What Type Of Couples Elope?

A just married couple stand in front of a castle

8-minutes read

Why is eloping the right choice for your wedding?

The team E-Lope are often asked questions such as: What type of couples elope? and Why would eloping be the right choice for our wedding? So, we thought it would be a good idea to help by putting some of the frequently asked questions to Sam Lloyd, The Wedding Owl, the founder of E-Lope Kent. Here’s what she had to say.

What type of couples Elope?

Sam said, “If you and your partner are considering a tiny wedding, you are not alone. Since the lockdown (Covid) more and more couples are choosing to forego the large traditional wedding, in favour of a more intimate wedding. There are many reasons why a modern elopement might be the right choice for you”. Why not meet some of our lovely couples on our blog.

Sam continued, “You might think there is a particular type of couple that elopes, but it’s not true. It can be any type of couple that chooses to elope. Couples hold an intimate and private wedding, either with a handful of guests or for just the two of them”. Sam continued, “There are a lot of elopements amongst celebrities, who don’t want the ‘media circus’ all over them on their special day”.

Famous couples who have eloped

Here is a list of some of Sam’s most fabulous couples she admires who have eloped;

2020 Lily Allen & Actor David Harbour secretly married, sharing their news on Instagram
2011 The James Bond actor Daniel Craig & Rachel Weisz secretly eloped with only four guests
2010 Penelope Cruz & Javier Bardem eloped in front of only their family
2006 Actor-musician Jack Black & Tanya Haden, a skilled cello player, eloped less than a year after they started dating.
1987 Demi Moore & Bruce Willis eloped after just three months of dating
1975 Richard Burton & Elizabeth Taylor enjoyed an outdoor elopement
1966 Mia Farrow & Frank Sinatra
1961 Nobel Laureate Irish novelist and playwright Samuel Barclay Beckett eloped in Folkestone. Just up the road from The Castle Westenhanger! He married Suzanne Georgette Anna Deschevaux-Dumesnil a pianist, choosing her over the heiress Peggy Guggenheim. Their relationship latest over 50 years
1959 Brigitte Bardot married Jacques Charrier a French actor
1954 Marilyn Monroe & the famous baseball player Joe DiMaggio
1943 Rita Hayworth, an American icon of the silver screen & Director/ Actor Orson Wells
1939 The Hollywood actors Clark Gable & Carole Lombard.

Sam further elaborated, “Celebrities aside, going back to the question ‘What Type Of Couples Elope’ it can be couples who might have been together for a short time or may have been together for years. They might hate planning or not have the time for a full wedding project management. They might be on their second when. Couples’ reasons for booking a modern elopement at a specialist venue may vary enormously”.

Why Eloping might be the right choice for you and your partner

Here are some reasons why choosing a tiny wedding might be perfect for you. You

avoid wedding planning stresses
get to keep your wedding budget low
enjoy a more personal and intimate wedding
escape your annoying family or ‘friends’
avoid planning the big day and all the facets you can’t stand
get to elope to a castle in Kent
start your married life stress-free
want a more spontaneous wedding and understand the decreasing ‘stigma’ associated with eloping.

A just married couple cuddle in front of a castle

Do couples inform their loved ones before eloping?

Sam answered, “Depending on their circumstances, a couple may choose to let their nearest and dearest know about their plans before their small wedding. However, other couples prefer to keep their tiny wedding a total secret (as do we if asked), choosing to inform their families and friends only after their intimate wedding day. Telling your parents about your plans to elope can be difficult, but it could be important to tell them for a number of reasons. Reasons for telling parents is mostly about avoiding any hurt feelings or misunderstandings, but it can also be about getting their support and blessing”.

When and why did you start thinking about hosting elopements?

Sam responded, “I’ve been thinking about elopements for a long time. Many years ago, a friend proudly messaged me with the simple words ’Surprise!’ and ’I’ve got a secret!’ Then she started posting beautiful pictures of her happy day on social media. This got me thinking about elopements”. Over the years, Sam has read more and more about elopements and wedding planning. Sam started to think about why some couples choose to opt out of a large wedding and elope, who they might be, and what they might want out of their big, little day.

Sam’s inspiration for setting up E-Lope

When Sam quizzed her friend about her elopement, the friend shared that she and her partner had decided they didn’t want an elaborate wedding with hundreds of guests. In fact, keeping their wedding plans a secret became one of their key objectives. Sam said, “What was interesting about the couple’s elopement was that they wanted a simple, relaxed, unique, and romantic, but more importantly, a precious and private day centred totally around their special bond. They elaborated further that they had wanted to spend every moment of their day together. Consequently, they agreed that the best wedding for them would be an elopement. So, they researched what was involved, planned, booked, organised, and paid for everything, all in secret”.

Creating E-Lope

Sam continued, “The couple realised during the planning stage that photography would be one of the most critical aspects of the day, as how else would they share the news? So, they chose a wedding photographer they had admired for a considerable time, who incidentally also agreed to be their witness. This enabled the couple to keep the wedding party to a minimum and now totally secret as no one else needed to be involved. Their big, little day started like so many other days, but after dropping their children off at school, the secretive, happy couple drove to their chosen wedding venue for a memorable and unique private ceremony”.

What are the critical elements of Eloping

When Sam asked the couple about their elopement, they said, “When we first dared to think about getting married, in our wildest dreams, we would never have even considered eloping. But the more we read and researched it, the more we could see that it offered us exactly what we were hoping for – where the details mattered less, but our vows and the recording of the day were the most important elements”.

Consequently, this was a pivotal moment for Sam as she began questioning all her preconceived ideas about what a wedding is and what are the critical elements of a beautiful wedding. After many years of thinking about elopements, E-Lope was born in October 2020, during the lockdown, when no weddings could occur due to Covid restrictions. Working with an incredible photographer, an accredited florist, a cake maker and an experienced events caterer, the whole ethos of E-Lope Kent was conceived to help couples get married as soon as the lockdown was lifted, with tiny guest numbers.

Sam futher expanded, “Team E-Lope wants to help more couples understand that there is another way of arranging a wedding. Weddings don’t have to wait until big weddings can go ahead. Weddings can now be tiny, beautiful, precious, and centred around the ceremony. If this sounds like something you’ve got in mind, you must find the confidence to seriously consider eloping with us“.

couple walking in front of the castle westenhanger

Is eloping right for you both?

Sam advocates, “You both need to be on the same wedding page if you are considering an elopement. When it comes to choosing between a full-scale wedding, a relaxed, intimate wedding of up to ten people, or an elopement with just two people, team E-Lope understands it takes time to weigh up the pros and the cons. An elopement is all about you and perhaps a handful of guests. You get to choose how many people to include in your wonderful day. And if you don’t have any witnesses, two of the team are delighted to step in and witness your marriage”.

Hereafter, with over 20 years of wedding planning experience, E-Lope now help couples realise their wedding dreams. Team e-lope gives couples an alternative big, little day.

Sam concluded, “With lockdown lifted on Monday 12^th, April 2021, we were hosting our first tiny and intimate wedding on the Wednesday. As a witness to the couple’s marriage, this was an immensely proud, special and personal achievement for the amazing E-Lope team and me”.