Congratulations on your upcoming elopement! This is such an exciting time for you and I’m confident that there are many, many people who can’t wait to share in the excitement. While your elopement ceremony itself may be very private and exclusive, you can still include all the important people in your life by announcing your marriage in a special or significant way. How you announce your elopement can go a long ways in making everyone feel as included as possible.

Many couples struggle to share their elopement, whether they’re giving advance notice or looking for a way to surprise everyone after the fact. You’re not alone! The good news is that there’s no wrong way to tell your family and friends you’re eloping — it truly only matters that you do it however feels right to you and your personal relationships with your friends and family.

Here’s a list of some of my favorite ways I’ve seen couples announce their upcoming plans to elope or notify the masses after the actual elopement, so the celebration continues! Whatever your personality or personal styles and preferences, I’m sure something in this list will stand out to you as the best option for announcing your elopement.

This is the first question couples often have when planning their elopement: should they tell their friends and family before or after the elopement?

From my experience, this really depends on how you both feel about sharing the news! Are there any negatives behind telling others vs keeping it secret? (Trust me, I know family dynamics can sometimes be rather tricky). Some families might love the surprise –– especially if you’re still planning a larger reception at a later date –– while others might be hurt that they weren’t informed. If you think the news might be happily received, you could tell everyone beforehand. Or you might want to consider only telling a few close family and friends so that they feel a part of the planning process and then share the news to a wider group after you’re officially married. Like planning an elopement, there’s really no wrong way to do it as long as it’s the best decision for the two of you as a couple!

Much like a traditional wedding, if you plan to include certain people in your elopement, give them advance notice to allow them to prepare their travel arrangements so they’re able to attend. Nobody likes to rush to book last minute travel (hello, expensive flights and booked up hotels!) so the more notice you can give, the better. It’s up to you how you want to inform them, and if you’re unsure, keep reading below for a bunch of different ideas!

It’s also important that you share a general outline of how you envision your day. Will there be hiking involved? If so, is it short and flat or a bit longer with a steep incline? Do you plan to have them attend only the ceremony before the two of you take off for solo portraits (something I always suggest)? If so, what will they do during this time? Your guests are going to have plenty of questions, so it’s best to be ready with answers in advance so you don’t get overwhelmed sharing the news.

Another reason you want to inform your guests of the general structure of your elopement day is so that they can be fully prepared. Additionally, make sure you check to see if your guests have any physical limitations that might make the selected location challenging or even impossible for them to reach. If there are any potential issues, it’s imperative you let your photographer know asap so in case you need to make changes to the location/timeline. Plus, some places have limits on the number of guests allowed for permits or to ensure there isn’t any significant environmental damage due to the size of your gathering, so an accurate headcount is vital to planning!

After the elopement, you can similarly choose to send or publish an additional announcement to more people, so that no one is left un-notified, but the important parties are still included.

If you decide to share the news prior to your elopement, consider taking some engagement or couples photos! You can choose to take your pictures somewhere nearby where you plan to elope for setting and location consistency or purposefully go somewhere different for your engagement photos, so you have a variety of images to keep and share. Of course, if you’re announcing the elopement after the fact, you’ll have your elopement photography from the day-of to share, as well.

1. Send out a physical Elopement Announcement card (either prior to the event or after, announcing the elopement took place). People love mail! And your friends and family are sure to love the chance to display your announcement on their fridge or desk.

Just as the wedding is mostly about the guests and the celebration, and the elopement is all about you, sending them something tangible as a keepsake, like an announcement card, is a way to still include and connect with your friends and loved ones who won’t be in attendance. There are a bunch of great printshops who offer pre-designed cards or give you the option to create your own entirely! We used Vistaprint because it was the easiest (and least expensive) we found!

2. Make it a fun surprise! Invite your friends and family to a party at your place, only to flip the script and announce your elopement or engagement once they all arrive! If you don’t host an in-person party, you can still surprise your close friends and family through a group hangout on Zoom or Facebook.

3. Announce online and on social media. Speaking of Facebook, it’s a great way to spread the word fast! Or maybe you’re into making super fun TikToks? If you’re working on a short timeline or just have a massive number of people to update, announcing your engagement and impending elopement via social media is a great option. Plus, you’ll be able to share copious amounts of photos, and that’s what everyone loves to see anyway!

4. Create a wedding website. There are many places that allow you to create a website to house all the images, stories, and important details about your upcoming elopement. A website is a wonderful way to share the day with those who weren’t in attendance because you can upload images, videos, and more stories about the big day to share via a short and easy-to-copy link! This site will also come in handy if you’re planning to have a larger reception at a later day! You can keep all of the information about both your elopement and party here for guests to check out!

5. Bonus: consider using a photo of your furry best friend to share the news! I love when couples include their dog (or adventurous cat!!!) in their elopement plans. They could be holding or wearing a little sign or standing next to one if they aren’t keen to perfectly pose. Also, those who know you and your love for your pet will cherish this unique announcement all the more because they know you gave it a special touch!

I’d love to chat with you more if you have any questions or want to bounce ideas off me. I’m here for you and am happy to help you figure out how to announce your elopement! Shoot me a message or send me an email to start a conversation!