ELOPING: EVERYTHING You NEED To Know

[@jenwilliams9015]

The comment about introverts being stressed about being surrounded by people...I felt that 😂😂😂

[@estherbch]

Omg tell me about it! Can’t Stand spending so much time w/ people it is my day I shouldn’t be worrying about it ! ELOPEEEEEEEE

[@anjanaecapri5515]

The virus basically ruined our May 2nd wedding. I've dreamed of my wedding day since I was little and slid in to depression with it being ruined. Thursday 4/2 my now husband said "screw it let's just get married" and on Sunday 4/5 thats what we did. Called a few friends and we slaved for hours decorating with a only a 48 hour notice and it was the most perfect day ever.

[@anjanaecapri5515]

We created a make shift aisle and everything

[@bicknellburns3488]

Anjanae Capri ruined my May 2nd wedding two girl I feel you on so many levels !!

[@bekah4432]

I'm so sorry you couldn't have your special day! Mine is May 23rd and I'm trying to figure out what to do! I'm so happy you were still able to find a bit of happiness in all of this 💜

[@mariasandrovich414]

@@bekah4432 You should cancel, it's too soon and too risky for health, especially of older family members.

[@bekah4432]

@@mariasandrovich414 the only reason for hanging on is I live in an area where the virus is not bad at all. My future MIL wants to wait til May 1st to make the call. I'm getting married that day either way it'll just turn into a drive in wedding with a reception later in life. I live with my 83 y/o gpa rn, trust me I've been keeping safe. It's just a heartbreaking time to have planned a wedding 🙃

[@brandilee520]

As an introvert with social anxiety the idea of an elopement with only a handful of people is absolute perfection.

[@destinationelopements]

Absolutely. Not everyone enjoys having hundreds of eyes on them, and you should be able to feel comfortable and at peace on your wedding day!

[@kayleeleanne8364]

Will you do a video about proposals? What’s underrated or overrated, things people typically want, rings etc

[@Sun_and_Sea_]

After being super stressed after the bliss period of engagement is slowing down, it dawned on me that 1) we are not loaded 2) we are outdoorsy 3) we are introverts. 😂 So eloping sounds perfect. 💕 🏝 👰🏼‍♀️ 🤵🏼‍♂️

[@destinationelopements]

Heck yes 🎉 My husband and I felt the same way! We were able to put our money towards stuff that mattered the most to us (photography + honeymoon) and had the elopement of our dreams 😍

[@user-emilyyyy]

For all brides who are feeling the anxiety, pain and confusion caused by Coronavirus- I’m with you, and I pray for you Every. Single. Day. We will get through this together ❤️

[@knee-shuh2742]

🤗💜

[@carap2499]

💗

[@hannahtovar4865]

I got married on February 14th and we were expecting 150 guests and a big party with all the people we love, and two weeks before our wedding we decided to cancel everything due to stress and lots of family drama. Instead we decided to elope on the same day we would’ve had our big wedding, a lot was going on and it was kind of everywhere but we don’t regret it at all, we went from having 150 people to 12 people at our wedding. Don’t be afraid to elope, all that matters is you’re marrying the person you love.

[@succulentqueen7737]

What did you do after you got married? I'm getting married on Feb 14th next year too. I want to elope, but he doesn't because he wants the party afterwards. Originally we were planning 50 people, and we have my out of town dream beach spot already booked. I want to bring it down to 20 people and tell everyone we are eloping. But our major problem is what do we do right after we get married? Our spot doesn't allow any food or drinks. The beach town venues are so expensive, and most of the restaurants are closed on Mondays. The one restaurant that is open will not book us because it will be Valentine's day & they are expecting a 4 times turn over that day. Did you do anything right after the wedding? Do you think it would look bad if we just only got married at the beach, but don't plan anything afterwards for our guest?

[@hannahtovar4865]

@@succulentqueen7737 we personally didn’t do anything. My in-laws still had a get together with just their family that was invited to the wedding because we had so many people come in from out of town, we stopped by to eat then headed home. We figured a couple of months later we can have a “reception” but with covid that didn’t work out. You can always have something small in a family members yard, rent a few tables and chairs, add string lights, and have a nice dinner with music

[@nicolear95]

I literally started crying when you got to the intimate part. My fiancé and I are introverts and we were really planning for our family and friends. I HATE when all eyes are on me and I was dreading our wedding. I brought this up to my fiancé and we decided to elope! I love hearing all your tips and tricks for planning an elopement and this video made my day. ☺️

[@Jess-ji4ey]

This is exactly how I felt and I was just honest about it!! We haven’t eloped yet, but that’s our plan and I’m so happy to see your comment as it’s so similar to how I was feeling! Congratulations 💖💖💖

[@BreMue]

Same. My wedding should be about US not my friends and family, I dont want to ruin the moment by worrying about everyone else/what they're thinking/etc I got engaged in 2018 and still need to actually get married but I knew even then I wanted an elopement

[@Sun_and_Sea_]

Hi friend. 🙋🏼‍♀️

[@destinationelopements]

Congratulations on your engagement and choosing to elope!! ✨❤️ So glad you two found the right option for you

[@mcole962015]

My sister works for Simply Eloped. They have different packages that include the officiant and photos. There are also add-ons such as hair and makeup, flowers, and videography. They also advise regarding getting marriage licenses and permits for weddings in parks.

[@Emmaa118]

Me watching this 8 months ago: “This is an interesting video! This won’t be relevant to my 2021 wedding though, COVID will be gone by then” Me 8 months later: *Researching info on elopements*😅

[@RochelleCheever]

Covid gave elopements a house-hold name:) I've been doing elopements for over 10 years!

[@karlik8064]

Can you do a video about a reception following an elopement? Even up to a year after an elopement?? How do we make it as special and fun for the guests?

[@jonahwhinery8729]

Did you find an answer to your question?? Lol

[@ohffsreally]

That’s exactly what I’d love to know as well! Due to corona we’ll just do a small ceremony now just the two of us, but we’d still like to have a party once lockdown is lifted. Just wonder how to make that day meaningful when you’re already married by that time

[@catinabox3048]

I've had a lot of international grad student friends from China who get legally married in the U.S. (minimum ceremony required for the paperwork to go through). A year later, during vacation time, they go back to China to visit friends and family and hold a full-fledged wedding there. From what I can tell, there's no real difference between this and a normal wedding, even though the couple's already married.

[@caitlynfegely5952]

My wedding was supposed to take place on may 2nd , we decided to get married March 22nd with only the people we see EVERYDAY !! It was so perfect and intimate! The big party will take place at a later time !❤️

[@anjanaecapri5515]

OG date twins.....new date ended up being April 5th

[@bicknellburns3488]

So inspiring also a May 2nd bride or was 😭

[@eggnogalcoholic]

Woah someone else in the comment section also had a planned May 2 wedding, what a coincidence!

[@angelicaroman87]

We went from a 140 people wedding to a 13 person elopement 😂 I’m actually so relieved and way more excited! The biggest struggle I’ve found is trying to figure out timeline since so many of the big wedding type things aren’t necessary. Not a lot of elopement timelines out there

[@jackiejosten150]

Thank you for this video!! My fiancé and I are getting married this Friday - there will be four people in attendance, including the two of us!! We had wanted and planned a small wedding anyway (only about 25 people), but almost all of those guests were going to come in from out of town, so we told them a month ago to stay home and stay safe. Your wedding guests are the people you love and care about the most - why wouldn’t you prioritize their health and safety above everything else?! Ironically, the two people coming to our wedding now - one is officiating, the other is taking pictures - are a couple of new friends of ours who weren’t originally on our guest list, since we didn’t know them yet when we started planning our wedding. Needless to say, they’ll be guests of honor if we reschedule our larger celebration. It’s amazing, though, how this situation has forced us to really think about what’s really necessary for a wedding, and that list is really pretty small. Most of all, you just need each other. ❤️

[@kaitlynverrelli5769]

My fiance and I have always been planning an elopement for September 2020 since we got engaged in October 2019...we are very excited for this intimate ceremony! Especially given the current climate. Thanks for the video!

[@brodee.morgan]

hope your day is great this month!!

[@tessch14]

I would love to see a video for how you plan an intimate wedding, not necessarily elopement for introverted brides 😊 and how you ease your brides anxiety about planning their wedding while not being overwhelmed with the process or the guests and flow of the day

[@kaylakascht823]

A good example of a destination elopement is from the channel Flying the Nest. they're a travel couple, so of course it makes sense for them to have a destination wedding... in Greece! they invited close family and friends for a trip to Greece, had a ceremony and then a nice dinner after. they're wedding vlogs are absolutely beautiful

[@haileakent6422]

My bf is most likely proposing within the next year. So here I am binge watching your channel. And I love how much alike you and I think. Very practical

[@joam8300]

So did he propose?

[@christinetischer9090]

This lifted a weight off my shoulders. Elope and full wedding day later sounds like the best option. Love this because we’ve been dreaming of a big wedding day but can’t wait any longer to get married. Hope all the 2021 brides are finding some peace during this stressful time!

[@garrulus3399]

I can't believe watching this content as a now engaged person. I used to watch for escapism and fun. Life is crazy good.

[@katelinmikaelsen4536]

Watched this before I was engaged… was totally against it thought everyone who eloped was crazy, peep me in 2021, engaged and here I am again, considering this strongly.

[@EthantheSomethingStudent]

Anyone else want to elope after Anakin and Padme’s elopement in Star Wars

[@PaolaRodriguez-rd2qi]

This

[@candicewaller403]

My first wedding, many years ago, was big and traditional. It was such an exhausting production. If my new partner and I ever decided to get married, I'm almost certain we'll elope. Courthouse ceremony with a backyard party afterwards and only our favorite humans invited. Definitely keep it low-key and intimate.

[@daisy2720]

Thank you for this!! My fiancé and I chose to elope in 2 weeks from now because we don't have another choice. we will definitely have our wedding day once things are in the clear

[@thebebos23]

We decided to do an elopment last year, it was beautiful (very little planning involved and only close family members). But we are still planning our wedding day reception in 2 years. I highly suggest doing an elopment if thats what you want, is more intimate, cheaper and can do way more things (better location, freedom for a lot of decisions such as dress code, pictures, food, etc)

[@achalawijeratne5346]

Jaime, would you consider doing an updated video on planning small backyard weddings? Not necessarily huge blowouts where we need to bring in extra stoves and such into our kitchen, but more of a smaller affair in the backyard of our homes for intimate number of guests, no more than 50 people(of course within the guidelines of the capacity maximums). Even though my wedding is still a few months away, the state of things right now may be forcing me to cancel my traditional wedding, but I don't want to postpone and would still rather get married on my date, even if it is in my backyard. I could use some advice on decorating, how to still maintain some traditional aspects, timing of the day, storage of food, important timeline layouts etc. Thank you!

[@christinadipinto6109]

I know you have a lot of videos about weddings (I've been obsessively watching SO many of them), but it would be SUPER helpful to have a specific video compiling all your tips about how to pull off a smaller wedding! Personally, my fiance and I have both been married before, and we still want to have some sort of wedding, but because we're a little older and still want to put money in our future kids college fund (#adulting) the budget we agreed to is like $10k. How do we actually pull off a small-ish, but beautiful wedding (in southern CA no less) on that kind of budget??

[@madisenkahlee]

She's touched on this on a few videos, I also live in Southern CA. I think the biggest thing would be limiting guest count. We spent about $25k on our wedding and I DIYed most of the decor myself, and tried to keep it as budget friendly as possible. Our biggest expense was $7k for catering (we had ~120 guests) and bartending (excluding alcohol, we provided the alcohol), followed by $3,600 for photo and $3,500 for the venue (we used the Coronado community center). Try and think of which costs are fixed and prioritize those in order of importance, if having lots of people is important, then you might have to go with a food truck or something of the sort to stay within your budget. If photography is the most important, book your photographer early, the good ones don't last and adjust accordingly! Get creative with venues and decor, like doing some yourself or asking a crafty family member to assist! A venue could be a friend's large backyard or a park! Good luck!

[@christinadipinto6109]

@@madisenkahlee Thank you so much!! I really appreciate your help!

[@taylorhayden4996]

Check out thumbtack! It's an app where vendors (and literally everything else like lawncare and stuff) typically are starting out, but still have a lot of experience. They usually have great deals. That's how I found my day of coordinator and almost my DJ!

[@madisenkahlee]

@@taylorhayden4996 that's how I found my coordinator and videographer!

[@christinadipinto6109]

Thank you, ​@@taylorhayden4996​!! :)

[@leahmarkowitz9323]

omg. thank you for doing this. We had to postpone our may 16th wedding to next year, but still want to try to elope either on our original date if possible or this summer and just have the party next year. Thank you for these tips! they are very much appreciated!

[@oliviapearson7913]

Hey! I was also going to get married on May 16! Now we are eloping April 16 (tomorrow!!!) and will also have a party next year. Former wedding date sisters haha

[@shannonwooten6154]

My wedding vision came crashing down with the covid19 pandemic and all the shelter in place regulations that came with it but my future father in law is our officiant and he’s going to marry us Saturday ❤️ soon I’ll be sheltering in place in the woods with my one and only

[@aSUGAaddiction]

My fiance is an introvert and we are both wanting a more intimate ceremony, so elopement is sounding better and bettee.

[@amber-leegrabowski5194]

I suffer from anxiety and depression, so the not knowing aspect of all this has been making all of that kick into full gear... You help bring that down somehow! I've been watching your videos for over a year getting tips to plan our wedding and it has been SO amazing and helpful!! Our wedding is June 26, 2020 ❤️ and we are hoping and praying we don't have to use our "Plan B" option, but we are making a backup plan just in case. His cousin is an officiant and said he would marry us so we can keep our actual wedding date and just have the big wedding later!

[@tink268]

I told my mom and mother-in-law that I was thinking of eloping and they wanted to tag along lmao It's call eloping PEOPLE. My advice is don't tell anyone and just go do your thing 😂

[@zoeelizabeth8282]

I was always thinking about elopement and then I went to my sister's big white wedding and it just made my mind up for me. She spent the whole day stressing, making sure everyone was okay and happy and that everything was running smoothly instead of it being about her and her partner. I feel like it took away from the day and the meaning

[@lll3388]

I want a private, luxury small wedding. I want only like 5 people there, those who truly love me, I don’t want to have to invite family just Bc they’re family. I don’t want their negative vibes. A small reception party sounds great but I’m definitely not the party type so all we would do is eat lol so maybe no reception. I went all out on my XV, it was big and luxurious but now I realized it doesn’t have to be, I want it to be special and for it to be my day and not have to worry about other people

[@Vasalyn]

My husband and I eloped on June 5th, 2019. We decided to get married first so he can move in with my family and we can start saving for our wedding and future house. We got married at the park with my parents as our witnesses and with a judge. It was a short ceremony. Nothing too special. Since we planned on having our wedding on June 5th, 2021 in Honolulu, Hawaii. It will be a ceremony with our own vows and a reception after. We chose to have a destination wedding since my husband grew up in Hawaii and all his family members live on the island. I can't wait for our wedding day. We have already booked our venue, wedding coordinator, photographer, and videographer (Amari Productions. Thanks to you, Jamie.). We will book the rest of our vendors (hair, makeup, officiant, florist) when my husband comes back from deployment in August. My husband got deployed in September, a few months after we got married.

[@hayleypaigereviews6744]

Partner and I are going in a Cruise in 2022 and we’re eloping in Port Vila. We’re not telling others because we just want it to be about us. We’ve been together for years (I’ll be 19 when we get married and he’ll be 21) We where expecting a baby but unfortunately I lost it and it made us realise we’re ready to start having a family. His mum hates me, she’s full on old style catholic and she thinks I’m sending him to hell 😂 hence the reason we’re keeping it quite and we’re keeping it cheap. We’re going to throw a party when we get back and then tell everyone at the party when we do a speech. This way the cruise is the honeymoon as well! We’re so excited!

[@andreaholguin4853]

Hey Jamie! Can you please do a video on rehearsal dinners! How to plan them? Different styles? Thank you!!!

[@brodee.morgan]

not sure if you know but she released this type of video a few weeks ago!!

[@lucyinwonderlandart]

I'm nearly 20 and I'm single. However, I absolutely love the idea of eloping! I used to think I wanted the big wedding with everyone I know there but now, a small occasion with a few people sounds perfect to me! Thank you for this video ❤

[@sarahbee7258]

honestly i’ve just wanted an elopement. forever, my fiancé wants to have a huge wedding, and that’s scaring me, i don’t like big weddings

[@nikkitube26]

My wedding is in early August, I am hopeful things will be back to normal by then but of course we have a backup plan to elope with our immediate family in my parents backyard. Then have the full wedding as planned when we can. I won’t even wear my wedding dress the day of the elopement, I don’t want to ruin the moment I envisioned in my head since I was a little girl walking down the aisle towards my future husband. Either way, I’m not letting a pandemic take away from my once in a lifetime wedding day.

[@ivorimusic3660]

Nikki Riehle mine too 8/8/20 is the ceremony but we didn’t reserve a reception venue & are quite skeptical about it. We might not even do the reception party at all.

[@brodee.morgan]

how did your wedding day go?? i hope it was great!!

[@nikkitube26]

Brodee Sawicki I literally just uploaded a video today about how it went!! Lol your timing is perfect

[@brodee.morgan]

Nikki Riehle 😂😂 that’s so cool!! i’ll be sure to watch it lol

[@lexythompson9131]

I don’t get why youtube is demonetizing coronavirus related content (I’m assuming based on your statement). It’s a huge topic right now and probably draws in a lot of views. You’d think it be a win win.

[@TJAG4evr]

I've heard others say it is to try and prevent the spread of false information.

[@mariasandrovich414]

Because of all the people who post videos and theories that are stupid, unscientific and just panicky.

[@caz6277]

Censorship

[@kayseacamp]

I completely dream of doing an adventure elopement out in the middle of nowhere with my dad as the officent (since we share a love of backpacking and traveling). But sadly my SO has major knee problems so he physically can’t hike far enough to get into a backcountry location of my dreams. Hopefully we can find some middle ground gorgeous and secluded yet manageable location.

[@lynna6452]

This is so reassuring for someone who has decided to elope yet is still so unsure and sad about the cancellation/postponement of the wedding. I was honestly heartbroken that the day I've legitimately been dreaming of since I was 5 years old was "ruined", but now I'm so excited to elope in a small ceremony with my family on May 23rd, and celebrate with our friends on (hopefully) July 31st! And really and truly, the wedding is one day and it represents that I get to spend the rest of my life with my best friend (plus now we get 2 days to celebrate and get all dressed up ;) )

[@erinlong5594]

This is looking more and more promising, haha!

[@taylorhayden4996]

I'm surprised you didn't mention anything about going down to the courthouse and doing an elopement that way. That's still what I think of when I hear "elopement". My fiance keeps jokingly suggesting it

[@Candybrie]

A lot of people just call those court house weddings rather than an elopement.

[@taylorhayden4996]

@@Candybrie yes, but that's what most people do, don't tell anyone except a small few and go elope at Vegas or a courthouse. Otherwise it's just an intimate wedding, or a backyard wedding.

[@sdarling6518]

I wonder if she left it out because right now courthouses are closed. If she made this video before everything happened, maybe she would have talked about them. Who knows?

[@princessd419]

Hello Jamie! Love your videos! My husband and i eloped last month because our wedding was cancelled due to COVID but we still want to have a ceremony/reception next year (whenever covid restrictions free up) to celebrate with family. Can you please do a video on how to do an alternative ceremony (since we’ll already be married) and a reception for those of us have never heard of this sort of thing?

[@iamalwayzbored]

Coming from a year from now perspective!! 🔥😍 Always wanted an classic elopement with just us a officiant and a photographer

[@coloradoelopementvideography]

This was awesome! I'm an elopement filmmaker/photographer out in Colorado and this covers a ton of questions that couples always ask me :) Great work!

[@getsthepetsxoxo5153]

Got engaged July 2018, first wedding was supposed to be May 2020, then postponed to January 2021. Moved to Oregon and bought a house instead. I don’t have the heart, time or money to start planning a whole thing again. My fiancé is talking about eloping somewhere, which was my first original idea before planning the first wedding.

[@graciesawyers2787]

Watching this years later and it’s still valid and amazing! We’re eloping in big bear and SO excited. Still nervous since it’s all family.. planning a ceremony that goes straight into family photos that isn’t awkward and flows for a small group is kinda HARD hahaha

[@caitlinbishop6624]

We postponed our May 16th wedding to October (potentially risky to have it this year but fingers crossed!) and are still getting married on our regular wedding day up in the mountains with just our pastor & our maid of honor and best man. Our photographer & videographer have offered to shoot it for no extra fee, and our florist is giving me a bouquet for free, and my planner is setting up a table for our wedding cake for us to cut too. We have the best vendors!

[@maidenrohina]

Both me and my partner have separated parents that do not get along. The idea of trying to have a good day with all of them there is terrifying. Add to that I'm a super introvert. That means they have all been informed that if we get married, they will here about it after the fact and to not even think about causing an issue, because it's not about them.

[@autumnjovoni435]

I’m literally watching this a year from now like you said in the intro 😂

[@kellibeard8663]

I’ve been feeling bad about the idea of elopement-like I was sacrificing my dreams and robbing my family of a wedding too. So THANK YOU for saying there are legit reasons to elope AND WE CAN STILL HAVE THE BIG OL’ WEDDING at a later time. My God...it’s such a relief to hear someone (especially a professional-and I’m a pastor!) say these things; out loud! It’s so reassuring and empowering. Here’s what I love most about you, Jamie: you say the thing that no one else will say because it’s clear you truly care about the real people getting married and doing what works for them. There’s so much pressure around weddings and you help free us from thinking what we “should do” to what we actually want, need. And at the end of the day, you always bring it back to the REAL joy of a wedding, which is celebrating the love we’ve found, which no one day can ever fully capture. You truly have a gift and I’m just one of literally thousands of people who are so, so grateful for your wise counsel and generous spirit. Sending you a big virtual hug from Chicago. 💕

[@karengurske]

This is such a useful video, thank you! We have officially postponed our wedding to 2021 and are doing an "elopement" on our original date in June. Even though I had my wedding planned out completely, I bought the Master Plan because I'm essentially starting over and need your guidance through the process. So thank you from the bottom of my heart Jamie!

[@degraham9198]

Intimate is good. It's the marriage that matters, not the wedding.

[@destinationelopements]

Amen 🙏🏽✨

[@carolynyangas8851]

Fairy godmother jaime for the win. We had considered an elopement for a min bc my hubby is a big introvert.

[@michellebuser998]

My soon to be husband and I are planning our elopement in New Zealand! He’s from Aus I’m from the states, so it was the easiest choice so we don’t have to pick a country! Thanks for this video!

[@angelabacker1177]

I am probably decades older than your average sub but back in the day you had a wedding bash and then went on a destination honeymoon to take gorgeous pics. The thought of excluding your (hopefully loving) family from your big day was unthinkable.

[@RaeleyBarchers]

I watched this video 3 months ago when it came out NEVER expecting to actual need it before I get married 10/16/20. Here we are 2 months before my wedding and DRAMA is in full force about getting married during a pandemic. We have decided to elope and not tell anyone, but suprise them with a video when we are able to be safely together. ❤❤

[@ShelbieLayne]

My fiance and I are eloping in 2021! We got engaged July 2019 and had started planning a big wedding. We looked at so many options for making it less expensive without sacrificing our vision. But we couldn't lol. We also have a lot of familial issues on his side and I don't have that much family either. Basically it was just getting really stressful so we decided on an elopement. And I'm so excited because it'll still be our initial vision. We'll then have a backyard bbq with family and friends at a later date.

[@bicknellburns3488]

Yessss thank you Jamie you are so smart for making this video right now just what us 2020 brides need!!! I was suppose to be a mrs in two weeks on May 2nd 😭😭 sooo ready to elope, discussing options & this video definitely got my wheels turning.

[@bekah4432]

My heart breaks for you 😭 mine was set for May 23 so I am right with you but you're even more so in the thick of it. Wishing you all the happiness in the world on your marriage even more so

[@erickagoodson7063]

Well the number one reason why I would choose eloping is because i not spending a thousand dollars on a wedding that barely nobody would attend to and plus i am a very private person

[@Alayshontay]

Jaime have you read my mind!?! 😂 getting married next year. Covid made me realize I no longer wanted the big wedding. Went from huge wedding and reception to just the ceremony and now I just want to elope.

[@Sternchenluna1]

im already 11 years in a relationship with my honey and he asked a few times for marriage, but the idea of marrying, celebrate a big party, PLANNING all these stuff and especially fullfill the expectations of my family is scaring me out. I guess eloping is my way to go then. Thanks for the usefull video :)

[@hayleegutierrez6552]

Here I am in October with everything STILL going on... We were going to get married in August but now I think we'll end up eloping!

[@beautybysilk]

So happy you finally made an elopement video🥰

[@loreenabradley]

We got engaged in August and were planning to get married Halloween 2021. Our provincial restrictions just got tighter and now his friends and family off island can't come due to the restrictions. So we said "fuck it" and we're getting our marriage license next month, eloping at the courthouse! Our photographer is a friend so he's totally ok with it, and we still plan on having a reception when we're able to do so. With the state of the world, eloping is the sensible thing to do 💕

[@razmiddle9410]

It's just about different values -- if you think your wedding is all about you and your partner (insular focused) vs celebrating your relationship with those who have contributed to your relationship and to the people you've become today (tribe / community focused) then elopement sounds like a better option. Both can be beautiful and enjoyable depending on your personal values.

[@PianolifeYiwei]

I am an April bride from China living in Italy. This virus has really given me a hard time since January. At first it was the outbreak in my country and I was worried every day how my family could make it, a month later just when I get to see China is doing better and Italy starts the outbreak shortly after. My MOH is from US, and so as many friends(I used to go to college there), and now I am worried about them! We moved the wedding to September, but people keep saying Italy might restrict gatherings even until then. If it still won’t work out, we probably will elope.

[@ivorimusic3660]

Indeed. “Tips and tricks for the VERY MODERN STRESSED OUT CONFUSED BRIDE” literally this covid19 thing just threw a lot of our 2020 plans off guard literally.

[@lejeyaadams9628]

Can you do a video on having a wedding celebration after an elopement? 😅

[@jessiesteele9702]

My husband and I got engaged in August 2018 and had our date set for September 26th, 2020. When September 2019 came around, we decided we didn't want to wait another year. Sundress and boots for me and he wore jeans and a nice white shirt. Eloped in the local park in Grand Rapids, MI with 2 friends as witnesses. Kept 2020 date to give friends and family a party and vow renewal. Best choice we've made.

[@FarrenDowning]

Elopement would be my go to, still making it beautiful and romantic but goodness me, it will be so much better than having to decide on a guest list and explain why people aren't invited, are invited etc etc. Simply me and my other half, maybe my mother and mother in law, other really close family members and a few friends. Keep it simple, intimate and allow our budget to go a little further. Loving the videos Jamie, glad you're still at it, despite the topsy-turvy world

[@scarlettjohnson7672]

We've just postponed our wedding from July 4th to April 17th next year, and have decided that we're going to try and elope on the 4th of July in our home country, very quietly and just between us and one or two people (We're getting married in my home country, but don't live there). We'll do a proper symbolic ceremony on the 17th when we can have all our friends and family together.

[@adiposeNarnian]

I've often considered eloping in a very private handfasting with my closest friends and then have a big huge wedding with my extended Southern Baptist family on our anniversary.

[@inviteonly5060]

After planning our wedding for a year and a half we had to postpone our April 26th wedding. But we eloped on March 27th the Friday before everything shut down and groupings was decreased to 5 people instead of 10. We planned it in 5 days and had our parents best man and maid of honor present. Luckily our vendors all agreed to honor our contracts on March 27th 2021! So we get to have our big wedding on our one year anniversary! No what we wanted but it’s what was best for us right now.

[@soul.of.sunflowers]

Our government limited weddings to five people 12 days out from our wedding that we had planned for 2 and a half years. So we eloped because I couldn't take the stress of planning a wedding again. We will be celebrating at a later date with our 30 guests.

[@mistymoody6291]

Personally, I think eloping is more classy and wise, towards indepth spiritual beginning.,

[@sharontackett1683]

Elopement is better than a costly wedding!!!!

[@olivergregory5093]

TIL my fiancé and I are eloping. We figured it wasn't *really* an elopement since we were inviting both of our immediate families (parents, siblings, siblings' spouses and children)? But we're definitely not having a traditional wedding in any sense of the word. We're not really planning on having a ceremony at all, we're having their sister be the officiant so we can get all the paperwork done without needing an actual ceremony. No vendors, no photographer even, we're really not people who care about stuff like that tbh, and we have no issue with all of our wedding photos be selfies. I'd have made a box cake for it except their sister has celiac's, so she's offered to 'cater' the wedding herself. And we're just going to rent a big airbnb and play board games with the family, for the most part. I guess this is what you get when you're trying to plan a wedding but there are no women involved 😂Although part of it is just our family cultures as well. No one has any objection to the casualness of it. Their sister's wedding was last year with just immediate family (not even partners or children), and they had a very quick ceremony in a park they snuck into haha. There were wedding dresses and vows though!

[@cinthiavela3344]

I choose an elopement because i was stressing out about the music and the place and bla bla bla ! i found out that something that was supposed to make me happy it was getting on my nerves lol so LAKE TAHOE is our option 😍😍🙌 i cant wait !

[@alexxisperluisi1658]

So my big wedding day in June is most definitely going to be an elopement now, and honestly I'm okay and I've come to terms with it. One thing I can't figure out is how to word it to our families to still give us gifts even though the reception will be somewhere down the line. My fiance and I will be moving into our first apartment together and we have absolutely nothing to bring with us. We were really relying on the registry and monetary gifts we would be receiving.

[@sjewel3444]

Alexxis Perluisi my fiancé and I did a video and posted it to our wedding page on Facebook

[@mariasandrovich414]

DId you think of the solution?

[@brinaf2857]

Thank you!!!! I always dreamt of an intimate wedding with our closest friends and family! I was actually considering some culturally relevant locations in our city! ❤

[@marsyrose9551]

I just came across your video, figured why not watch it since my elopement is in 5 days lol, and I completly agree that a big wedding is not for everyone, we were supposed to have a bigger wedding in July (which made me nervous cuz I don't like big groups) and had to cancel due to covid, at first I was upset but then we decided to elope and now I think it's going to be absolutly beautiful and I couldn't be happier! Keep up the good work on your videos!

[@morgandevlin155]

Great video! This will be really helpful for me as I’m likely going to have to “change plans”. Any chance you could make an etiquette video about alternate receptions at a later date? Like what to do about registries and stuff?

[@anadelgado1011]

My venue just informed us today that we have to postpone our wedding. Your videos have been helping me with what now is the reality of our wedding getting postponed. Thank You for being YOU Jamie!! xoxoxo

[@mariasandrovich414]

You could've seen it coming and cancel it yourself so you'd had more time to plan a new date

[@heliosfromacrossastar878]

Reality Check Rude much? Also, wrong. If you cancel on your own, you can be at risk for not getting money back from the venue, vendors and/or the insurance. If your venue cancels, the risk is theirs and/or that of the insurance company. Anyways, I am sorry to hear that, Ana. Hope you will have a wonderful wedding in the future!

[@youtubeaccount-yr6hb]

The covid situation is making this easier for people with toxic family so that's a plus

[@minshi5956]

Eloping seems more and more like what I want than a huge ceremony, even 30 people sounds huge to me and my honey and I are still reeling at the idea of the bill. Especially right now with all this *stuff* and not being able to work, it’s impossible to save money. This is gonna go so amazingly :)

[@rjwn50416]

My wedding was supposed to be this May so instead we are going to Santa Cuz City Hall and signing papers then having a small dinner with family afterwards and then having our ceremony in December. My sister's wedding was supposed to be March but is postponed till August. We never imagined this would ever happen to us but everything will be alright. Thank you so much for this video. We love your videos so much!!

[@kirstencarolina8365]

Planning a wedding has been so stressful. We are also planning to buy a house and daily life raising a toddler. The other day I looked at my fiancé and said let’s just have a courthouse wedding and spend more on the honeymoon we deserve. I realized I have to stop planning my day to appease others and just do what works for us. We are not party people and do not see the point of paying thousands of dollars for one day. I just want to be married to the man I will spend the rest of my life with.

[@aubreymarie2138]

So, my partner and I are thinking about eloping, and the same day afterwards having a reception with our families and friends, I just don't know if it would be odd or not. I know on my side of the family they feel a bit weird, like him and I are getting married over here, while they are over there (not right next to us lol but locally maybe like thirty minutes away type of deal) and that they should be apart of it. I'm never a people pleaser, but I am really torn. I feel like doing that is the right choice, we have talked about it, it would save money, it is what we are comfortable with, it allows us to be very intimate and vulnerable with each other, yet still celebrate after with the people that we love, but I am close with my family and care about what they think about this in particular.I just know that I don't want to elope one day and then wait months or weeks to do a reception later. I definitely feel a bit stuck.

[@cemoreno22]

Just saying... you're awesome. I really enjoy watching your videos. My wedding was supposed to be in 2020, but we are now looking at 2021. I appreciate all of your videos 💖

[@JD-im2kh]

I wish we just eloped but we already had 7k deposits down for our big day then Covid hit. We eloped but now we are having the big wedding we already paid for. It is so stressful. If you don’t have deposits down just elope!

[@trivothanh9920]

I was reading Dostoevsky, the book took me here.

[@prophetessoftroy]

Ours is planned for 7/8. Not panicking yet, but we agreed to reevaluate everything in May to figure out if our plans are still viable or not. Fingers crossed-the world needs to heal more than I need the piece of paper, so that’s really what I’m focusing on right now. My partner isn’t going anywhere (doesn’t mean that I don’t really want it to work out but...)

[@pippi0288]

We postponed our Florida wedding (supposed to be next weekend) until the end of June, we move to VA in July. Obtaining a marriage license is by appointment only, online currently. Court House still closed along with our church.. Fingers crossed everything is a go by then!! Certainly has put things into perspective!

[@cassandrasiegel-chau6645]

A little confused how many articles and people are talking about elopements being an option. The County Clerk-Recorder's Office where I am has been closed since March 17th, wedding licences are not being issued at all until further notice so no one can legally get married where I am.

[@Candybrie]

It's very likely that social distancing restrictions will be lifted slowly. I don't foresee 100+ person events in the next 2 months, but maybe 10 person events will be allowed again along with things like courts opening back up. Plus, at least my state has emergency allowances for marriage licenses. Like if you need your partner's health insurance or your partner is being deployed. Also marriage licenses here last 6 months. Someone could have reasonably got their marriage license before the courts closed and would now use it in an elopement. Finally, 2 of the states mine borders hadn't totally closed courts at least as of 2 weeks ago. They require appointments and more hoops than before, but they were issuing licenses.

[@oliviapearson7913]

Yeah, I live in TN, and I just picked up my license last week. I just had to call and make an appointment, which wasn't a big deal at all.

[@ditchmonkey2]

It is county by county, my county never stopped issuing them.

[@bekah4432]

Looking like my May 23rd wedding will now become a drive in wedding!! (I'm in a place the virus is not bad at all) so figuring out what that will look like!

[@LaurenBar25]

What do you mean about a drive in wedding?

[@bekah4432]

@@LaurenBar25 I mean instead of getting married on the church I planned to our plan now is to stand on the walk way on front of the doors and have people park in the parking lot to watch. We're figuring out speakers and space now. But that way people can still come they just can't get out of their cars

[@veronica.gv.]

Could you please make a video to help us who are getting married this year in a small ceremony and doing the bigger reception next year, how to roll over the celebrations?