How to Schedule a Full Day Elopement

So you decide to elope. You need to have a ceremony and you want some photos. Now what? That's really not much of a wedding day. But what are you supposed to do with very few or no guests?

The answer is anything. That's the beauty of elopements. It disregards what weddings are supposed to be and creates the day you want. But when the possibilities are endless though, how are you supposed to pick what to do? The best place to start is asking yourself what you love to do. Hiking, exploring downtown, kayaking, eating at your favorite restaurant, trying something new? All of those are on the table if you chose to elope. Whatever makes you happy is an awesome option for your special day.

Let's get into some ways you could spend a whole 8 hours on your elopement. That's right, a whole work day with just the two of you. Now I'm the outdoor adventure type so I'll be using examples like that. Since I'm based out of Brookings, OR, my first example is going to be a hypothetical elopement day in the area. The second one is actually my elopement schedule.

Example 1: Potential Brookings Schedule

1:00 pm - Getting Ready Photos (Bride)

• AirBNB: There's a ton of gorgeous AirBNB's with a view of the ocean. It's a stunning view to have while getting ready.

2:00 pm - Getting Ready Photos (Groom)

2:30 pm - First look for bride with family and wedding party (you can invite people when you elope!)

3:00 pm - Drive to first look location

3:30 pm - First look on Oregon Redwood hike

• First look at trailhead

• Complete hike and photos after

• Approximately 1 hour hike

5:00 pm - Drive to Ceremony Location

• 1 hour drive

6:00 pm - Hike Otter Point Trail

• Picnic on the beach

• Hike length 0.3 miles

7:00 pm - Explore the beach

8:00 pm - Exchange vows and ceremony

9:00 pm- Relax on the beach with friends and family

Example 2: My Elopement Day

9:00 am - Go on a beach hike with my bridesmaids (because who can handle just sitting around waiting to marry your best friend?!)

12:00 pm - Back to the AirBNB to start getting ready

2:00 pm - First look on the beach

3:00 pm - Wedding party photos

4:00 pm - Wedding ceremony on the beach

4:30 pm - Family photos and group photos

5:00 pm - Family BBQ and hanging out at the AirBNB together

7:00 pm - Send off with family

7:30 pm - Hike to cliffside ocean overlook for first hike as a married couple

As you can see with my day, there was a lot of traditional elements! Elopements really can be anything you want. The whole point is to refocus on the people and things that truly matter to you. If you want to read more about my elopement day, check out this blog post. Words can't describe how perfect our day was for us. We truly would've been robbing ourselves of our perfect wedding if we went the traditional route.

Eloping is still a wedding day. I hope this gets your brain going on what your perfect day looks like for you. There's freedom in eloping and you owe it to yourself to create the perfect day for you.

Want to learn more about elopements? Here's some more blogs and examples for you!

My Elopement Day - An in-depth description of my day and why I loved it so much

Elopement FAQ - Answers to the most common eloping questions

Forest Elopement - A client gallery of a forest elopement if you're not the beach type

Winter Elopement - Because you can elope in the winter too!