COVID-19 has canceled many important life events, such as graduations, birthdays, and weddings. A great deal of preparation and anticipation took place before your big day approached, but because of the pandemic, planning was halted and your wedding plans were canceled. This is surely enough to cause a great deal of stress and thoughts of how to proceed. 

However, changing gears and planning a new date to make it official doesn’t need to be complicated. Your new ceremony can be just as special as the original wedding you spent so much time planning. Consider an alternative wedding and plan an elopement on the beach! Luckily, an elopement requires a lot less detail, less money, and are becoming increasingly popular due to the current environment.  A beach elopement can be the perfect way to have an intimate celebration with the people closest to you. 

Figuring out what dress you should wear, what destination to host it in can feel overwhelming, but this guide from Florida Panhandle can help you plan the beach elopement of your dreams. Read more for some must-dos to follow to help ensure your new plans run smoothly exactly how you imagined. 

Beach Elopement Must-Dos

Although elopements are much more low-key than your traditional wedding ceremony, planning an elopement still requires some paying attention. Being on the same page as your soon-to-be bride or groom about all the details is crucial and can ensure your plans are problem-free.

Here are some things to must consider before getting eloped: 

1. Plan the announcement: To ensure no one is left out when hearing the big news, consider sending out some wedding announcements to close family and friends. Or, if you want to stick to a more casual option, make some phone calls or talk to them in person so they don’t hear it from social media first!

2. Prepare legal documents: Be aware of the legal process that elopements entail. Do your research on what documents are required to make it official. For example, you will need ID cards and a marriage license.  

3. Put together an itinerary: Sticking to a timeline will help avoid any stress and ensure everything runs smoothly. It doesn’t have to be a strict plan since this is an elopement, but consider where to spend your time on each activity, like photoshoots and receptions. 

4. Figure out your budget: Putting together a budget allows you allocate money to the details that are most important to you. Elopements can be much cheaper than traditional weddings, but you still need to think about potential payments such as reception costs, wedding attire, transportation, and officiant cost.

Just because your large wedding ceremony plans have changed doesn’t mean your elopement can’t be special, too. In fact, having just your closest friends and family with you on your big day can be even more memorable. 

Here are some of our favorite ideas for a beach elopement: 

This guest post was written by marketing staff on behalf of a Florida Panhandle tourism group. Risa James Events has no financial relationship with either of these entities.