Guest Writer: Faith Cormier Photo Credit: Trevor Dayley
Planning an elopement is an exciting experience. It’s becoming an increasingly popular choice to host one abroad, too, with 30% of US ceremonies now being held overseas. However, one common concern for couples that choose to elope, whether at home or in an exotic location, is leaving behind their loved ones.
Fortunately, there are several different ways to involve your nearest and dearest in your dream elopement without them physically being there. In this article, we explore four different ways to ensure that your family and friends feel included in your special day.
Ask a loved one to officiate
One of the most touching ways to include your loved ones during your wedding is by asking someone to officiate the ceremony for you. It’s important to remember that if your friend or family member doesn’t have a license, the ceremony will have no legal bearing whatsoever. This means you’ll have to sort the legalities at a registry office before or after the day. However, that doesn’t make the occasion any less special, and a loved one acting as a celebrant can tailor the ceremony specifically to you, adding that extra special touch.
Bring hand-written letters
To include the rest of your loved ones in your wedding, it can be a good idea to ask them to write some letters that can be read aloud at your ceremony. They can be expressions of love and good wishes, or even memorable tales of the past in typical wedding speech style.
To make the letters feel even more special, encourage family members to handwrite them. This can give a more personal touch that can’t be felt through uniform font on a page, and knowing that they held it can bring comfort during an emotional time.
Set up a live video
Thanks to modern technology, it’s now incredibly easy to set up a live video feed of your wedding that can be watched by anyone in the world. Your wedding venue may already have equipment in place to record the ceremony, but if not, you can even use your phone to capture the festivities. Just stand it up in a place where as much of the ceremony as possible is visible and start a group call, or go live on any social media platform.
Most live streams or group calls will have a chat option, allowing your loved ones to leave messages in real time throughout your ceremony. For an extra touch, tell everyone to dress up at home so they can feel like part of the action.
Host a post-elopement celebration
While having a private elopement may be a dream come true, it doesn’t mean that you can’t celebrate with your loved ones once you’ve exchanged vows. By hosting a post-wedding party, you can take the opportunity to celebrate with your loved ones. You can tell stories of the ceremony, share pictures or, for the full experience, have another mini-ceremony.
The celebration can be whatever you want it to be. It can be a casual family barbecue, a dinner at a nearby restaurant or even a themed reception event. To emulate the atmosphere from your intimate ceremony, you can decorate the venue with elements that remind you of the place you said “I do”. From colorful flowers to traditional music, you could also reach out to the same wedding stylist you hired for your ceremony, for help recreating an authentic feel.
Plan your special day
Having your dream elopement doesn’t mean you have to totally exclude your loved ones – sometimes it’s nice to have a private ceremony, followed by a big celebration with your friends and family present. Even if you choose to skip town to tie the knot – perhaps heading to a tropical location abroad – you can still help to make your loved ones feel included by following our tips in this post.
Guest Writer: Faith Cormier
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