Eloping has become increasingly popular since Covid-19 has wrecked our worlds. With the pandemic exposing our loved ones, venues limiting capacity, and with layoffs/unemployment making budgets more of a concern, we believe that eloping is the way to go! If you are the kind of people who aren’t into big crowds, dancing while others are watching, or exchanging your vows in front of a group, eloping might be the better option for you. There is also no better excuse to have a small wedding/elopement than a pandemic! Use Covid-19 to your advantage, and tell your crazy Aunt Margaret that she can’t come to your wedding because of your concern for the safety of others. Have only your closest friends and family, or even just the two of you, and enjoy your special day!

We all want our wedding day to be special and memorable, right? It is supposed to be one of the happiest days of your lives, so naturally you will want some fun activities to be involved in that special day. Larger weddings tend to take all day and have bigger group related activities, so if eloping is the path you choose, and you are unsure on how to fill up all that extra time, stay tuned.

Think about what makes you, you.

What are your favorite activities to do as a couple? Do you enjoy frisbee golfing and mint chocolate chip ice cream? Go throw some discs and stop by the ice cream shop! Or maybe a walk through the park, or a hike to a new mountain range speaks to you. There are lots of different places to explore in Asheville. Are you history buffs? Check out the local museum! There is no reason for you to just wait around all day for your one hour ceremony and photo session. Go out and do what you love, and make the whole day special! Go get sloppy joes and cheer wine at your favorite barbecue spot, or dessert before dinner downtown. There are no rules, the possibilities are endless. If you aren’t sure what to do, ask the people closest to you what they picture you doing and go from there! Or if you aren’t familiar with the place you are eloping at, ask your photographer where their favorite restaurants are, and what their favorite things to do are.

Your relationship is unique, your elopement should be too.

Eloping on a budget

Having a large wedding with a lot of guests at a venue, with catering, party favors, decorations, and bridal parties can add up quickly. Eloping is a great way to cut costs on things that don’t matter as much to you. Use that money elsewhere, and have a whole day of awesome activities for the two of you! A lot of National Parks are absolutely beautiful, and only charge about $100 for a permit to marry there. Comparing that to a venue that costs thousands, you are already off to a great start!

There are lots of activities that are low-cost or free to do, anywhere you go! You can go to a museum, tour a glass blowing shop, throw axes, take a walk in the park or at an arboretum, visit a wildlife rehab center, check out a new waterfall, go on a hike, frisbee golf, see the locally made crafts and farm fresh foods at the farmers market, go to an art gallery, or go ice skating!

Make a timeline

We suggest you have a rough timeline for your day so you can have plenty of activities to do but with enough wiggle room that you aren’t rushed. The best time of day for photos is golden hour, the hour before sunset. So here is a timeline to work around a 7pm sunset (typically April and October).

10am brunch and mimosas
12pm fun activity you love- watching your favorite movie, go on a short hike to a mountain view or waterfall, get ice cream sundaes, throw axes or mini golfing
2:30pm stop at your favorite brewery and get a locally crafted beer and split some beer cheese and pretzels, or a fancy glass of wine with a charcuterie board, or go to a dessert bar and have some cheesecake and a cocktail
4pm start getting ready!
5:30pm ceremony and family photos
6:00-7:00pm (or until sunset) couples portraits! This should give you plenty of time to shoot in several locations without feeling rushed.
7:45pm dinner

Consider this

Couples who choose to have large extravagant weddings typically have their photographers there documenting the whole day, so why not have that for your day too? We love adventure sessions, so if you would like someone to document your whole adventure elopement, we can make it happen! We can be there capturing the moment as you play corn hole and eat fried pickles (although we might have to eat a few of them!) in your wedding attire. Each couple and situation is different, so just shoot us an email and we can help plan and capture the memories of your special day!

How to Make Your Elopement Memorable