6 Step Guide to Planning Your Dream International Elopement
TRAVEL ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHER // SWITZERLAND ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHER // ELOPEMENT PLANNER // DESTINATION ELOPEMENT PLANNING
Okay you’ve decided to elope abroad, now all you have to do is plan the most epic day(s) of your lives! As amazing and fun as eloping sounds (which it will be) making your dreams a reality comes with its own unique set of challenges. The where, when, with who, and how of it all. Luckily, I’ve been around the elopement block and globe a few times. I want to help couples, like you, navigate planning with ease and direction through 6 easy steps.
BUT before any planning can start — slow down — and remember who you’re doing this for. Yourselves. Although things like budgets and logistics matter, what matters most is that you’re choosing each other. Whatever decision you make along the process, ask yourself if it feels like you, if it’ll make you happy, and what the intention behind it is. Deal? Deal!
Image location: Dublin, Ireland
Here is my guide to help demystify and simply eloping abroad:
1. ENVISION
2. RESEARCH
3. BUDGET
4. BOOK
5. PREPARE
6. ELOPE
The number one tip I have to make planning less stressful and more fun is: START PLANNING EARLY. It doesn’t matter if you’re planning to elope three months from now or in a year, the sooner you start the better! So, what’re we waiting for!? Let’s start now, the first step is…
1. ENVISION
When the entire world is yours it can feel incredibly overwhelming to narrow it down to a singular location. Take a second and imagine standing face to face with your person. Is the backdrop a mountain vista, a cascading waterfall, a countryside dotted by highland cows, or historic buildings? Are you wearing boots or are you barefoot in the sand? Do you feel your cheeks flushed by a cool breeze or is the spray from the ocean hitting you? Think about the surroundings that would make your hearts smile and your wedding day feel complete. Then go from there.
When trying to decide on a location for your elopement ask yourself:
– What kind of weather do you want during your elopement?
Are you picturing moody overcast vibes? Then look into Scotland or Iceland. Or do you want it to be warm, but not humid? Consider looking into locations in the Middle East.
– How accessible do you want your elopement to be?
Would you rather take a plane and be done or are you willing to hop on a train too in order to get to your lodging? Are you open to taking a gondola ride or private boat ride to get to your destination? Do you want to hike a few miles or do you want to drive up to a spot for your ceremony?
Image location: Cancún, Mexico
– What activities do you want to do during your visit?
Would you rather be strolling the streets of a quiet beach town along the Amalfi Coast? Or enjoy your days wine tasting in Portugal? Or would you rather split your time in small villages and exploring epic outdoor locations in Switzerland?
Do you want other people to join you for your elopement?
Would you want your friends to join you for an epic vacation? How far and how many days can the people joining you afford to take off of work? Who else would make this trip more fun, memorable, and meaningful?
– Is there a location that is meaningful to you?
Is there somewhere you both love to travel to? A place on your bucket list you’re always dreaming about? Is there something you love to do together, like hiking, and is there a location known for that?
Image location: Ohrid, North Macedonia
2. RESEARCH
Making your marriage legal
Depending on which country you want to get married in, the difficulty can range from having traceable ancestry to that country to needing to fill out paperwork. Working with couples I’ve found the easiest and least stressful way to get married abroad is to file your paperwork in the United States prior to or right after your trip and to have a symbolic ceremony during the elopement. This way there’s no worrying about adding extra days to your trip to get the proper paperwork necessary, having the added expense of an officiant, and the stress of jumping through another country’s legal hoops!
Finding an elopement photographer
If you’ve been dreaming of working with a specific photographer, be sure to reach out to them ASAP (if they are in high demand and you have a range of flexible dates then it may be easier to coordinate a date with them). Look into photographs that have experience shooting elopements at your destination or who specialize in destination weddings. They will be an invaluable resource throughout your wedding planning. Being in another country can make you feel like a fish out of water so having someone with you that’s been to that location before or is an avid traveler will give you an incredible sense of peace/confidence.
The best time of year to visit
There are a few things to take into account when researching the best time of year to visit an area: weather (obviously!), accessibility, and busy season. When looking at the weather, also take into account how that impacts the accessibility of where you’re trying to go. Then look into whether or not certain attractions are closed seasonally (For example: certain areas in the Alps are closed in the winter due to it being the off season and bad weather).
Typically every destination has a busy season where more popular and beautiful locations in the area will be the most crowded . This time of the year is also when prices for flights and lodging will be at their highest. I recommend always looking at the shoulder months of the busy season to get the best deals and to avoid crowds.
Ceremony locations and activities
Nowadays google can only get you so far, try using Pinterest and Tiktok as a search engine to find those lesser known gems. It is literally some influencers’ jobs to go to the most jaw-dropping locations in the world and document their experiences there – take note! In the process you might find out that an area you’ve been dreaming of is harder to get to then you thought or that the area is actually crazy busy all year round so an intimate ceremony there isn’t in the cards.
Your elopement is more than just the ceremony, so look into what the area you’re considering is known for or things you two love doing that you could experience there! See what activities are worth doing and what would make your elopement experience that much more special.
Image location: Isle of Skye, Scotland
3. BUDGET
Let’s be honest, budgeting is the least fun part of this entire process, but you can’t plan an elopement without it( and once you get it out of the day you can focus on the fun stuff!!!). When trying to figure out where to allocate your funds, prioritize what’s most important to you and the things that will have the biggest impact on your elopement. And keep in mind, this looks different for every couple! Some couples prioritize staying in a really beautiful room with a view for their trip, while for other couples where their staying is simply a place to lay their heads between excursions. Some couples only want a couple hours of photos that highlight the most important parts of the day, others want two or three days of their journey to be documented. Now, tell me, what matters most to you?
Budgeting Checklist:
Plane tickets & transportation (i.e. taxis, car rentals, train tickets, ect.)
Lodging (hotels, airbnb’s, etc.)
Dining (private dinners, popular restaurants, celebratory sweets, etc.)
Attire (wedding dress, suit rental, accessories, etc.)
Vendors (photographer, videographer, florist, ect.)
Activities (guided tours, boat rentals, helicopter rides etc.)
4. BOOK
Now that all the research and budgeting is done it’s time to start booking everything! This is where things start to become REAL. It can feel like a lot booking everything at once so start with the most time pressing and crucial things first, then go from there.
What to book from most to least urgent:
- Tickets
- Photographer
- Lodging
- Extra transportation
- Activities
Once you have everything all booked and ready to go, treat yourselves to a little date night to celebrate! It’s all happening!
5. PREPARE
Itinerary/Elopement Timeline
Two months before you’re set to leave, link up with your photographer to map out the locations you want to visit during your elopement whether it’s the span of a few hours or a few days. They’ll be able to use their expertise to guide you on how much time will be needed, what’s plausible, and how to make the most out of your time together.
From there you can begin building out an itinerary for the bookend days surrounding your elopement. It’s important to have realistic expectations throughout your entire trip of how long it’ll take to get to different locations and to give yourself time to actually enjoy the attractions you’re looking forward to. Don’t overbook yourselves!!
Passport
11 weeks prior to your travel date be sure to locate your passport and check if it’s up to date! The processing time for a new/renewed passport is 8-11 weeks. Although there are expedited options available at an extra cost, the stress of hoping it comes on time is not worth it!
Attire alterations
Give you and your honey the peace of mind of securing your perfectly fitting wedding day attire ahead of time. Schedule your final dress fitting for 3-6 weeks before your departure date!
Contact your cell provider
We all know that good cell service makes life a heck of a lot easier! A week before you leave, contact your cellular provider to make sure you’ll have international coverage during your trip. This way you can stay in contact and be able to utilize useful apps while traveling like google maps and google translate!
Packing
Outside of cute outfits and comfy travel clothes, be sure you’re packing appropriate footwear (shoes for walking long distances, boots for safe hiking, etc.) and items to keep you safe from the elements (sunscreen, bug spray, etc.). The next important thing is to make sure all crucial items are in your carry on, and yes, that does include your wedding attire!! Nothing is worse than a lost bag, there are some belongings you can live without, but there are others that could really put a damper on your elopement.
P.S. A few days before you leave, download things to keep you entertained during your flight (most international flights have wifi available, but it’s not always the most reliable)!! Download audio books, playlists, movies, games, etc.
6. ELOPE!
This is the part where you two get all dressed up, go somewhere totally gorgeous, probably happy-cry a little, and make out. All the intention you put into planning means that the only things to do during your elopement are enjoy each other and the experience. Your day will be lovely, surreal, everything and nothing you imagined. And you two deserve it all.
Be warned: Not everything will go as planned. What matters is that you two are together and you’re in a beautiful place – so make the most of it.
Image location: Cliffs of Moher, Ireland
Above all else: MAKE THIS DAY YOURS!
The magical thing about eloping is that no one else can plan or experience saying “I do” the way you are. Outside of traditions and expectations, you are here to plan a day that reflects what’s important to you. A day that will bring you an unmatched level of joy that day and forever (and ever) when you look back on it. That is such an incredible gift. You can’t go wrong if throughout the entire planning process continue to choose yourself – just like you did with making the decision to elope!!
I’ve had the honor to travel with countless couples for their elopements overseas – and there is nothing like seeing a couple live out their dream day together. I’d love to hear about what you’re imagining for your special day and help you make it a reality.
Here’s a lil’ location inspo for your international elopement!
