They say that every little girl dreams about her wedding day, but that may prove to be more grounded in popular myths than actual facts. Sure, the wedding industry isn’t going anywhere soon, but a lot of couples are eloping these days—a lot more than ever before. According to Brides magazine, 55 percent of their followers changed their wedding day plans due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of those changed plans turned into elopements.
Whether just to save on wedding day costs or to have the peace of mind that your big day won’t become a COVID-19 super-spreader event, there are plenty of reasons why today’s couples are eloping. After all, elopement behavior doesn’t mean sneaking out a window in the dead of night anymore—it just means a smaller wedding that’s not as big of a deal. Read on to learn why eloping seems like a good idea to plenty of brides-to-be out there.
Eloping gives you more location options.
One thing the pandemic has taught us all is that it’s now possible to do a whole lot more online than we ever imagined possible. Before the coronavirus pandemic, a bride and groom may have taken people’s ability to travel into account when planning a wedding day. Can your Great-Aunt Myra travel to your destination wedding? Well, maybe the peace of mind of holding it in a hotel ballroom is worth the compromise.
Now, though, most of your guests are likely to be joining via Zoom anyway. Knowing that you could take an RV out to the Grand Canyon, and all your family members can join anyway. One thing to remember is that if you’re going for an RV trip pre-wedding, make sure that your RV dealership gives you an RV warranty so that you don’t end up on the side of the road waiting due to a travel trailer breakdown. If the RV dealership doesn’t have a warranty option, don’t go without. Any RVer knows that it’s worth it to find a reliable service contract from a warranty company that approved by the Better Business Bureau (BBB), like America’s RV Warranty, so that you make it to your special day intact.
Eloping just costs less.
Weddings are expensive. Even if you’ve been saving money for a while, it still might make more sense to spend it on a house (or an RV!) than to use it all on your special day. Opting for elopement is a lot less expensive than paying for everyone’s meals, a professional DJ, and all the rest of the trappings of a wedding day. Plus, if you don’t spend as much on bouquets, centerpieces, and the fit of your gown, you can spend more on the wedding album you put together after. Think of how gorgeous the pictures will be if you take your RV out to the Grand Canyon or Zion National Park to elope!
Eloping doesn’t necessarily mean you’re missing out on anything.
The point to tying the knot is making your vows to the person you love. One thing that many a bride and groom are realizing is that they can enjoy the wonder that comes with a successful marriage without all the hoopla and fanfare that a traditional wedding ceremony implies. An intimate wedding, or a destination or theme wedding, is just as good as a huge wedding. Actually, couples that successfully navigate the intimacy of an RV road trip cross-country are pretty likely to have the communication skills necessary for a great long-term partnership.
There are many reasons why wedding planners are seeing people take the elopement risk—saving a lot of money, a preference for a simpler, more intimate wedding, and the desire to see new destinations.
