also feel the love all day long as the people who are there know you on a deep level, and are SO excited to be there to celebrate with you!

Have I convinced you yet?

These are just a handful of reasons why you may want to choose an elopement over a traditional wedding. In my experience, there is nothing better than tailoring your wedding day to be exactly what you want it to be.

So start dreaming of your perfect wedding, and if you’d like to chat about what it could look like to customize your elopement together, check out my experience page here for more info!

Happy wedding planning,

XO Karissa

---

VENDORS

Workshop: Rooted Workshop

Design + Style: Curated Mess Co

Florals: Ivie Floral Co

Hair & makeup: Bridal by Caitlin

Rentals: Alpine Event Co; In The Event; & Diamond Event & Tent

Dresses: Trisney’s Closet; Dress And Gown Rentals