Everything You Need to Know About Elopements

Inclusively Yours is an equality-minded wedding planning podcast, brought to you by the leading inclusive wedding publication Love Inc. Magazine. When it comes to the real wedding features that we share on loveincmag.com, we like to focus more on the love stories rather than all the pretty details. So that actually allows us to feature a lot of elopements, which can span from City Hall to exotic destinations. And you know one thing I've noticed, is that elopements are really on the rise. So for today's episode, I wanted to bring on a guest who is fully immersed in that world.  For our premier episode, we're talking elopements with planner Kayla Dunn of The Lost Forty, which focuses on simple, wild and intimate engagements, elopements and micro-weddings. Wanting to make her full-service planning company even more eco-friendly, Kayla decided to scale back and focus solely on intimate celebrations. "I started focusing my business more and more on eco-friendly practices and eventually that still wasn't good enough for me. While its great for other people, I wanted to size down and be as environmentally friendly as possible, so elopements and micro-weddings just make the most sense." Elopements vs. Microweddings: what's the difference? If it's more than 15 people, you're moving into micro-wedding range. "It's still a wedding and still intimate and small like an elopement, but a micro-wedding is just a little bit bigger and a little more of a celebration. So how do you know if an elopement is right for you? "I think it's really important to consider whether or not you're going to regret it or disappoint someone in your family. Or if you're really religious or have a lot of cultural aspects that go with your wedding. Some people don't want to give that up. And I encourage people to consider that beforehand so they don't have any regrets. You don't want to have regrets after your wedding." But for those of you who think it's right for you, you're not alone! "It's kind of modern right now to kind of downsize and do what other people haven't been doing. Which is eloping and turning it into more of an intimate experience than a hush hush, 'We ran away and did this,' kind of thing." What are some logistical aspects to keep in mind when planning an elopement? Timeline: The average timeline to plan an elopement is 30-60 days. If you're getting your marriage license in that location, be sure to research how far in advance you can apply for your wedding license and when it expires. Location: Accessibility plays a huge role in what you can do, aesthetically speaking. For example, if you want a ceremony arch on a mountaintop, you're going to need to consider how you're going to get it up there, where you are going to change, etc. What are some ways you can add personal touches to an elopement? "Especially with an elopement, where it is much more intimate, you would bring in your own personality and your own relationship with your vows. I definitely encourage people to write their own vows, or at least consider what I'm offering them. Because I do have people who don't want to write their own vows, and so I have different things they can choose from. But also they have a choice. They can personalize it, and at least choose which one fits them best.  And then of course, attire. Wear a bright teal suit or some crazy, flowy dress that's all black. Whatever you want, just do whatever feels best to your personality. You don't have to walk down an aisle in a white gown. And then flowers or you wanted to use your grandmother's broach and turn it into some cool corsage or boutonnière — I encourage people to be unique with that kind of stuff." Budget-wise, what's kind of the average number that we're looking at for an elopement?  "Right now, elopements range anywhere from like $1,000 to like $8,000. You could probably go all out and spend $10,000 on an elopement. I wouldn't suggest it, especially if you're trying to be budget conscious. But pop-ups start at $1,500 and then for the micro-wedding, it's $5,000." LINKS: Kayla's Website: https://thelostforty.love/ Instagram: @thelostforty Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelostforty.love/ Submit your wedding to Love Inc.: https://loveincmag.com/how-to-submit/ Inclusively Yours is a production of Love Inc., a leading equality-minded wedding publication. You can listen to us wherever podcasts are found, and while you're there leave us a review. To advertise on our podcast, email us at [email protected]. And you can find and follow us @loveincmag across all social media platforms.