
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. Hereās 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, āYou might think there is a particular type of couple that elopes, but itās 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 themā. Sam continued, āThere are a lot of elopements amongst celebrities, who donāt want the āmedia circusā all over them on their special dayā.
Famous couples who have eloped
Here is a list of some of Samās 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, āCelebrities aside, going back to the question āWhat Type Of Couples Elopeā 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. Couplesā reasons for booking a modern elopement at a specialist venue may vary enormouslyā.

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.

Do couples inform their loved ones before eloping?
Sam answered, āDepending 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 blessingā.






When and why did you start thinking about hosting elopements?
Sam responded, āIāve been thinking about elopements for a long time. Many years ago, a friend proudly messaged me with the simple words āSurprise!ā and āIāve got a secret!ā Then she started posting beautiful pictures of her happy day on social media. This got me thinking about elopementsā. 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 didnāt want an elaborate wedding with hundreds of guests. In fact, keeping their wedding plans a secret became one of their key objectives. Sam said, āWhat 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 secretā.
Creating E-Lope
Sam continued, āThe 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 ceremonyā.
What are the critical elements of Eloping
When Sam asked the couple about their elopement, they said, āWhen 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 elementsā.

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, āTeam E-Lope wants to help more couples understand that there is another way of arranging a wedding. Weddings donāt 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 usā.

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 donāt have any witnesses, two of the team are delighted to step in and witness your marriageā.
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, āWith lockdown lifted on Monday 12th, April 2021, we were hosting our first tiny and intimate wedding on the Wednesday. As a witness to the coupleās marriage, this was an immensely proud, special and personal achievement for the amazing E-Lope team and meā.

With kind thanks
Photography Fleur Challis Photographer
Venue The Castle Westenhanger
Wedding Cake Cobi and Coco
Florist House of Mimi Fleur
Organiser, Planner and Stylist Sam The Wedding Owl
