Should we elope and have a party later?
- Sally Bruce
- Mar 19
- 4 min read
Updated: 12 hours ago
Having an elopement doesn’t mean you have miss to out on having a party to celebrate with all your family and friends. An elopement ceremony first, followed by a party later, is a choice that more and more couples are making.
“We don’t want a big fuss as we would like to keep it intimate that morning, for just us, and then celebrate later in the day.”
This is what one of my couples said to me in their enquiry - and they're not alone. As a wedding celebrant who specialises in elopements, I'm sharing more about this increasingly popular form of getting married.
How does an elopement with a celebration later work?
Think of a traditional wedding where all the guests come to a ceremony, watch the couple get married, and then (often after a break for the couple to go and have photos), the guests and the couple move into the reception, which is the party to celebrate.
If you elope and have a party later, you break this traditional wedding structure into two separate parts:
1. An intimate, private ceremony with just the two witnesses or a select few people.
2. A ‘reception’, party or celebration at a later time.
So you still have the ceremony - just with very few, if any, guests - and the ceremony isn’t embedded in, or connected with, the reception.
Read this if you're wondering if it’s legal to elope
Why elope and have a party later - and not a traditional wedding?
There are quite a few reasons why couples might choose this option.
Couples who aren't aligned with how they want to get married
Surprisingly often, I marry couples where one person wants a big wedding, a huge celebration and all the bells and whistles - and the other would be happy to sign the marriage paperwork at the kitchen table in their pjs. So a small elopement ceremony followed by a celebration party later can be a good compromise, and a way for both people feel like they are getting the wedding they want. Marriages are all about compromise, so finding a way to begin your marriage that both of you are happy with, is super-important.
Keeping your vows private
Some people just don’t feel comfortable sharing their most personal feelings with a crowd. If you feel shy or nervous about saying your vows in front of a lot of people, keeping the actual marriage ceremony very small – that is, eloping - might help you to feel more at ease.
Photos without leaving your guests
An advantage of an elopement ceremony is that you can have your couple’s photo shoot straight after the ceremony, without leaving your guests. Unlike a 'traditional' wedding where guests are often left to fill in hours between ceremony and reception while the couple have photos, your guests just meet you at start of the party. This means more time for you to enjoy the company of all the awesome folks you've asked to be part of your celebration. And your guests aren't awkwardly filling in time waiting for the reception to begin. Win-win!
Some of my elopement couples even have their photos done before the ceremony. Without the big crowd to manage, there's a lot more flexibility with timing of the ceremony and the photos at an elopement.
Time together
At a 'traditional' wedding, the couple are on-the-go from the start of the ceremony until the end of the reception. This way, the two of you get some downtime together, between the ceremony and the party, to just be together and process the fact that you just got married!
Making your own traditions
You could hire a venue and still include all your favourite wedding reception traditions, like arriving after your guests so they cheer as you walk in.
You might like the idea of certain elements of a traditional wedding reception (like cutting a cake or having a ‘first dance’) but don’t want the whole shebang. With this option, you can just include the things you want.
Or you might not want to include any aspects of a wedding reception and instead have a pizza party at your house or dinner at the pub with a bunch of mates.
You decide. Make choices that light the two of you up.
Wondering where to elope? You could consider an Airbnb elopement or get married in your backyard
How long after the elopement should we have the party?
Only you can answer this question!
Some of my couples have eloped in the morning and partied that afternoon, while others have married on the Friday and partied on the Saturday.
Some of my couples get legally hitched in Perth and then party with family and friends in another location - or several locations across the globe - many months later.
Do we have to have a party if we elope?
Of course not! You can keep the whole thing as quiet and intimate as you like. That's the advantage of elopements!
What does eloping with a party later look like?
Honestly, however you want! But for inspo, you can read about real couples who eloped and had a party later at these blog posts:
All photos on this post by Kat at Red Eclectic
We want to 'get eloped' and then party later!
I’m noticing quite a few couples lately are interested in this vibe; keeping the ceremony private and intimate and then having a bigger celebration later.
If you think this might be for you, as a Perth elopement specialist, I'd love to help you elope!
