Why Do People Elope? Answered By Real Couples!

I get to be part of dozens of elopements every year as a Colorado elopement photographer. And truth be told, I see a lot of different dynamics in each elopement. From the unique relationship each couples has with one another, to the relationship they have with the land and embracing nature. But what may just be most interesting to me answers the question, “Why do people elope?”. I asked my couples why did they elope, here’s what they said!

Expense

It’s no secret that weddings can get pretty pricey! And in today’s economy not everyone can, or really wants to, spend the cost of a vehicle or small home on their wedding. And a lot of my couples agreed!

“Weddings are very expensive & i wasn’t wanting to pay an arm & a leg for one. My husband & I wanted to do something completely different! We have always wanted to explore Colorado, so what better way to explore Colorado & get married at the same time!”

“Save us lots of money to use as down payment for our house instead and since family & friends are all out of state/country; we also both didn’t like being in the center of attention (in a large wedding) and felt it would be stressful to plan a wedding.”

“We decided to elope to avoid the high costs of a big wedding and to ensure the day was all about us and what we felt was important for the start of our marriage.”

Colorado elopement photographer captures unique wedding photos with bride and groom holding hands and running down a winding road while the groom jumps in the air and celebration and the bride holds her wedding gown as it blows in the wind

rainy day mountain wedding captured by Colorado elopement photographer with bride and groom posing in front of a white vintage car while with dark storm clouds in the distance

destination elopement colorado springs garden of the gods

Intimacy

I’m not saying that a large wedding can’t be personal and intimate. However, I think we can agree that a smaller wedding leads to a more intimate day that feels more focussed on what really matters. The marriage. So why do people elope? A lot of the time it is for privacy.

“We wanted to focus on us. Wanted to celebrate with those who mean the most to us. We did not need a big Party. We just wanted to be surrounded with love.”

“Just wanted our families with us.”

“We wanted to keep the moment special between us. I have a large and very involved family and knew they could possibly take away from the experience and my attention.”

“We wanted our day to be focused on just us without worrying about getting everyone ready by a certain time and following a traditional timeline.”

outdoor elopement with Colorado elopement photographer capturing bride trowing her dress in the wind as her groom embraces her waist with the mountains in the distance

Life Happens

A huge reason Colorado elopements are popular has to be the convenience. Let’s face it, life happens. Family moves and spreads across the country, we have big plans that take up our time and energy. Eloping makes getting married easier, less stressful and a lot more fun!

“We have family dispersed around the United States and we didn’t want to have to make them travel for our wedding. We also wanted something inexpensive and intimate for now, later down the road we plan on having a big celebration with all of our family and friends.”

“My husband and I are in the process of looking to buy a house and I just started school so we decided to save the time, hassle, headache, and money of a big wedding. So we wanted an intimate wedding just the two of us.”

“We didn’t want all the hustle and bustle and stress of a big wedding. We wanted to relax and enjoy our day together, and to celebrate with our closest friends and family. I wanted to look back on my wedding day and actually remember it being enjoyable, too often the wedding party is so busy they don’t enjoy any of the details they spent months planning for.”