5 Reasons Why Eloping is Amazing
Over Memorial Day weekend, Jeff and I eloped to the mountains. We had an amazing trip getting to visit a new city and found an absolutely amazing and talented local photographer. We talked about doing a big wedding. After we discussed everything that goes into it, we decided it was best for us to do something more intimate - we chose a very private/intimate solution that worked best for us. For those considering eloping, here are our top 5 reasons why eloping is amazing.
#1 - THE VIEWS
Our journey really started on the east coast when Jeff was doing training in Virginia. That road trip we will never forget, and the trips I made out there are some of our fondest memories. I knew I wanted mountains as our backdrop for our wedding photos - because life together is ALWAYS and adventure.
#2 - EXPERIENCING A NEW CITY
Denver was AMAZING. It was a new city we got to explore for a few days. We did a food tour with Megan through Airbnb’s Experiences. Megan had all the places picked out along Platte street. We had empanadas at Maria Empanada amazing rotisserie chicken, salad and drinks (non-alcoholic for me) at Bri Der Rotisserie & Kitchen. We stopped by a spice shop on the way to Proto's Pizza. The pizzas were absolutely amazing. The manager was incredibly friendly. Then we finally stopped by Habit Doughnut Dispensery for the best vegan donut I’ve ever had - no seriously they had an extra and sent it home with us. #pregoLife.
It was an awesome experience getting to try a bunch of different things at a reasonable price. On other adventures, we’ve gone to a place, paid for a meal (which would have been half the cost of this experience) and hated it. As they say, variety is the spice of life!
#3 - COST EFFECTIVE
Let’s be real…weddings are/can be expensive. Yes, you get “an experience” and a celebration with friends and family but it comes at a cost. We did things on the cheap and loved our intimate experience.
I found my dress on Facebook Marketplace for $40.00, I bought my veil and rhinestone sash on Amazon for $27.00 (affiliate link). Because we were going to be doing a lot of walking - my Converse Chuck Taylor shoes did just fine. I did my own makeup, my own hair. Jeff already had all his clothes. We picked up flowers at a local grocery store for maybe $10.00.
We strategically put every monthly expense and larger expenses on our Southwest Card and earn points which allowed Jeff to fly free as my companion, and it only cost me points from using the card plus $25.00 in taxes/fees for us both to fly.
The largest expenses were our incredibly reasonable photographer and the Airbnb itself. We had a great experience with Caleb and his ADORABLE 1 bedroom Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU). In hindsight, if we wanted to save we could have stayed at a Hilton with our points for virtually nothing, but we wanted a more authentic experience - but the space was perfect and we got to experience the ‘tiny home’ life for a minute. 😉
#4 - SUPPORT LOCAL ARTISTS
Lacey was a freaking blast! She was incredibly accommodating and incredibly flexible. I basically told her my vision of having mountains in the background but not too much hiking since I was 27 weeks pregnant/not sure about the altitude.. and to go to the RiNo district. She had the exact place in mind in Georgetown that she was wanting to capture for a while, she offered to pick us up since we had NO IDEA where we were going. I’m incredibly grateful for her talent and happy that we could connect with her, making a friend for life. I’d highly recommend if you’re in Denver, Boulder or even Madison Wisconsin - checking her out either through her website Woodville Dream or her Airbnb Experiences. She also offers print options from albums to individual prints and even larger canvas and metal prints.
#5 - YOU GET TO DO WHAT YOU WANT
At the end of the day, your wedding is about a commitment to each other. We had an amazing adventure, we didn’t break the bank, we have memories together to cherish for a lifetime, we captured the event with a very talented photographer, no one felt left out - we left everyone out. We’re incredibly grateful our family and friends have been so supportive of this after finding out.
We made our own wedding experience and wouldn’t change it for the world!
