What to do After Eloping | 20+ Elopement Celebration Ideas (2024)

What to do after eloping to celebrate with friends and family:

Celebrate your elopement with them virtually or in person.

If you are having guests at your elopement they will no doubt want to help you celebrate when the day is done. A lot of families choose to eat a meal together and is the perfect option for what to do after eloping to include your guests! For example, when our couples choose a Glacier National Park Elopement with family they typically head over to Whitefish for a celebratory meal and wine.

If you elope at the Best Places to Elope in California, a wine tasting can for sure be in order for you and your guests!

If you are a little more adventurous, what to do after eloping could be keeping them active in the outdoors as an eloping reception! Maybe a group picnic and kayaking date for the whole family is what you should do after eloping.

Those are obviously in-person celebrations if you brought your guests along, but if you didn’t bring any and want to celebrate with them later having an elopement reception may be a great idea!

You can do this in person or virtually! A lot of eloping couples may have family scattered all across the country making an in-person celebration difficult. If this is the case for you, you may choose to have a zoom party as what to do after eloping! You can include your friends and family from all over, display your elopement photos (that we took, no doubt ;)), and oooo and awe over your wedding day! This way you can have a lot of the same traditions like toasts or dances, but keep everyone at home to celebrate with you.

Here’s what to do after eloping for friends and family:

  • have an elopement reception/celebration in-person
  • have an elopement reception/celebration virtually
  • plan a group adventure
  • have a bonfire with them
  • facetime them
  • let them throw you a party
  • go out to dinner with a few small groups

What to do after eloping to announce your marriage:

Find a unique way to announce your elopement that is meaningful to you.

A lot of couples elope with either just them or with a few meaningful guests. If so, maybe they need that official “we eloped” announcement!

You may want to send elopement announcement cards just like you would a wedding invite! We think this is a great way to make a big crowd of folks feel included when considering what to do after eloping. Be sure you plan ahead for this and get the perfect picture from your photographer for your card! You may want to be strategic and have a sign ready for the announcement pic and your photographer can get it to you ASAP for your announcement.

Check out our favorite elopement announcements from Fine Day Press!

Another option for what to do after eloping is taking your elopement announcement live. You may want to hint every day for a week that you’ll be live on Instagram or Facebook at such and such time with a big announcement. Odds are your friends are always down for gossip and would love to catch a live where you announce your elopement! This is a fun thing to do after eloping because you will get some VERY shocked responses, and it’s always a crowd-pleaser.

What to do after eloping: Do everything on your terms.

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again. Make sure each part of your elopement is stitched with meaning and intention. This means you’ll value the same things when deciding what to do after eloping. Only you truly know what is most important and honoring to your relationship, so let me remind you that this is a safe space where you can celebrate how and with whomever you want.

Choose your favorite spot, activity, clothes, food and drink, you name it, to celebrate. I can guarantee that it will be life-changing!

What to do After Eloping | 20+ Elopement Celebration Ideas (2024)

FAQs

What are the rules for the reception after eloping? ›

There's no rules for this – just like there are no rules for what you decide to do for your post-elopement party! Choose whenever is best for you and your partner. Maybe you want to celebrate when your elopement is fresh, the day after or the week after.

What do you call a party after an elopement? ›

A post-elopement party gives you the chance to have the best of both worlds – you had a beautifully intimate elopement adventure, and now you get to spend some quality time with your loved ones!

What do couples do when they elope? ›

50 Things to do During Your Elopement Day
  • Pop champagne. Share some bubbly with your new spouse! ...
  • Write your own vows. ...
  • Share a co*cktail hour with friends in the woods. ...
  • Cut a small cake. ...
  • Explore a ghost town. ...
  • Find a natural hot springs. ...
  • Jeep to an alpine lake. ...
  • Bring some guests.
Mar 3, 2021

What is the second ceremony after elopement? ›

"Simply defined, a sequel wedding is when a couple has multiple ceremonies. Typically, the first wedding is more intimate in nature (think: a microwedding or an elopement), followed by a larger-scale second wedding, which oftentimes involves a grand reception party.

How do you plan a party after an elopement? ›

14 Creative Ideas for Your Post-Elopement Party
  1. Choose a Theme or Style. ...
  2. Pick Your Ideal Venue. ...
  3. Showcase Your Elopement Photos. ...
  4. Hire an Event Photographer. ...
  5. Feature Some of Your Favorite Wedding Traditions. ...
  6. Wear What You Love.
  7. Hire a DJ or Live Band. ...
  8. Make a Toast.
May 7, 2023

Do you still get wedding gifts if you elope? ›

Unlike being invited to a physical wedding, there's a lot less pressure to give a wedding present to a couple who eloped. They didn't spend on a big, formal bash, after all. But while it's definitely not a requirement, it's a great deed, especially if you're a close friend or family member.

Does elopement count as marriage? ›

The short answer is yes, an elopement is legal and your marriage will be recognized across all 50 states. But there may be some caveats. You'll need to follow the laws and regulations of the state you choose to get married in.

How do you invite people to a reception after an elopement? ›

Formal wording might be something along the lines of “Jennifer and Richard would like to invite you to a celebration of their marriage on…” whereas something more informal might read along the lines of “Surprise. We eloped! But we'd love to invite you to celebrate our marriage with us on…”.

What is the party after you get married? ›

What is a Post-Wedding Party? A post-wedding party is a reception that you throw after the original wedding. Travel and gathering restrictions over the last few years caused a lot of couples to get married remotely or with an extremely small guest list.

What is a Shivaree party? ›

shivaree • \shiv-uh-REE\ • noun. : a noisy mock serenade to a newly married couple. Examples: On the night of Sally and Henry's wedding, the townspeople gathered outside the couple's window to participate in a raucous shivaree. "

How do you make eloping fun? ›

You could surprise each other with love letters, surprise the other with the Adventure Challenge book, make a detour & stop at another fun or unique location, plan a surprise musical performance, or work with your wedding vendors to come up with another unique surprise!

What is eloping autism? ›

It's common for children who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to run or wander away from caregivers or secure locations. This is called elopement. Elopement is common in children with autism and can be a traumatic situation for a child and caregivers.

Do you play music at an elopement? ›

Again, most couples who get eloped don't do that, but it is a beautiful tradition and if you want to incorporate it into your elopement you should do it. We absolutely love it when our couples decide to add music to their ceremony.

What to do after elopement ceremony with family? ›

Tips & tricks for hosting a get-together after your elopement: Some great ideas my couples have done to celebrate with family after their elopement at their rental includes hosting a potluck or BBQ, playing cards and board games, karaoke, watching movies, star gazing, having a campfire, swimming, and more.

Do you tell people before or after you elope? ›

Telling friends and family that you're eloping before you actually do it can go a long way in minimizing hurt feelings. If you're close with them, you may also want them to participate to some extent.

How do I tell my family after elopement? ›

TELLING FAMILY AFTER YOU'VE ELOPED

With a little time, they'll come to a place of full on support. Think about FaceTiming them after you've tied the knot, maybe even while you're still at your chosen elopement spot! Consider writing letters to read to them to convey your love appreciation for them.

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