How to make an elopement happen with one month notice in Australia
Patrick & Andrea, River & Me Photography
Our celebrant Candice Wilson has written a small blog about elopements and how to organise one with only one months notice given…
Weddings and elopements especially have changed a lot in the past few years.
I remember really wanting to just do a quickie wedding when I married my lover in 2005, but my idea of an elopement was to hit up the local courthouse registry office or run away to Vegas and get married by Elvis! I just didn’t think there were any other options available for us.
Elopements are historically thought of as a couple making a spur of the moment decision to run away and marry. The idea of running away is such an outdated notion, especially in 2021. I just don’t feel like this is relevant anymore, or if it ever really was.
Elopements are my absolute favourite style of ceremony. They are intimate, heartfelt and so so relaxed. It feels like we are just having a really informal get together, but with a few legal words thrown in and lots of hugs and kisses.
The amount of couples that I’ve personally married - elopement style – have chosen to elope because of a variety of reasons. They may be shy, or want to be lowkey and they don’t want to have the spotlight shone on them in front of 100 + people.
They could be saving for a home deposit and don’t want to spend a $50k chunk of that deposit on a big wedding. Feels totally relevant in 2021 with the Australian housing market going crazy! It could be that one or both of them have already had the big white wedding and don’t feel the need to go there again.
I have definitely married couples who are holidaying from interstate or overseas and love the idea of eloping at Byron Bay or on the ‘2020 best beach in Australia,’ Cabarita Beach while they are in town. Very doable and super easy to organise.
2021 was supposed to improve in terms of the world (and Australian states) opening back up, but sadly that hasn’t happened. I’m still working with couples who are trying to get married after 2,3 and 4 tries! Those couples are now planning a simple, stress free elopement and a big party further down the track when their loved ones can hug and dance as much a they want too! Some are feeling tired and wary at this point, and are just eager to make it legal and forget about the constant monitoring of wedding restrictions via the ABC news feed.
You don’t have to explain to anyone why you chose to elope. If your families and friends know you, they’ll 100% understand why you decided to begin your marriage this way. Your loved ones know that marriage is about two people in love, and a wedding day is just that, it’s one day. It doesn’t represent the love you’ll share for the rest of your lives.
I hope you don’t feel stress about how to tell them either. Just send them a bougie selfie or facetime them while you’re kicking back with your bubbles in hand and flash that ‘certificate of marriage’ loudly and proudly. You’re guaranteed to feel that love right back at you.
Which brings me back to the title of this blog, how to make an elopement happen with one month notice in Australia. Here’s a simplified list of how you do it;
- Head to the contact page
- Put in your details and pick a package
- I will be in touch you with to start the legal conversation, and explain the simple steps to getting married in Australia.
- Pick a date that will fall one calendar month after lodging the Notice of Intended Marriage with our celebrant
- Choose your favourite spot to start your married life together
- Meet you there on the date of your choice
- Married!
…Now you head off into the sunset and enjoy marital bliss! Easy x