For a lot of couples, making the decision to elope is the hardest part! There’s a lot of pressure from the wedding industry, and often from family, to do your wedding a certain way. This means that breaking that mold and doing your own thing can feel daunting. However, it’s important to remember that this is your wedding day. You deserve a day that’s absolutely perfect for the two of you! This guide will give you some tips for how to announce your elopement, and how to let your family know about your plans – without hurting their feelings.

When to Announce Your Elopement

Before you decide how to announce your elopement, you’ll need to decide when to do it! Some couples keep things under wraps until after the knot is tied, while others let their family and friends know about their plans ahead of time.

Talk with your partner, and decide when the right time is for you. I recommend making a guest list first – or deciding not to make one at all. This will help you decide when to announce, because if you plan to invite a few guests, they’ll need to know about your plans.

You can also choose to tell a few people, but keep it a secret from others. It can be helpful to consider who’s going to offer unwanted opinions when you make the decision on who to tell. 

Tips for Announcing Your Elopement

Whether you announce your elopement before or after it happens, here are some things to keep in mind, and some tips to make the process a little easier.

Prepare for Questions or Hurt Feelings

While it’s important to remember that this decision is entirely yours, it’s also important to be sensitive to how your loved ones will react. It’s natural that if a big wedding is something that they were hoping for or expecting, they might feel a little disappointed – while you should definitely be firm and stick to your decision, be prepared to answer questions or to explain that this isn’t about excluding or offending anyone. Help your family and friends see things from your perspective. Also, help them understand why you’re doing this.

Come Up With a Plan… and Stick to It

Before you announce your elopement, you and your partner should have a solid idea of what role your family and friends will play in the day. Think about who, if anyone, you want to invite. Who are you’re planning to tell before you elope? Making these decisions ahead of time will ensure that you’re on the same page!

When you tell people about your elopement, be sensitive, but be firm – remember that this is your wedding day, and don’t change your plans based on people’s reactions. 

How to Announce Your Elopement

When it’s time to figure out how to announce your elopement, here are some ideas for doing it! 

Announce Your Elopement in Person

I think that the best way to tell friends and family you’re eloping is usually in person. This feels a lot more meaningful and personal than a text or phone call, which can help when it comes to avoiding hurt feelings or misunderstandings. Having the conversation in person can make it easier to explain your plans and why you’ve decided to elope. Plus, this gives people a chance to ask questions and to really understand your point of view.

Tell Them About Your Elopement

When you’re telling friends and family that you’ve decided to elope, I recommend getting into the details! A lot of people aren’t quite sure what eloping really means, so they might be imagining that you’re running off to have a quick ceremony or a day without much thought put into it. Letting them know what eloping means to you and telling them about the amazing adventures you have planned – even if nothing’s set in stone and it’s just a dream so far – can help them understand!

Tell your friends and family what you’re thinking, why eloping is right for you, and explain that it’s not about excluding them – it’s about getting married in a way that feels right for you.

Include Them in Elopement Planning

A great way to help your family and friends feel included in your elopement, even if they aren’t invited to the actual ceremony, is to have them help you with planning! If you tell your loved ones about your elopement ahead of time, you can let them know that they’re welcome to help out – just make sure to take some time beforehand to think about which parts you want them to be a part of, and which ones you want to keep for yourself.

For some ideas on how to include your family who aren’t there on your elopement day, check out this guide!

Send an Elopement Announcement Card

A fun way to announce your elopement is to mail a “we’re eloping,” or even a “we eloped” card! You can send it to let people know about your plans, or to share the news after you’ve already tied the knot.

Call Your Loved Ones

Imagine your family’s surprise when you Facetime them in your elopement attire! A fun way to announce your elopement after you’ve already tied the knot is to call your loved ones from the ceremony to tell them the news. 

Share Your Elopement Photos

A great way to announce your elopement is with the photos! Whether your loved ones were already in the loop or if you’re just sharing the news, being able to see your amazing adventures, and to see the incredible experience you had will definitely help them understand why you decided to have an untraditional wedding day. You can share the photos on social media, but for close family and friends, send them a link to the entire gallery, so that they can see the story unfold!

Have a Video Viewing Party

A fun, creative way to announce your elopement is with a viewing party! Invite a few close friends or your family over for dinner, then surprise them by showing them your elopement video. Being able to share your vows, and a video that captures those memories in a way that photos can’t is a great reason to have a videographer for your elopement!

And as a photographer and videographer, my job is to hype you up and be your cheerleader when it comes to the brave decision to elope – so if you’re ready to start planning, contact me!