How do you elope in Perth?

Are you thinking about eloping in beautiful Boorloo/Perth, but don't know where to start? As a Perth Elopement Specialist Celebrant, I love helping couples 'get eloped'.

Common reasons for eloping

You're probably thinking about eloping because the thought of having - and planning! - a big wedding is making you feel sick. There may be family trickiness, pressure to have a bigger production than you'd like, or you hate the idea of being 'on show'. Some couples want the intimate moment of their marriage to be private and just for the two of them.

I'm here to tell you that you don't have to have a big wedding! Did you know that legally, only 5 people have to be at a marriage ceremony - that's the two of you, me, and two legally-required witnesses!

Assuming the legal requirements are met, it is legal to elope

But pared-back and simple doesn't have to mean boring. Boo to soulless, cookie-cutter marriage ceremonies!

Do we have to elope at a Registry Office?

There are alternatives to a Registry Office elopement.

I've married couples in the bush, by the beach, in city hotel rooms, parks, cafes, epic AirBnbs, backyards, and everywhere in between. And every couple I've married has had a unique and beautiful ceremony that we co-created together to make it absolutely what they wanted.

The Elopement Process step 1: first find your "why"

It can be helpful to think of getting married as two separate parts.

There's the legal element of getting married, for example the paperwork, which needs to happen if you want to be legally married at the end of the process. These aspects must happen and can't be changed.

Then there are the ceremonial elements. The legal element can have various degrees of ceremony around it - but doesn't have to have any at all. These ceremonial aspects - what, and how many you include - will be the difference between a legals-only, an Elopement and a Wedding ceremony.

So talk about it together. Get really specific about why you're getting married, AND why you're choosing to elope instead of having a wedding.

Then, this can inform all your choices going forward. Whenever you're faced with a decision about your marriage ceremony, you can check it against your "why" to help you decide.

For example, during the elopement planning process, we'll discuss things like

Location? Vibe? Formal or casual? Top-secret or a handful of guests? Walk down an aisle? Get ready together? Vows? Rings? Music? You don't need to know all the answers at the beginning, but having the central pillar of your "why" to refer to will also help with these more granular decisions.

Celebrants - you can't get married without us!

The Elopement Process step 2: book your elopement celebrant

Unless you're marrying within a religious institution, you literally can't get married without us, so please don't sort out every other details and leave your celebrant until the last minute! As a celebrant who specialises in elopements I will guide you through the entire elopement process step by step.

Don't live in Perth? No problem - I help out-of-town couples elope in Perth all the time. We can arrange the entire elopement via email and video chats, only meeting up in person on the day of the elopement for the ceremony.

Read about a couple who eloped in Perth while they were on holiday in WA

The Elopement Process step 3: Get clear on what you both want your elopement to look and feel like

It's extremely common for my couples to book me knowing they want to elope but not exactly how. We'll work out the details together through the planning process.

Imagine you two are getting married; what does that look like for each of you?

Some people have been visualising their wedding day for years, others have given it no thought until now. And because there are two of you making these decisions, you may need to compromise.  

There are so many options - and you're welcome to Book a Call with me to discuss.

Do you want just the legal paperwork with no ceremony, preferably ASAP? A legals-only marriage is probably what you're after - no ceremony, just the absolutely necessary paperwork.

Does one of you want a big celebration and the other one wants to keep it small and private? You could consider eloping and having a party later.

Do you just want to run away and elope? Eloping on holiday might work for you - and this could be a staycation if you already live in Perth.

The Elopement Process step 4: elope!

Once all the legals and logistics are sorted, all you have to do is rock up on the day and get married!

Whether there is family trickiness, you're feeling pressure to have a bigger wedding than you'd like, you're running away to get married while on holidays or you just want an intimate ceremony, an elopement could be for you.

Whatever your reasons for eloping, if you're after a personalised ceremony in a location of your choice, I'll work with you to create your perfect elopement ceremony that 100% reflects who you two are as a couple.

Would you love to elope in Perth? To start planning, check out The Elopement Package

All photos on this post are by my fave elopement photographer Red Eclectic