We hear it all the time … “We wanted a simple affair and then our families got involved! Suddenly, it wasn’t about us at all….” If this sounds like your latest discussion with your closest friend, take a deep breath, relax for a minute and then read on. Simply put, relief is just a short drive away and you can have a ceremony you’ll be proud of the rest of your lives … without breaking the bank.

South Court Inn's Bride's Memory Robe
First, don’t tell anybody! If you’ve already been drawn into the big wedding frenzy, do you think anyone is going to pay any more attention to your wants than they did before? Not likely! So, keep it to yourselves… for now.
Second, do your homework. Sit down with your partner and decide what you want your elopement to be … a nice ceremony one afternoon and back home the same day? … an overnight getaway with more of the works? … a mini-honeymoon or several days with lots of bells and whistles, but still budget friendly? … or an extravagant getaway that hits the bank, but balances the memories nicely. Then, do a list of the things you expect your elopement destination to provide as part of their services or getaway package. This list will become critical to your success and budget when it comes time to decide where to go to be married!
Pavilion Niche with Victorian Cross and Optional Flowers
Third, find out who offers elopement services and what they offer. Know from the start that the bottom line can grow unless you’ve tacked down the details from the start. Move over to your computer and search on terms like “elope Virginia,” “elopement packages Virginia,” “Virginia elopement,” or others including “elope” and “Virginia.” If you have a favorite area of the state, include that area as part of your search. You’ll find establishments across the State that offer small wedding and elopement packages, so keep a pencil and paper handy and write down the names of those you like the most. Notice too that prices are higher for some locations than others, so if your budget is a concern, be prepared to be flexible about the location. Compare what is offered with your list of wants and make sure that what you want is included as part of the overall package price. This can be hard to do and end with lots of surprise add-on expenses, so read carefully. Some establishments provide only the venue and you have to find and pay the officiant, florist, baker, photographer, etc.; others provide a venue and some additional services and then, there are places such as South Court Inn that provide “all inclusive” elopement packages.
Fourth, pick the top three locations that come closest to your list and budget. Look for on-line reviews couples have posted about their elopements and small weddings. Revisit web sites and review in detail what is included in the price of the packages. Is there something missing? Can you invite guests; how many and at what charge? What does it mean when they don’t post pricing information? Is there something unusual you want? Will they provide and, if so, at what charge? Look too for photos of ceremonies at these locations. Is photography included? How about a video recording? If they are included, what do you get, how is the quality, will you be satisfied with what you see, do you get the imagery data and ownership of the data provided? Continue until you have whittled down your list down to the best match of your want list and budget. Contact that establishment and make your reservation.

Ceremony at South Court Inn's Wedding Pavilion
Fifth, decide when or whether you will tell your family and friends about your elopement. Keep in mind that many locations cannot accommodate guests as part of your elopement or must limit the number who can attend. More importantly, if you want to tell friends and family before you have eloped, wait as long as possible to tell them. If your destination can accommodate only a few guests, let everyone know that you cannot invite them to the ceremony and extend personal invitations to only the select group you want to be there. Then, finish packing and head out of town.
Sixth, relax and enjoy your elopement. Don’t rush the experience. You’ve already read or written the vows; take the time to let the promises you make sink in, all the way to your heart. Take the time for good photography. The only time you can get wedding photographs is the day of your marriage, so help your photographer get all the photos you want. If you have a special photo you want, make sure the photographer know it…and gets it. Enjoy the time allocated to you and your time together. Gather everything up before you head home and know that you got what you paid for. Head home with a smile on your face, a song in your heart and a spring in your step. It is official: you had a ceremony and experience that matched your wants and budget. You are married!

Share your photos and tell your family and friends you're married!
And seventh, announce your elopement after you return home. Think about having a home party or reception where friends and family can come to celebrate your happy union. Make enlargements of the photos from the ceremony and set them out for everyone to view. Set up a slide show of the photos on a laptop and leaving it playing all evening. Ditto for the video of the ceremony. Even better, have the destination where you were married put the photos out on the web where friends can view the photos and make prints for themselves . Let everyone know how stressed out you felt about facing a “big wedding,” and how happy you are with your elopement. Thanks them for their love, understanding and support. Enjoy your time with your friends and family!
Finally, if you have read this far, we hope you will consider South Court Inn in Luray, Virginia, for your elopement. We specialize in elegant elopements and offer 5 elopement packages to help every need and budget level have a great marriage ceremony experience. We look forward to hearing from you to set up your reservation for one of our elopement packages.
