3 Elopement Tips For Crafting An Unforgettable Experience
Wear The Outfits YOU Feel Best In
I can’t stress enough the importance of letting all tradition fall behind — should you feel called to that — when planning your elopement. One of the beautiful things about planning an elopement in California, is that the weather is usually cooperative, and if you want to dress it down, dress it up, not wear a white dress; that’s all up to you. If you want to a wear a sexy, timeless, black dress on the ocean, then do just that! At the end of the day, this elopement is about your and your partner, and what makes you guys happy, what makes you feel beautiful, and the commitment between the two of you.
Create Something That Outlives The Ceremony
Bay Area Landscape designer Anastasia Sonkin and her now husband, Alexander, also in the landscape architect industry, held a moment of silence during their intimate ceremony, surrounded by their closest loved ones. Everyone was standing in a circle in a path that he had cleared on his parent’s property where a rural pasture met the forest.
Why the silence? For gratitude. Gratitude for the moment, for the day, for everyone in their lives being able to witness their love. After the moment of silence ended, they had their niece come around with a woven basket full of seed packets. One by one, everybody opened up these seed packets, containing wildflowers that meant something to Anastasia and Alexander. After opening the packets, everyone (including me!) got to throw the seeds up into the air, where they’d land at random on the ground.
For years to come, during spring, Alexander’s parents will be able to see these wildflowers grow in a circle, remembering the day they shared with their son and his wife, and all of their closest loved ones.
Let Your Friends + Family Get Involved
Planning on having a few friends or family members attend your elopement? Let them help! Some of the most beautiful elopements and micro-weddings that my team and I have shot have been collaborative experiences. The bride’s best friend hand-crafted ceramics for candles at dinner. The groom’s best friend officiated the wedding. The bride’s mother made her dress. The groom’s uncle played guitar as they walked down their aisle together. The sky is the limit with this one! Think outside the box and get creative. Have fun with it. Everybody getting together to curate the elopement of your dreams is the best way to enjoy the day, and it makes for an unforgettable experience with the most nostalgic memories that everyone will cherish forever.