Announcing Your Elopement, 3 Ways
One of the most common questions I hear from couples is about how you should go about announcing your elopement. That’s totally understandable, as telling your loved ones can be both exciting and a little scary — especially if some of those people are perhaps less than supportive or think eloping is selfish (it’s not!).
I wrote an entire blog post about how to announce an elopement (the first one linked above), but I quickly realized that when couples ask me about it, they really have almost two separate questions.
The first one is related to what I would call elopement announcement etiquette:
“When should we announce our elopement?”
“What should we actually say?”
“How do other couples announce an elopement?”
“How should we handle people who have a negative reaction to our news?”
The second part of the question is more literal, about how to physically go through the act of announcing your elopement.
“Should we tell everyone individually or all at once?”
“Is there such a thing as elopement announcement cards?”
“Can we have a party?”
Because I hear both sets of questions often enough, I decided that these two topics of how to announce an elopement and actually announcing your elopement each deserve a dedicated blog post. So let’s get into it, shall we? Three main ways for announcing your elopement.
3 Ideas for Announcing Your Elopement
Eloping being so “mainstream” is still a relatively new concept. That means as far as elopement announcement etiquette goes, the great news is there aren’t many hard and fast rules. Announcing your elopement can 100% be done YOUR way!
Virtual Elopement Announcement
Some people bring their whole crew along to their elopement, but that’s certainly not the case for everyone. If you have quite a few people to tell when announcing your elopement, a virtual elopement announcement is the way to go.
Going back to the whole elopement announcement etiquette thing, there truly are many “right” ways to do this. You could make a social media post and announce it that way (although in this case, I do recommend you tell your immediate family and others you’re closest to ahead of time).
Another idea is to create a custom digital elopement announcement using a template from Canva or Etsy, then send it out in individual emails with a personalized note.
Paper Elopement Announcement Cards
If virtual isn’t really your style or you’re looking for something more traditional when it comes to announcing your elopement, consider sending out paper elopement announcements in the mail after your wedding.
You could send a super simple, lovely card showing off a favorite photo from your elopement. Alternatively, if you plan to have a post-elopement reception, you can send out an elopement announcement that also serves as an invitation to the celebration.
Take an Announcement Photo
As an elopement photographer, I’m admittedly a bit biased here, but this is my favorite among the possibilities for announcing your elopement!
Not only are there are soooo many fun and memorable things we can do with this, but it also serves a dual purpose: the photo can actually be turned into your elopement announcement cards and sent out (virtually or on physical paper, your choice).
One of my favorite ideas for announcing your elopement is to get (or make) a fun sign and take an epic picture with it.
There are lots of “Surprise! We’re now Mrs. & Mr.” type signs to choose from on Etsy and I really love this “We do, we did” one. If it’s your style and your circle of people generally has a good sense of humor, you could also take pics with one that specifies no, you’re not pregnant!
Another great idea is to incorporate a subtle, small “Just married” sign somewhere as you adventure through your day. We could attach it to your hiking backpack, place it strategically in your flower bouquet, or hang it from your pup’s collar (yep, you can include your dog in your elopement!).
A simple chalkboard sign you make yourself adds a lovely personal touch and of course, you can also just, well, take a photo — no props needed. Sending out a picture of you two in your wedding attire, clearly in love and with epic scenery as the background, speaks volumes all on its own. Other similar ideas here are a close-up “ring shot,” or sending out a photo of you two leaving as a married couple in your getaway vehicle.
Whatever you decide is the best method for announcing your elopement, I’d love to offer more tips and guidance (and of course, be part of it!). Contact me today to schedule your free elopement consultation so we can start planning every detail! Looking forward to hearing all about your dream day!