When you hear the word “eloping”, what do you imagine? An epic location? Just you, your true love, an officiant, and a photographer? Odds are, you may not picture friends or family; after all, it’s an elopement. Is including your family on your elopement day even possible!? Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of eloping?!

News flash: An elopement can be whatever you want it to be! If the thing that is holding you and your honey back from eloping is the thought of excluding your family and friends… INCLUDE THEM! As a full-time intimate wedding and elopement photographer, I’ve had the honor and joy of capturing all different kinds of elopements.

Whatever your heart is set on (whether it be scaling a mountain or standing atop a cliffside overlooking the Pacific), do what feels right for you two as a couple. The rest will fall into place. But if you don’t quite have your minds made up and are searching for some inspiration on how to include your family on your elopement day, read on and see what REAL couples did to include their family in their elopement!

Have a 2-Day Elopement Experience

An elopement weekend or 2-day elopement allows for ample time to spend with your family, and still have the adventure of a lifetime. Some ideas of how to spend your time are:

• Host a welcome dinner. Spend the night before your elopement celebrating with them.
• Have 1 family day and 1 adventure day. Whether you have the ceremony and celebration with your family and friends one day, and your adventure the next, the possibilities are endless.

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Have a 1-day Elopement & Divide Your Time

There are a number of ways you and your honey could split up your time on your elopement day – without added stress.

• Get ready & have breakfast with your family. After breakfast, depart for your private vows, adventure, and dinner with your honey.
• Do private sunrise vows and portraits. After that, meet up for a small ceremony with your family and head out on an adventure together (or just the two of you)!
• After a day of adventuring and saying “I do”, meet up for a family dinner to celebrate your day.

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If you and your love have your hearts set on having your elopement experience just to yourselves, there are still other ways to include your family without them physically being with you. 

Other Ways to Include Your Family

1. Have them write letters
2. FaceTime or video chat with them
3. Have pre-wedding events (engagement parties, showers, etc.)
4. Shop for your wedding attire with them
5. Include moments or traditions from your family (wear your grandma’s necklace, sew a piece of your dad’s old tie into your dress, etc.)
6. Partake in a separate, small ceremony back home for your family to celebrate with you
7. Send “WE ELOPED!” cards to invite them to celebrate with you later (such as a reception, BBQ, etc.)

Including your family on your elopement day is something that should only be decided between you and your partner. At the end of the day, it’s about the love that you two share. If you’re searching for other elopement planning tips, check out some additional resources below:

Additional Resources

Activities for your Elopement Day
Packing List for a Mountain Elopement

As always, be sure to follow along over on Instagram (@sydneybreannphoto) for behind-the-scenes, extra tips, and more! Are you ready to wander?