A Chance at A Romantic Wedding Story This Valentine’s

Valentine’s Day is the official date for celebrating love at its fullest. From our experience as wedding planners we have noticed this day is also a reminder and great initiator for getting started on your wedding plans. Still in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, which seems to be slowing down for some countries, but not for all, those big wedding plan dreams may still seem a bit risky or out of reach for some. Worry no more and let us enter you into the world of Elopements!

Once a taboo, as elopements usually meant keeping your wedding a secret from relatives, it is now becoming ever more popular for just the bride and groom to tie the knot. Couples are becoming more keen on spending their budget intentionally rather than on a big wedding reception with too many guests who will ‘get lost in the crowd’. Moving away from tradition, religious norms or family pressure and feeling free to organise the type of wedding that most suits the couple is become a priority. So let us go through all the dynamics of eloping and at the end of this article you will probably be more open to the idea!

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Extraordinary Location

Don’t restrict yourself when it comes to deciding on a location. Your ceremony can have any type of backdrop, whether that be exchanging vows on the edge of a cliff in Oia Santorini, on top of a castle in Kefalonia, a rustic village in Corfu or a yacht or picturesque Greek chapel. Be creative and adventurous and you won’t regret having this unique experience (and, oh yes, remarkable photos to show off back home!).

Itinerary

Is a Videographer Needed?

Here are the pros and cons of hiring a videographer. It can be considered an extra attribute to your wedding planning, as a photographer will already be capturing all your moments. The whole idea of eloping, is cutting back on costs, number of guests and vendors, so removing a videographer for the vendor list may seem more sensible to you. But many experts will recommend a videographer is an absolute necessity for any type of wedding you go for, as additional memorabilia will be created. Also, the cost of hiring a videographer for a shorter elopement will not be the same as for a wedding capturing 300 guests during 8 hours.

Hire Vendors

Do realise that an elopement still involves planning, so it is always encouraged to hire a wedding planner. This will help you get everything right just as you have envisioned. It’s only the two of you, but here is the short list of what will need to be planned.

• Date and Location
• All the legal paperwork depending on the type of ceremony
• Book an officiant and pick on a witness (for a symbolic ceremony)
• Arrange travel itinerary
• Choose bride and groom outfits
• Invitations
• Hire a Photographer
• Hire a Videographer
• Order a bouquet and bouttoniere
• Decide on other flower arrangements (maybe you will want a centrepiece for a private dinner and a wedding arch for the ceremony)

You can decide to have all the above or select certain aspects, this is entirely up to you, your budget and what end result you are going for. For less stressful planning, a wedding planner will coordinate anything you ask for in order to pull off your perfect elopement. As for flowers, there is no rule saying you should have minimal décor and just a bouquet to walk down the isle. If you decide on any location, other than a townhall, you can take your overall décor and flower details to the next level.

Legal Documents

If you’re having a destination elopement you will either have to go to your local courthouse to prepare the legal paperwork or arrange a date to have the paperwork done at a Greek Townhall, in order to have a valid marriage license. This can get complicated in certain cases and your planner will make all this process quick and easy for you.

Celebrate With Friends and Family  

After your elopement we highly recommend to arrange another celebration with your closest and dearest. Family and friends may be very eager to get the chance to congratulate you and make a fun time out of the elopement they couldn’t be present at. This is a great opportunity to plan a party, a small reception or garden dinner with all the relative décor, food options and party preparations to make the most out of your second celebratory event. You can either arrange this in 2022 or at a date when lockdown restrictions are more lenient with guest numbers.

Think You Want More Guests At Your Wedding?

This will no longer be called an elopement, but a micro wedding or minomony where a small number of friends and family will be present at your wedding.

Due to unfortunate circumstance brought by the pandemic, industry experts had to come up with alternative and creative ideas to temporarily replace the traditional big wedding receptions ideas. Celebrations will be enjoyed in the company of five to a few dozen guests. A lot of planning is still involved, with small adjustments that will suit a more intimate ceremony and reception. This change will allow couples to continue planning their wedding and not have to think of postponing. Having social distancing protocols in mind, this is the best way of enjoying your initial wedding plan without fear of having to cancel.

Dreams Do Come True!

Don’t put your dreams on hold! Greece will always be on top of the list for best wedding destinations. Picturesque, traditional or regal venues and locations can be found with the help of expert insight from your planners. The positives of an elopement, including less logistics and costs, mores tress free planning and steering clear of cancellation possibilities create a perfect wedding scenario.