Planning to Elope Pre Pandemic

By Hanna Wickes

Angela Thompson’s dream was to elope, but she figured once her fiancé Rich proposed to her on a trip to Ireland, she would try her hand at planning a small wedding. “We had about 100 people we wanted to invite,” she said, but the pressure of impressing other people started to weigh on her.

“Finally one night in January I just snapped and said that I didn't want to get married this way. I just wanted it to be about my husband and I being joined together as one,” she said, “but unfortunately the planning took away from that. We decided to cancel and just do it with no pressure, no stress. We literally ran away to get married,” she said.

Since prior to the pandemic they had already decided not to have a formal wedding ceremony, they were able to elope on the beach as planned. “Just the officiant, the photographer, my hubby, and me,” she said. The elopement took place on March 22nd, rather than the originally planned date on June 6th. “It was all I ever dreamed of: relaxing, picturesque. I’m so glad I trusted my instincts opposing a wedding.”

Angela said she thinks her photo stands out because of the location. “It was such a beautiful and serene spot.”

“We hired an elopement service to take care of everything (because I wanted nothing to do with planning anything). The elopement service provided the photographer,” she said.

Angela’s advice to other couples planning to get married during the current environment?

“Don't underestimate the advantages of eloping or alternative wedding options. Our elopement was planned before the pandemic so I can't imagine how difficult it is for brides to have to postpone or cancel one of the most important days of their lives... elopement has so many advantages. We used the money we saved to put a down payment on a house. It can be a more intimate ceremony between you, your partner, and your family. Everything was done on our terms and didn't have to cater to anyone else.”