If you’ve started to wonder what the point of the big white wedding is, you’re definitely not alone.

Over the last few years in particular an increasing number of engaged couples are now contemplating how financially viable, and ultimately how much they still want, a traditional wedding.

There are many unseen social pressures, family expectations and let’s face it, huge costs, that some people just aren’t interested in indulging in, preferring to save their time and money for other life goals like travel, buying a house, a family, investments or starting a business.

But even though it’s a romantic throwaway line (“we should just elope”) it’s the compromise factor is where many couples come unstuck.

It’s when the unending questions, both internal and external, and the FOMO gets real as you play out the real-life consequences of eloping.

You might find yourself thinking:

Will our family and friends really be okay with us eloping?
Is not having a wedding something that we’ll regret in the future?
Is there a middle ground, which would mean that we don’t have to choose between our family and friends’ feelings and our emotional, financial and practical needs?

At Unbridely, we believe, with some forethought, clever planning and choosing the best wedding vendors for you, your elopement can absolutely be everything you need it to be and more.

And for your nearest and dearest, you can reveal your news to them in a way that makes them feel respected as well. We call it: elopement without compromise.

If you need any extra convincing, the advantages of eloping includes:

Stunning Natural Backdrop: Mother Nature becomes your decorator. The beach, ocean, and sunset offer a picturesque canvas that needs little embellishment. Every snapshot becomes a natural work of art.

Flexibility and Personalization: When you elope, you can tailor every aspect to your liking. With a beachside Airbnb, you have control over the décor, ceremony setup, and reception arrangements and the timing too because without dozens of guests to keep fed, watered and entertained, your comfort and needs become the centre of attention again.

Intimate Guest List: Elopements are about celebrating with just two legal witnesses, whereas a micro wedding may have up to 20 guests. By opting for an Airbnb, you can have a small, meaningful guest list without worrying about accommodating a large crowd.

Extended Celebration: Unlike traditional weddings, where the festivities might be limited to a few hours, an Airbnb stay allows you to extend the celebration over a weekend or more.

So where do you start?

The where and when

Running away together, whether that be to the beach, a city escape, the mountains or a local BnB is fast growing as one of the most popular ways to elope, celebrate and have some private time together.

Picture a beachside BnB, offering a unique blend of seclusion and natural beauty with the rhythmic symphony of waves as your soundtrack, and a breathtaking sunset serving as the backdrop to your vows.

A beach venue provides an intimate setting away from the hustle and bustle of traditional wedding or public venues. You'll also have the peace of privacy, which allows you to truly focus on each other and your shared moment together.

The amazing MESA del mar in Aldinga South Australia was our site of choice for our elopement shoot, and hosts Karena and Grant are excited to welcome engaged couples and their families and friends to their place as a home base for an elopement or micro-wedding.

Being directly across the road from Aldinga Beach means that the view of the gulf is spectacular, and the vista lends to the feeling of modern luxury, escapism and beauty.

With 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, an expansive living, dining and balcony area plus a courtyard with BBQ out the back, getting ready, having your ceremony, and sharing a meal together to celebrate with your friends and family and enjoying gorgeous accommodation is all possible for you and up to 6 guests (8 people total).

If your idea of paradise is the bush, the desert, camping or the mountains make sure you find a setting and environment that reflects you both; a space where you can feel comfortable and relaxed in.

When you choose a non-traditional location to get married, you’ll need to ask what your accommodation or local council’s policies are before you book. While some places (like MESA del mar) are thrilled to host eloping couples and even micro weddings, others expressly forbid it in their terms and conditions and it’s best to be upfront before you part with any money for deposits etc.

2) Your vendors

So once you’ve got your location sorted out, your next step is to flesh out the details of your elopement. Do you need help with your hair, makeup, food, music? I’m guessing you’ll want to make this legal too?

Here’s a suggested list of wedding vendors that you might want to consider for your elopement:

- Photographer

- Videographer

- Content creator

- Celebrant

- Makeup artist

- Hair stylist

- Caterer

- Stylist

- Cake maker

- Florist

- Jeweller

- Wedding dress maker

- Suit tailor

While you may not need all of them, it’s smart to consider what you might want and value ahead of time so you can book your vendors in as early as possible.

Booking your elopement vendors within 6-12 months of your date is ideal, but you never know, you might get lucky with their availability in a shorter timeframe.

And for those products or services where you don’t want to hire an experienced professional, you can make arrangements for family and/or friends to help out.

3. Your timeline

So now, with your venue, and vendors mapped out, it’s time to think about the timing of your day. This is where your plans will make a huge departure from a traditional wedding day and when it truly becomes about what you want, love and value.

The short story is; there are no rules.

If you want to wake up at sunrise and have your celebrant meet you on the beach or at a local café to get you married, that’s brilliant. And equally, if a sunset ceremony is more your style, then roll with it. You get to choose the pace of your perfect day!

A suggested timeline for your elopement could be:

Morning: Rise and shine

As the day breaks, you and your partner wake up in the cozy embrace of your beachside Airbnb. The sound of waves gently crashing against the shore sets a relaxed holiday vibe.

You indulge in a leisurely morning, sipping coffee on the balcony or taking a stroll along the shore. The excitement builds as you prepare for the day ahead. A workout, yoga class, an extended bath or reading a book in the morning sun taking your time and being intentional together.

Afternoon: Getting ready

Your afternoon is a blend of excited anticipation and calm. You might enjoy a pre-ceremony picnic on the beach or engage in a rejuvenating couple's massage to calm those last-minute nerves.

The beauty of an elopement is the ability to design the hours leading up to your ceremony in any way you like.

Evening: Sunset Ceremony

As the sun begins its descent, you and your partner make your way to the foreshore, where an intimate ceremony setup awaits. The sun's golden light provides a stunning backdrop as you exchange vows against the backdrop of the ocean's gentle melody. Close friends or family members might be your witnesses, or you might choose to exchange your own personally written vows and rings.

Night: Celebration and Connection

Following the ceremony, you return to your Airbnb, now transformed into a cozy haven for your celebration. A carefully curated meal—whether catered, cooked by a personal chef, or prepared by yourselves—awaits you.

As the night deepens, you share laughter, stories, and heartfelt toasts under the moonlit sky. The intimacy of the moment makes every word spoken and every embrace shared all the more poignant.

Revealing your elopement to family and friends

One of the most well-thought out, sensitive and respectful reveals of an elopement that I’ve heard about was during an Unbridely Modern Wedding Planning podcast interview I did with Steph and Aaron.

They booked a luxurious architecturally designed off-grid eco-suite for two located in the heart of the incredible Fleurieu Peninsula for Aaron’s birthday and decided to elope at the same time.

Based in Queensland, they also wanted to make sure that their immediate family didn’t feel disappointed or left out when they revealed that they’d already gotten married in South Australia without them.

So when they booked their elopement photographer, Aaron and Steph, ensured that there were some sneak peek photos included in their package that were delivered via an online gallery four days afterwards.

They had planned a decoy ‘birthday lunch’ at a local bistro with just their parents, grandparents and siblings when they got home and took the opportunity to dress up in their elopement attire again. Another photographer based in Queensland captured the moment when they arrived at the lunch, and revealed their interstate marriage to their delighted family. This also meant that they could have some beautiful portrait photos taken together that same afternoon.

Steph and Aaron were also able to share the joy of their elopement photos on a tablet so their family felt like, in a way, they were involved.

Nanna got the photo that she wanted to put on her fridge, the family were able to ask all the questions they wanted to know, they could all celebrate by enjoying an afternoon together celebrating and at the same time, Steph pressed post on her social media reveal to the rest of the world.

One extra thing they did, which I thought was genius, was on the morning before they met up with and told their families, they called their best friends to tell them personally before the social media post went up.

Everyone felt informed, included and respected and Aaron and Steph think that their elopement reveal plan went even better than even they expected.

Conclusion

There's something utterly intoxicating about an intimate elopement; a moment shared between two hearts, an escape from the conventional and a dive into the extraordinary just for you.

A beachside elopement embodies the epitome of intimacy, and connection – it can be just you (and your two witnesses for the ceremony) or you might want to include an exclusive curated list of your nearest and dearest.

It's a departure from tradition, allowing you to focus solely on each other and the raw, unfiltered emotions that come with it.

From the tranquil morning preparations to the heartfelt vows exchanged by the shoreline at sunset, and finally, to the celebration that lingers into the night, the entire experience is yours to craft into the perfect day rather than fit in with what others expect or traditions from hundreds of years ago.

If you're seeking a romantic, flexible and personal way to start your married life together, a beachside elopement might be the perfect choice for you.

Let us know where you’re planning to elope to in the comments!

Styled shoot vendor list

Photographer: Israel Baldago Photography

Content creator: The Wedding Creators

Celebrant: Vicky Flanegan Celebrant

Hair & Makeup artist: Kate Roxby Hair & Makeup

Stylist: MASE Agency

Cake maker: Lyons Den Cakes

Florist: Stem Haus

Male talent/musician: Mason Lloyde Music

Female talent: Niamh Anaya

Wedding dress maker: Couture + Love + Madness