Have you decided to run off and tie the knot but are unsure about announcing your elopement? Many couples wonder how they should share the decision of eloping with their loved ones. Fortunately, there are ways to successfully share the news with others and even include your loved ones while still having a special day that’s all about you and your significant other!
As an elopement photographer and planner who’s worked with many couples, I’m excited to share top tips and elopement announcement ideas – from how and when to tell your family and friends to ways to include them without taking the focus away from the occasion.
Ready to start planning your elopement?
Tips for Announcing Your Elopement (+ Announcement Ideas)
Telling your loved ones you’re eloping doesn’t have to be stressful or scary. In fact, it can be an incredibly enjoyable experience! Here’s how:
- Do it when you’re ready.
- Know why eloping is important to you.
- Include your loved ones.
- Share pictures from your elopement day.
- Utilize social media to announce your elopement.
- Have an engagement party.
- Invite friends and family to a reception after the elopement.
You might also be interested in reading: The Ultimate Elopement Checklist: Everything You Need to Know
Do it when you’re ready.
One of the most important things to do when announcing your elopement is to remember to make it about you and your love first. It’s natural to put our loved ones’ wants and needs first, which is why eloping is so great. It’s a day to do what’s best for you!
Some couples choose to announce their elopement before their big day, while others wait until afterward. If you feel like sharing the news before you elope will cause added stress that may get in the way of enjoying your day, I recommend waiting. Deciding what to say and how to announce your elopement takes time. If you’re planning a quick elopement, this is another reason to wait until after.
On the other hand, if you’d like to include your family members and/or friends in planning and you think they’ll be supportive, it could be fun to share the news before you elope.
Know why eloping is important to you.
I think this tip is one that’s often overlooked. But, much of the worry that could come from sharing your elopement with others can be eased by knowing why this is important to you. There are many reasons couples choose to elope – more intimacy, less stress, sticking to a strict budget, etc.
Knowing you’re why can help you stay true to that regardless of the opinions of others. You may also want to share with others why eloping is important to you to help them understand and accept it. However, you can skip this step if you’d prefer. Every couple’s situation will be different.
Include your loved ones.
Many couples hesitate to elope even when they prefer skipping a traditional wedding experience because they want to include their loved ones. The good news? You can!
In fact, there are many fun ways to include your friends and family in your elopement. Here are a few ideas:
- Have an elopement party where your loved ones join in on helping you plan your big day.
- Ask your loved ones to write letters you can read during your ceremony.
- Send friends and family pictures of your elopement day afterward.
- Have a celebration before or after the big day.
Keep reading to see how I included my family and friends in my elopement!
Share pictures from your elopement day.
A fun way to announce your elopement is by sending pictures from your elopement day. Loved ones can feel like they were there if you have an elopement photographer (like myself!) capture moments from your special day.
Here are a few unique ways to share your photos:
- Create an online gallery and share it with your loved ones.
- Send elopement announcement cards.
- Create photo books for close loved ones.
Utilize social media to announce your elopement.
The online world has made announcing your elopement easier than ever! Using social media is a great way to make sure everyone in your circle is in on the big news without any added stress of sending pictures and announcements out to everyone you want to include.
You can also e-share your photos to a larger group of people and still share photos using the suggestions above with close friends and family.
Have an engagement party.
If you’ve decided to share your elopement with loved ones before the big day, let them host an engagement party for you. This is an exciting way to celebrate your wedding with others while still making your elopement day all about you and your partner.
Invite friends and family to a reception after the elopement.
One of the most fun ways to make your elopement day extra special without too much stress is by having a reception with loved ones after your elopement. In fact, this is what I did when I eloped!
Your reception doesn’t have to be the traditional one that takes place on the day of your elopement. You can have it in the weeks following.
This is the perfect way for family and friends to feel included and celebrate with you. It’s also great for guests who like to offer gifts to the newlyweds.
Another reason I love to suggest a reception to couples I work with is that it can be as simple or fancy as you’d like. You can have a small get-together in your backyard, dinner and drinks at a local restaurant, or plan a large reception at an event venue.
Here’s how my husband and I announced our elopement and included our loved ones–
We decided to keep our elopement intimate with just us. Two weeks after our elopement, we had a small reception with family and friends. Our announcements were the invitations to the reception, which we sent out prior to our elopement, and said “We’re Eloping!” We made our announcements fun with a small graphic of a dog icon that looked like our dog, Charlie.
We had 65 guests come to our reception where we watched our elopement film together for the first time with those we love most. Then we sent hundreds of virtual invites to other friends and family so that on the day of our reception they could scan the QR code on the invite and watch our wedding film with us also. It was incredibly special for all of us!
Announcing Your Elopement: Final Thoughts
The number one thing to remember is that it’s okay to make your wedding/elopement day 100% about you and your partner, while still being able to have a celebration to follow where your loved ones can celebrate with and rejoice for you.
Need help planning and capturing your special day? I’d love to help! Among the Pines Photography (that’s me!) is an adventure elopement photographer. I also offer planning resources and can help you execute the perfect elopement experience.
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."
