How to Choose a Location for your Elopement or Wedding
How to Pick That Awesome Elopement or Wedding Location
There's a lot to figure out when you decide to elope or have a destination wedding (or a local wedding too!). Have no fear, KAT IS HERE!
Before I get into the major tips and tricks I’ve worked through on a lot of these decisions, I first want to set the groundwork that should be the foundation of any decision you make.
This is your wedding. No matter where you decide to adventure to, it will be special because it will be about the two of you.
I get it, there are so many awesome places to check out and the decision can seem so overwhelming. But take a breath, sit down with your fiancé and begin a bucket list of places you want visit together.
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Do you choose a place brand new, that has some amazing views? Or do you pick a place you’ve gone to a million times before that holds a special place in your heart? There are no wrong answers here. This is about EXACTLY what you want to do.
So let's dive into some tips to help narrow down those ideas and dreams.
Tips & Tricks for Picking the Perfect Elopement or Wedding Location
There are some factors you might want to consider when picking the perfect place to get married and I don’t want you to be unpleasantly surprised by anything.
Timing
The seasons can have a major impact on the landscape or accessibility of certain locations. Mountain passes may close in the winter in some areas. Summers might get too hot in the desert, and our shoes start melting.
Different locations can also have widely varying seasonal times. If you’re looking for the golden and red fall colors, make sure you look at what month might be the best timing for that particular location.
Scenery
What kinds of views and scenery do you want to surround yourself with on your wedding day? This is one of the benefits of eloping or having a destination location, you can decide what you see.
Do you thrive in the desert, rock climbing the red cliff faces or sliding down huge sand dunes?
Maybe you love mountain peaks. Alpine tops.
How about walking hand in hand along the beach?
Waterfalls, cliff tops, city streets, narrow canyons, jungle forests, aspen trees, fresh packed snow, you name it.
Our amazingly stunning Earth is home to all of these awesome places. And sometimes you can get varying landscapes all in one area. Find out what starts speaking to you. List them all out and then we can discuss where to find them.
Travel
How do you get there? Is it by plane, boat or llama. Maybe the spot you want requires a helicopter ride, vespa shenanigans, or kayaks to a secluded lagoon. Maybe you need a 4x4 vehicle to get out to a remote spot. Or are we hiking into a location and need backpacking gear.
Will you be including any guests to these locations and have you thought about how they are arriving?
Keep these aspects in mind when choosing a location for your perfect elopement or destination wedding.
People
How secluded do you want your location to be? Do you thrive in the hustle and bustle of the big city? Or maybe you prefer the only sound to be your breathing and the occasional bird cry.
Really think about the amount of people you want around you. If you’re inviting guests, how many people does that include. Do you want to meet new people by hanging out in the city with 500 of your closest strangers? I know some extroverts who love that!
But I also know introverts who don’t want to see a single soul. If this is a big deal, we aren’t going to pick a popular hiking location or that Instagram spot.
It’s something completely personal to the TWO OF YOU. And your decision of location should reflect that.
Extras
Don’t forget to think about things like Legalities of certain destination locations, Permits or licenses for weddings in national parks or other wilderness areas, and the specific Ethics of locations such as leaving no trace in the backcountry or economical impacts in certain countries.
There is definitely some research to consider to make sure you follow all country, state, city and park rules for getting married within their boundaries. Be sure you keep that in mind when choosing a location and plan for them.
