Planning a post elopement celebration is the perfect way to have your just the two of you elopement experience. Whilst also including loved ones and getting to celebrate with your tribe! They allows you to have the reception part of a wedding day, without all the wedding day stress. You get to have a laid back elopement experience just for the two of you, and then celebrate after! Making for two completely relaxed and fun filled days! It’s a total win win situation.
It’s also a great way to let people know you are eloping, but still inviting them to celebrate. It helps with those unexpected disappointments that may follow an elopement announcement, whilst still making people feel included in the celebration.
Your celebration can be simple and intimate, or a bit more extravagant and welcoming. The choice is all yours!
If you’re currently planning your elopement, but still want to throw a party after. Keep reading, as we dive into how to plan your post elopement celebration below!
Set a date
The first step to planning your post elopement celebration, is to set a date. This could be the day after your elopement. If you want to make it a weekend celebration. Or perhaps, the following week or even a month, or 6 months later. The choice is all yours.
Typically couples who elope, will host their post elopement celebration within the same week, or few weeks following. Often times a couple will elope on a weekday, and then celebrate on the following weekend when their guests are most free. Although, these are the most common scenarios, there is truly no right or wrong timeframe to plan your post elopement celebration. We suggest sticking to the timeframe that works best for you two!
Set a location
Next you’ll want to decide on a location. If you want to plan your post elopement celebration in the same location you eloped. Then perhaps making it a wedding weekend, where you elope on day one, and celebrate on day two, is the best choice for you!
You could also host your post elopement celebration at your home, or a loved ones home for a backyard party! Or at a beautiful venue or private property holiday home. Or perhaps a restaurant that perfectly suits the vibe, or just so happens to be your favourite place! These are the best options for post elopement celebrations and make for the most wonderful celebratory experience.
Send out invites
This is also a great opportunity to announce your elopement plans. You can send out an invite that says something along the lines of “We’re eloping, and you’re invited to celebrate!”. This is what they call “killing two birds with one stone”. You are letting your loved ones know of your elopement plans, whilst also inviting them into the reception celebrations. Which is most guests favourite part of a wedding day anyway!
For immediate and closest family, we do suggest telling them in person first, so they have time to take in the news. For more ideas on how to tell your loved ones you are eloping, check out our blog post here.
You can send out paper invitations in the mail, or opt for a wedding website or digital invitations! Many of our couples love to use The Knot or Say I Do to make their wedding websites and send out a digital invitation.
Choose your outfits
This is a great opportunity to get a second wear out of your wedding attire you wore on your elopement day. Otherwise, you can opt for an alternative outfit and have fun planning outfits for two special celebration days! You could even include a first look if you are opting for an outfit change.
For more ideas on where to buy Elopement or Post Elopement Celebration dresses, check out our blog post “Top 10 Australian Online Shops For Elopement Dresses” here.
Consider your entertainment
Much like a big wedding, your post elopement celebration can inherit traditional reception custodians. You could hire a live band, or DJ to hype up the dance floor. Perhaps bring in catering to serve up some delicious food for everyone to enjoy. You could also include a first dance, or father-daughter and/or mother-son dances. There is always an opportunity to include speeches, or games. This is a chance to get your guests involved and create a fun atmosphere for everyone to enjoy themselves!
Share your Elopement Story on the day
Your post elopement celebration is also a great opportunity to share your Elopement story with your loved ones. You could display your Elopement video on a projector. Or have a slideshow of your Elopement photos up on the big screen. We’ve also seen couples display an album of their elopement photos, for guests to flip through. Or print out a few of their favourite photos and display them around the room. This will make everyone feel like they had an inside peak at your special day and like you still included them in your own special way! Everyone will love the displays and be talking about it all night.
Opt for a second ceremony
Your post elopement party could also include a second ceremony if you really want to make your loved ones feel included. It wouldn’t be a legal ceremony, as you are already married. But it could still be a very sentimental and special experience for you. Perhaps you eloped, because it wasn’t feasible to have family present. Or perhaps you just know how much it would mean to your parents to be apart of a ceremony. Having a second ceremony is always an option, if you wish to have two!
This is also a great opportunity to leave out the vulnerable moments you wished to keep private, but still tell your love story and make your loved ones feel included. You could include special readings, shout outs to loved ones, incorporate family heirlooms and include loved ones in the ceremony itself. Your guests will enjoy reliving your love story in real time, and it’s a special moment to include everyone in, if you so wish to have them present.
Whether you throw a wedding weekend, where you elope on one of the days and celebrate with your loved ones along the way. Or you book a private function room at your favourite restaurant. Or you transform your home or a stylish airbnb into a backyard BBQ party with your nearest and dearest. Throwing a post elopement celebration is the the best option for having a true elopement experience, whilst also getting to celebrate with your people!
If you are looking for an Australian based Elopement photographer to photograph and help guide you through the process of planning your multi-day elopement experience. We have the perfect add on to any Elopement Photography package, where you can also have us there to document your post elopement celebration too! Get in touch to find out more about our Elopement Packages!
We not only photograph this incredible experience for you, we guide you through the planning process to ensure you create the most authentic experience for you! We’ll capture your most honest and heartfelt moments for you to relive for eternity!
