What's the difference between an intimate wedding and an elopement?
Covid has changed the landscape for the wedding and event industry. Large gatherings are just not going to be possible till who knows when (fingers crossed, sooner rather than later!) But so many couples still want to get married asap and have some kind of gathering with loved ones.
You’ve likely heard all these terms over and over, and sometimes they feel interchangeable, but they’re actually very different! Let’s talk intimate weddings and elopements. Keep reading if you want to know: what the difference is, which vendors do you hire, how long do they last, how many guests can you invite, and where each takes place.
Intimate weddings
I know you’re probably thinking, what in the world is an intimate wedding? Sounds…. odd. In reality, it means “small wedding” because you have more personal time with each and every one of your guests, making it more of an intimate setting. The term “intimate wedding” started within the wedding industry, circulated rapidly when the covid pandemic hit, and now you’ve likely been hearing the term a lot.
So, what does an intimate or small wedding look like? These are similar to traditional weddings, but at a smaller scale with about 30 guests and a tiny wedding party. This celebration will last about the same amount of time, or less, as a traditional wedding. You should be able to fit all the events in 8-10 hours and dinner and dancing are a go! These tiny weddings typically take place at a venue or private residence, and I’d recommend hiring these vendors:
Venue
Planner/Coordinator
Photographer + Videographer
Florist
DJ or Live Band
Cake Artist
Caterer
Decor Rentals
Stationary Designer
Officiant
Elopements
I believe there’s a lot of freedom in elopements. They can take place wherever you’d like; at a courthouse, on a mountaintop, in a national park, at an airbnb rental, or in your own backyard. You can choose to bring your closest people, or just your dog. You can hire as many or as few vendors as you’d like. Aside from following the legal requirements that come with getting married, there is no checklist of things you have to do.
Since you’re not coordinating with as many vendors, you can typically plan this in a much shorter time frame. Though I’d still recommend planning further out to allow enough time to communicate with everyone involved, to book flights and reservations, for applications to process, to find and book available vendors, etc.
Although elopements can look so much different than a traditional wedding, it’s still your wedding day!! You’re going to celebrate this date every year, so even though you might not think it’s possible to have all the fun and exciting events like at a traditional wedding, I want to challenge you to think outside the box. If you’re interested in eloping, how can you still incorporate special moments and events throughout the day that are true to you and your partner? If you love music, find a live band to perform for you two during your first dance. Are you both major foodies, work with a private chef to cook for you in the evening. If you need help brainstorming ideas, you can always ask me!
To learn more about the different types of elopements, view my blog post here. I break down the differences in a destination, adventure, and courthouse elopement.
To see some of my favorite elopements in my portfolio, click here.
