A few tips on How to Plan an Intentional Elopement, inspired by this beautiful Summer Elopement at Acadia.
Laura & Nathan planned a summer elopement at Acadia National Park, and I have to say, I just love them! They planned their day with such intention and care, from the people they spent their day with to the details they included. They also understood that the vendors they chose would have an important impact on their day, especially given how intimate their wedding would be. This meant they ended up having an incredible 2-day elopement – and inspired this post on How to Plan an Intentional Elopement!
HOW TO PLAN AN INTENTIONAL ELOPEMENT | SUMMER ELOPEMENT AT ACADIA
Summer Elopement at Acadia
Acadia National Park is located on Maine’s Mount Desert Island and is home to some truly breathtaking scenery, from rocky coastal outcrops to Cadillac Mountain, the East Coast’s highest point. The variation in landscapes means there are plenty of ways to celebrate your adventure elopement or intimate wedding there. Laura & Nathan really made it their own by having a first look at Schooner Head Overlook, their ceremony at Otter Cliff, and a small reception for their immediate family on a super sweet charter boat. They even decided to plan a two-day elopement so that they could make the most of one day with their family, and spend the other day exploring the park and taking wedding portraits without time constraints.
Laura & Nathan’s Summer Elopement at Acadia had a little bit of everything, from photos with their gorgeous beagle, Molly, intimate moments just for the two of them, and beers from the brewery where they had their first date. A curious seal even made an appearance much to the delight of them & their guests!
For more information about how to elope to Acadia National Park, check out Diandra & Adam’s elopement here!
How to Plan an Intentional Elopement
One of the benefits of eloping is that they tend to come with far less planning than a traditional wedding. This doesn’t mean you can’t put thought into planning a beautiful day, though! By taking the time to consider your day, and be intentional with your choices, you can create a wedding that will be truly epic and unique to you & your love.
Throw Away the Rulebook
The first step to planning an intentional elopement is to throwaway the rulebook. Seriously! This isn’t to say you can’t keep any wedding traditions that might be important to you, just to say there really are no ‘musts’ for your elopement day. You can get ready together or apart, you can have guests or have none at all. In some states you might even be able to self-officiate your wedding! Technically, the only things you really need to do are get your marriage license and make sure you’re following the National Park rules & regulations!
Start Thinking About Your Best Day
Now that you’ve thrown away the rulebook and let go of any ideas about what a wedding ‘should’ look like, I’d suggest you start thinking about your best day. What does that look like? What’s the weather like? What would you eat? What would you do? This is a day where you can be as extravagant or as simple as you’d like. Perhaps you’d love a sweet picnic on a mountaintop that you prepared together in the morning. Perhaps you’d like dinner catered by a private chef in a luxurious Airbnb. Go wild dreaming of what your day could look like, and then hone in on a plan together.
One example that I love from Laura & Nathan’s day is that their wedding didn’t really finish after their elopement! These guys have family scattered all over the country, and so they took off the whole month after their wedding to visit everyone. They travelled to four different towns & cities, having little wedding celebrations in each place with their loved ones. How cool is that??
Choose Elopement Vendors with Care
Finally, choose elopement vendors who can not only pull off all your plans beautifully, but who you connect with, as well. Probably the best example of why this is important is your elopement photographer (I promise I’m not just saying that because I’m biased!). Even if you invite some of your favorite people to your elopement, you’ll still spend more time with your elopement photographer than anyone else. We help you plan, we’ll be on any hikes with you, we might even share a car with you to explore the park you’ve chosen to elope at (assuming you’re planning your elopement in a national or state park).
Another great example is your celebrant, if you choose to have one. Laura & Nathan chose to work with Reverend Erika Hewitt, who really went above and beyond to learn their story. After getting to know them, she created a really unique elopement ceremony. One of my favorite parts was when she asked guests to pass their rings around and give love to them. The Reverend’s attention to detail and care for Laura & Nathan’s elopement, as well as the beautiful work of their other vendors, really made all the difference to their day.
Are you planning your own Summer Elopement in Acadia? I’d love to help you document your beautiful day and plan something super sweet. Just get in touch!
Do you have other ideas for How to Plan an Intentional Elopement? Or did you just love Laura & Nathan’s portraits? Let us know in the comments below!