A private wedding with no guests is ideal for couples who want a stress-free, fun, and intimate wedding day. Below, I’ll discuss the benefits of a private wedding, planning tips, and the best locations. I’ll also share example elopement timelines to help you and your partner have the best wedding day ever.
An elopement is often thought of as a wedding without guests. While elopements used to be couples running off to get married, many elopements today include loved ones. A private wedding without guests means the day is truly all about you and your partner.
As a wedding and elopement photographer, I love working with couples who want to have a just-us wedding day. My husband and I did this when we got married, too, and have no regrets. We had a beautiful experience and were able to celebrate with loved ones afterward!
Why Have a Private Wedding With No Guests
While a traditional wedding is special, I find private weddings to be better when considering the entire experience. A private wedding without guests allows for the following:
- Budget-friendly – Not inviting guests to your wedding is one of the easiest ways to have an affordable elopement. A private wedding means you can book a smaller, less expensive venue or get married at a free location. You also don’t have to break the bank on a reception. That said, you can still splurge for your wedding without guests if you want!
- Authenticity – One of my favorite parts of having a just-us elopement with my now husband is that we could plan a wedding day all about us. Instead of worrying about our loved one’s opinions or expectations, we were able to enjoy a relaxing and adventurous elopement day that felt authentic to our relationship.
- Flexibility – When inviting guests to your wedding, you have to be more mindful about the location and timeline. This can limit your options, while a private wedding is more flexible. I especially love that a private wedding allows for an intimate elopement experience in nature.
- Celebrate your way – Many couples worry that a private wedding might mean leaving loved ones out. The best part about eloping is that you can still celebrate with loved ones, your way. For example, you might include loved ones in your planning process and/or have a party after your wedding.
- Little to no stress – Planning wedding details and sticking to a budget can become stressful. Since a private wedding with no guests eliminates some or most of these concerns, you can have a stress-free experience.
Tips for Planning Your Private Wedding With No Guests
When planning your just-us wedding, you want to determine your budget, hire a photographer, pick your date and location, plan your activities, and announce your wedding. However, remember that the right planning process varies for all couples and should feel authentic to you and your partner!
Determine Your Budget
The average wedding costs $33,000, but an elopement can start at a few thousand dollars.
When deciding your budget, consider the following expenses:
- Venue – Elopement or private wedding locations and permits can range from free or affordable to thousands of dollars if you want to splurge
- Travel and accommodations – If you’re planning a wedding getaway, consider the costs of accommodations, flights, car rentals, etc.
- Activities – This includes meals, drinks, experiences, and any other activities for your wedding and celebrations
- Vendors – This is usually minimal if you’re having a just-us elopement, but you may want to book a photographer, florist, driver, etc.
- Wedding attire and decor – This can also be as simple or extravagant as you’d like, and nature can be your decor if you’re getting married outside – my favorite!
Hire a Photographer
While any wedding should be captured, a wedding with no guests definitely needs photos to cherish forever and share with loved ones. A photographer who also helps with planning, like myself, is ideal for helping you plan your dream day.
Not only do I take wedding day photos, but I also help couples with the entire planning process. This includes location scouting, timeline planning, outfit ideas, and vendor recommendations.
I recommend hiring your photographer early in the planning process for as much support as possible and to have a fun and stress-free experience.
Pick Your Date and Location
Knowing when you want to get married can help you choose the perfect place, especially if you want to have an outdoor wedding. If you already have a location in mind, you can research the best time of year for that place, which I also help couples with.
If you plan to get married outside, consider your ideal weather and scenery. For example, Garden of the Gods is surrounded by stunning red rock formations and is one of my favorite summer elopement locations.
Plan Your Activities
Whether you’re having a multi-day elopement or a quick ceremony, you’ll want to plan memorable activities. Your wedding can be relaxing, adventurous, or a bit of both.
Unique ideas for your intimate wedding may include:
- A first look
- Personalized vows
- A picnic
- A fun activity, like hiking or kayaking
- A first dance
Announce Your Wedding
Couples who elope often wonder how to make the announcement to loved ones. Keep in mind that your wedding is for you and your partner, and you can announce it however you feel is best.
Here are my best tips for announcing your private wedding:
- Do it when you’re ready – You might announce your wedding before or after you get married – whenever it’s right for you.
- Share pictures of your wedding day – A fun way to announce your marriage is by sending pictures through an online gallery, elopement announcement cards, or photo books.
- Have an engagement party or reception – If you want to celebrate with loved ones in person, you can have an engagement party before your wedding day or a reception afterward.
- Use social media or snail mail – A great way to make sure everyone in your circle is in on the big news is to post on social media or send snail mail. You might do this on its own, especially if you’re working with a smaller budget, or do this alongside a party or reception.
The Best Locations for a Private Wedding With No Guests
There are endless places to say “I do” for your private wedding. I recommend having an outdoor wedding for a fun experience and a picture-perfect backdrop. Nature is ideal for an adventurous, dog-friendly, or camping elopement, and an outdoor experience makes for the best wedding getaway.
You can also get married at a courthouse and then go elsewhere for photos, like a downtown area, coffee shop, or local park.
While I have many favorite locations for a private wedding with no guests, some of the best include:
- Great Sand Dunes National Park (Southern Colorado) – One of the best places to elope in Colorado, with the tallest dunes in North America and hiking trails that lead to wetlands, forests, and alpine lakes
- Brainard Lake (Ward, CO) – An easily accessible area with hiking trails and beautiful lake and mountain scenery
- San Juan Mountains (Southwestern, CO) – A stunning mountain range with many unique areas to explore and exchange your vows
- Sapphire Point Overlook (Dillon, CO) – An intimate wedding venue perfect for a private ceremony with mountain views
- Yosemite National Park (Central California) – A UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its natural beauty with magical cliffs, peaks, rivers, lakes, waterfalls, and meadows
- Moab (Utah) – A nature lover’s paradise with two famous national parks, Arches and Canyonlands, magical red rock formations, and endless adventure
When I work with couples for wedding and elopement photography, I help with location scouting to find the perfect place. If you’d like my help, feel free to contact me!
Example Elopement Timelines
Your just-us wedding is all about you, your partner, and enjoying the experience, so your timeline can look however you want. When I work with couples, there are a few popular elopement timelines: a few hours, a full day, or two days.
A mini elopement lasts a few hours and can include:
- Meet at accommodation for getting ready photos
- Drive to a nearby outdoor location for a first look and exploring
- Take a short hike to a secluded place for an intimate ceremony
- Exchange vows and share a toast
- Take wedding portraits
- Go back to the trailhead and take any final photos
A full-day elopement lasts from morning to night and can include:
- A relaxing morning together
- Brunch and start getting ready with photos
- Take a hike to a scenic spot
- Have a first look and read letters from loved ones
- More pictures in nature
- Head to an intimate location to exchange vows, rings, and a toast
- Explore as newlyweds and take wedding portraits
- Enjoy a picnic together
- Have a first dance and Facetime loved ones
- Watch the sunset together and take final photos
A two-day elopement can include an adventure day and a wedding day. This allows you to extend the experience and fully enjoy each moment. I love the two-day option for being fully present and relaxed without any rushing.
Plan Your Private Wedding With No Guests
I hope you found this article helpful and are excited to start planning your dream wedding!
I love working with couples who want a just-us experience. Whether you want a mini, full-day, or multi-day experience, my photography packages include:
- An initial phone consultation
- Location scouting
- Timeline planning
- Vendor recommendations
- Access to all-inclusive elopement planning resources
- Custom online gallery with all edited high-resolution images
- 48-hour sneak peek photos
- Rights to printing
- My travel to anywhere in Colorado (additional costs to travel outside of CO)
kinsley + caden
“Brooke was the perfect choice for our wedding day! We had a micro wedding at Sapphire Point in August. I had never been to Sapphire Point and Brooke was so helpful suggesting vendors, picture locations, parking, marriage license info etc. She was so kind and helpful before and during the whole process and was a large part of why the day went so smooth. She does so much more than just show up and take pictures, Brooke will truly go out of her way to make your wedding day perfect! The photos are gorgeous and I keep getting so many compliments! I truly cannot recommend her enough!”
"Brooke was a large part of why our day went so smooth and will truly go out of her way to make your wedding day perfect!"
We chose Brooke to capture our Colorado elopement and she did exactly that and more. She made it easy to plan our day out with locations and timelines so that we could focus on ourselves. We decided last minute to change our afternoon/evening elopement to a 6am sunrise one so beat the heat of the day. Brooke accommodated us without hesitation and even created a new timeline for us so that we knew where to be for the perfect sunrise. She was kind and understood what we wanted in terms of our elopement and we are so grateful to have her capture the day. Our photos turned out beautiful and truly helped us relive the day. I would recommend Brooke to anyone wanting their special day photographed.
"Brooke accommodated us without hesitation and even created a new timeline for us so that we knew where to be for the perfect sunrise."
erica + stacy
kirstie + colin
Brooke not only photographed our mountain elopement beautifully, but she put so much thought into the details and knew all of the answers the questions I didn’t even know to ask. She really puts a lot of thought into each photo and brings her expertise while still remaining very open to what we wanted and ideas we had. She even helped pick the perfect spot for us and advised us on the logistical details like securing a reservation at the mountain lake where we wanted our ceremony. She is SO easy to work with and very friendly and chill. My husband and I are super awkward in front of a camera but she made it so natural and easy - and the shots came out better than we could have imagined.
"She really puts a lot of thought into each photo and brings her expertise while still remaining very open to what we wanted and ideas we had."
amanda + jace
Brooke is many things; talented, calm, flexible, experienced/ knowledgeable, patient, incredibly responsive, organized, resourceful in a pinch, supportive, creative, professional yet a blast to work with, and goes above & beyond w her clients. Our wedding was a spectacular dream and we couldn't be more grateful that she made that single day last forever. Whether she's photographing nature or an intimate event, her pictures tell a story of peace, love, whatever your vision may be. We couldn't recommend her more and we look forward to booking with her for all of our vow renewals, seasonal and family pictures for as long as she'll have us.
"Whether she's photographing nature or an intimate event, her pictures tell a story of peace, love, whatever your vision may be."
linden + brent
Working with Brooke was a dream come true! Before we even met, my husband Brent and I were impressed by her portfolio. After meeting, we were even more convinced that her photography skills and knowledge, and her fun and easygoing personality were exactly what we were looking for in an elopement photographer. Brooke was able to take our vision and facilitate everything so that it worked out beautifully, especially when it came to finding the perfect location (the incredible mountains surrounding Ouray). Throughout the entire planning process, she was honest and flexible, and made it clear that her goal was for us to be 100% happy. In the end, her creativity and our happiness totally shine through in every single photo.
"Throughout the entire planning process, she was honest and flexible."
lauren + branden
I can't begin to express my gratitude for the intimacy and beauty behind Brooke's photographs. In capturing our wedding day, she went above and beyond to document our story, our families, and the depths of our love in ways that I'll forever be grateful for. Brooke has an eye for not only capturing the adventure and magic of your love, but deeply connects with your personal story, understands your relationship, and then gives that back in the most incredible way. She is truly an artist and tells your story in an authentic and creative way for you to look back on for years to come. We are forever grateful to Brooke for spending the time to get to know us, our story, and capturing the memories that we'll relive for years to come.
"Brooke deeply connects with your personal story, understands your relationship, and then gives that back in the most incredible way."
heather + jedd
“If you're contemplating which photographer to go with, THIS IS YOUR SIGN TO CHOOSE BROOKE!!!! She is so so so talented and was able to capture our elopement exactly how I pictured and wanted! We eloped in Ridgway, CO this past September and she was so helpful figuring out picture locations, recommendations of timeline for the day, and just made the whole day feel so smooth. She schedules multiple check ins, phone calls, etc., leading up to the big day to ensure everything is as you want it. Brooke has such a calming, down to earth presence and is one of those awesome people you feel like you've known forever after just the first time of meeting."
"Brooke has such a calming, down to earth presence and is one of those awesome people you feel like you've known forever."
christy + austin
Brooke is the absolute best. She truly went above and beyond for my fiancé and I to be able to get our engagement photos taken with the fall colors. Brooke is so sweet, fun, personable and incredibly talented. We could not be more in love with our engagement photos! Our engagement session with Brooke was such a special experience and a memory we will cherish forever.
"Our engagement session with Brooke was such a special experience and a memory we will cherish forever."
