Gone are the days when elopements were thought of as couples being selfish, cheap, or running away from disapproving parents. People who choose elopement want a wedding day that feels right to them and is an experience that is personal to them. One of my favorite locations for a Waterfall Elopement is in Olympic National Park (as shown below!)

The experience of their marriage is the point, rather than making choices to please family or guests.

Some other reasons people choose elopements:

• They feel the wedding industry has turned marriages into parties rather than a solemn commitment.
• They dislike being the center of attention.
• The idea of a traditional wedding causes them to feel stressed.
• They have strong feelings about their carbon footprint, preferring to keep their celebration small and respectful to Mother Earth.
• They can choose a place that matters to them and one that they could return to for anniversary celebrations.
• You don’t have to be “of a certain age.”
• They want to put their money into an experience of a lifetime instead of a party.