Have you decided to elope and now you're asking yourself about how to make your elopement last all day? Or maybe you're wondering what kinds of activities you can fill your day up with? Having an all day elopement and finding things to do for your all day elopement go hand in hand. In this blog I'm going to go over 30 adventurous ideas to include in your elopement timeline, along with some all day timeline examples so you can see what your elopement day really can be!
First off, what do I mean by all day elopement? Like an all day photoshoot? Heck no! As an elopement photographer, we are there to capture you and your spouse experiencing the things you love most together, and we are there so you can look back on it and remember all the little details.
So what I do mean by all day elopements is you still deserve more than just a few hours for your wedding day. Eloping doesn't mean that you are having any less of a wedding than a traditional wedding. In fact, it can be so much more! You have the opportunity to literally make this day so much fun, and you'll want more than just two hours to experience it to the full.
For example, say you're someone who loves spending time outside. Is two hours going to be enough for you to say you had such an amazing wedding day and you experienced some of your favorite things in those two hours? Probably not. Plus, you can incorporate any traditions that are meaningful to you, and the day would go by way too fast if you only allowed a couple of hours for it. Here's a blog post I wrote all about why you should have an all day elopement experience.
Now if you booked your photographer for an all day elopement, what's some ideas that you can use for your timeline? I definitely recommend talking to your photographer about what things you are thinking about adding into your timeline and your photographer can help you pick out some of the best activities based on your unique interests, making your day true to you!
Below is a list of ideas that is perfect to either take ideas from, or to find some inspiration for your elopement. Remember, there are no rules when it comes to eloping, so nothing is too crazy or weird of an idea. The crazier the idea, the better! Also, most of these ideas are for outdoor adventure elopements since that is what I specialize in. You can definitely incorporate some of these if you're having more of an urban elopement as well! Imagine doing some of these activities in some of the best places to elope in Idaho, too! ;)
30 Adventurous Elopement Ideas to Include in Your Timeline
Have a first look
Rent a cute Airbnb to get ready in together
Have a picnic on the beach
Do a cake cutting or eat whatever dessert you like best
Pop some sparkling water for that iconic "champagne pop" photo
Hire a personal chef to cook you your favorite dinner
Cook breakfast together in your pajamas
Hike at sunrise
Book a helicopter tour to see amazing scenery and get the most private location
Go canyoneering
Explore something new, or something you've always wanted to (bucket list items!)
Swim in your dress
Take a stroll on the beach and go tide pooling
Have a first dance
Take a snowmobile ride in your wedding attire
Ski, snowboard, or snowshoe in the winter
Roast some s'mores at a campfire and watch the stars
Take a sunset or sunrise kayak ride
Hike to an alpine lake with wildflowers
Go off-roading in a Jeep
Include your fur babies
Rent a lookout tower all to yourselves
Go horseback riding or take a winter sleigh ride
Paddleboard or canoe on the lake
Say your vows privately under a waterfall
Have a mini reception in an A-frame in the woods
Host a reception and open gifts together to include family and friends
Go wake surfing (check out this blog post about one of my couples wake surfing in their wedding attire!)
Go fishing and hang out on a pontoon boat for the afternoon
Read letters from friends and family, or include them in a zoom call for the ceremony
How cool are these ideas? I am telling you, nothing is off limits for your elopement day. Elopements give you all the freedom to do what you actually want for your wedding day. Now let's talk about some example timelines so you can see how to incorporate some of these ideas into your timeline!
All Day Timeline Examples
It's always easier for me to learn from visual examples, so I'm gonna provide a couple examples of all day timeline ideas so you can see how your elopement really can be more than just a couple hours. Elopements are still your wedding day, so treat it like one. Get ready, have a first look, cut some cake...you can include what's important to you!
Example Timeline #1 - Sunrise Mountain Hike + Adventures on the Lake | 12 Hours
4:00 am - Wake up and get ready in your Airbnb for your sunrise hike. You pack up a breakfast picnic to eat at the overlook in a little bit.
5:00 am - Leave for trailhead
6:00 am - Arrive at trailhead to hike a short ways in to the overlook
6:30 am - Arrive at overlook for a sunrise commitment ceremony
7:00 am - You're married! Woo! Time for some epic bridals of you two exploring and hiking around the area while enjoying some time together just the two of you.
7:45 am - After we adventured around taking some epic photos, it's time for that breakfast picnic! You sit down and watch the world wake up and enjoy your favorite breakfast, and you make mimosas.
8:45 am - We hike back down to the car and drive to the lake for a morning kayak session
11:00 am - After some kayaking, you head back to the Airbnb for a bit to relax and freshen up.
1:00 pm - You meet up with a few family members and friends that you wanted there for your elopement. You all head back down to the lake and pick up the pontoon boat you rented to spend time together on the lake, and eat lunch together.
4:00 pm - After a day on the water, you all head back to the Airbnb for a dinner already prepared by a private chef. You enjoy the rest of your night and do first dances, eat dessert, and reflect on the amazing day you had!
Example Timeline #2 - A Relaxing Day on the Oregon Coast | 10 Hours
9:00 am - You spend the morning sleeping in together and you enjoy the morning as you hear the ocean in the distance. You eat breakfast and you both get dressed in normal clothes and head down to the beach for some tide pooling, and you meet up with your photographer.
10:30 am - After some epic tide pooling, you head back to your A-frame and start getting ready, and you get the classic getting ready photos with your family there.
12:00 pm - It's a nice cloudy day so you head down to the beach for a first look. We take some bridals for a bit.
1:00 pm - After bridals, we drive over to the sand dunes and ride around on a dune buggy! This was always your favorite thing to do as a kid, so you just had to incorporate it into your elopement day!
2:30 pm - You meet back up with your family at the A-frame and eat some yummy lunch together.
4:00 pm - After lunch, you all get ready in the car to drive to an epic waterfall for a ceremony.
5:00 pm - You arrive at the trailhead and walk a short distance to the waterfall. Your family is with you and you have a ceremony there with an officiant that met up with you at the trailhead. You get to say your vows under a waterfall!
6:00 pm - We hike back out and arrive back at the beach outside of your A-frame. You and your spouse take a sunset stroll on the beach and have some alone time while your family sets up dinner.
7:00 pm - You eat dinner and after that, you set up a bonfire at the beach and roast s'mores with everyone.
Also check out this post about why you should elope, and how you can incorporate meaningful activities as well!
Example Timeline #3 - Winter Wonderland Elopement | 8 Hours
8:30 am - You and your fiancé rent an cabin Airbnb, just the two of you. So you wake up together to snow gently falling and get ready to go out to breakfast at one of your favorite restaurants.
10:00 am - After your amazing breakfast and some good coffee, you take a short walk back to your rental and start getting ready together. You call your family on Zoom so they can be there with you.
11:30 am - Both of you are done getting ready and have an intimate first look in the rental. You get ready for the ceremony next!
12:00 pm - The ceremony overlooks snowy mountains in the background, and you have an intimate moment together.
12:30 pm - You two are officially married! You head out for a celebratory lunch at a brewery downtown.
2:00 pm - After lunch you head out to an ice rink and you two skate around, and get adorable photos!
3:00 pm - You get done skating, and decide to head back to your rental to warm up with some hot chocolate in front of a cozy fire. You open some letters from your friends and family together. (To read more about how to include your family during a "just us" elopement, check out this blog post).
4:30 pm - After reading letters, you two enjoy your favorite dessert together that was delivered earlier that day. You spend the rest of the night watching some movies together in front of the fire!
As you can see, elopements can be so much fun, whether you want an adventurous hiking elopement or a romantic and cozy winter elopement! Planning an all day elopement timeline gives you time to soak in everything that's happening, and you don't have to feel rushed! I hope that this blog about 30 adventurous elopement ideas to include in your timeline and these timeline examples help you to see what your elopement day really can be like!
If you loved this, you'll also want to check out ways to make your elopement special. Including special activities and fun adventurous activities during your elopement will ensure that you will have an amazing day no matter what!
Comments