Congratulations! You’ve popped the question, and the world is your oyster (quite literally, if that’s your elopement dream!). But now comes the next exciting adventure: how to celebrate your love and embark on your married life together? Forget boring and unoriginal traditions; this is about crafting an experience that’s as unique and delicious as your love story.
For the well-traveled couple with a taste for the extraordinary, two thrilling options emerge: elopement or wedding. Both offer a chance to celebrate your love, but in vastly different ways. Let’s delve into the heart of the matter, exploring elopement vs. wedding through the lens of your adventurous spirit and love for life’s finer things. Heads Up: Most of this article will reference New Orleans Louisiana USA as this is where we specialize but you can use this advice for anywhere you choose to begin your forever adventure!
Intimate Escape or Grand Soiree? Setting the Stage for Your Celebration
Picture yourselves hand-in-hand, not on a dramatic cliff, but on a secluded balcony overlooking the vibrant streets of the French Quarter. The aroma of beignets and jazz music fills the air as you exchange vows in a private ceremony officiated by a local southerner (don’t y’all just love the accents!). Afterwards, a private chef whisks you away for a multicourse Creole feast enjoyed on a hidden rooftop patio. Pure magic, right? That’s the essence of a New Orleans elopement – an intimate, unforgettable experience tailored entirely to your desires.
New Orleans weddings, on the other hand, embrace a more traditional celebration structure. Think of them as a full-blown immersion into the city’s rich culture and vibrant spirit. The day typically starts with hotel prep photos followed by a formal ceremony, often held in a historic church or a private garden. This is followed by a reception that’s anything but ordinary. Picture a lively second line parade through the French Quarter streets, complete with a brass band leading the way and your guests throwing colorful beads. The reception itself in a grand ballroom is a feast for the senses, with a multi-course meal showcasing the best of Louisiana cuisine, flowing cocktails, and jazz music that keeps everyone dancing until the wee hours.
While weddings can be customized to reflect your personalities and preferences, they do tend to follow a more established format compared to elopements. There’s often a larger guest list, requiring more logistical planning and coordination to ensure a seamless celebration for everyone involved. It can be a 12 hour event from getting ready to going away in a royal carriage.
So, which path sparks your wanderlust (or shall we say, jazz-lust)? Let’s explore the key differences to help you decide how to best celebrate your love story..
Time for Adventure (or Planning): Spontaneity vs. Tedious Coordination
Elopements are for the spontaneous souls who crave adventure on a whim! You can decide to say “I do” next week at a hidden gem in your favorite city, and with a little help from a fabulous photographer (ahem, yours truly!), it can become a reality. Elopements require minimal planning. Forget extensive arrangements – the focus is on securing your union and celebrating your love in a unique and unforgettable way. All you really need is a dress, the rings and your legal documents. Weddings take more planning, typically 6-24 months, to iron out all the details for your guest list, venue selection, catering, decorations, bands and vendor coordination.
A Guest List as Unique as You Are: Intimate or Inclusive?
Elopements are intimate affairs generally under 20 people, focused entirely on the experience you, as a couple, crave. You may choose to include just a few close friends or family members who share your adventurous spirit, or perhaps just your officiant and your photographer, making it a truly private and personal experience. Weddings are all about celebrating with everyone you know! Guest lists can range from 50 to 300 guests, depending on how you want to share your joy.
Budgeting for Bliss: Affordability vs. Investment
Elopements are budget-friendly, allowing you to splurge on the finer things like an epic honeymoon or a private chef! Since there’s a smaller guest list and venue, you can indulge in that once-in-a-lifetime private chef experience, hire a local musician to serenade you during your vows, or book a luxurious honeymoon suite overlooking a breathtaking vista. The average cost of an elopement in the U.S. falls between $3,000 and $10,000, giving you the flexibility to invest in creating a truly personalized experience. Weddings can be more expensive due to the larger guest count and venue costs. The national average cost of a wedding in the U.S. is between $35,000 and skies the limit for truly luxe weddings, but this can vary greatly depending on location, guest list size, and vendor selections.
Saying “I Do” with a View: Creating an Unforgettable Setting
Elopements allow you to choose a location that resonates with your souls. Picture yourselves exchanging vows on a secluded beach at sunrise, bathed in the soft glow of the rising sun as the waves lap gently at your feet. Or perhaps a dramatic sea of vibrant blooms and lush greenery. A secluded corner of a lush park can be transformed into a fairytale setting for your ceremony, with the sweet fragrance of flowers filling the air. The world transforms into your personal cathedral, offering awe-inspiring backdrops for every moment of your celebration.
Weddings typically unfold within grand ballrooms or meticulously landscaped gardens. While these venues boast a sense of elegance and sophistication, the view often comes with limitations. Imagine exchanging vows beneath a crystal chandelier, surrounded by towering floral displays that might be more impressive than the view itself. The air is filled with the gentle hum of conversation and the soft strains of classical music, but can you actually see the beauty the venue boasts in its brochures?
View Blockers and Guest Heads: A Looming Reality! Here’s the not-so-glamorous truth about wedding views: they can be easily obstructed. Unless you’re springing for a sky-high venue with floor-to-ceiling windows, chances are your guests in the back rows might be treated to a view of the backs of heads, cell phones obstructing their views or a strategically placed floral arrangement, rather than YOU and the picturesque landscape you envisioned.
Don’t get us wrong, weddings are beautiful and memorable. But the focus is often on the meticulously curated interior or the meticulously planned celebration itself, rather than the natural wonders of the world as your backdrop.
Ultimately, the view is just one aspect of the experience. Elopements offer a sense of intimacy and connection with nature and your partner, while weddings provide a platform for a grand celebration with everyone in your life. The choice boils down to what resonates most deeply with you: a private exchange of vows witnessed by the wonders of the natural world, or an elaborately planned celebration surrounded by hundreds of family and friends – and hopefully a dance with your now spouse & a smidgen of a meal you paid for!
Ready to Capture Your Once-in-a-Lifetime Celebration?
Wherever in the world you decide to exchange your vows, I’m here to capture the magic! With my experience and skills photographing elopements, I can help you create a visual tapestry that tells the story of your unique love adventure. Let’s chat and create elopement wedding photography that will make your heart soar and transport you back to that incredible day, whenever you revisit your photos. 🙂 Let’s Connect!
