What an Elopement in New Orleans Could Look Like For You

2020 has forced couples to scrap their big weddings and opt for planning a micro-wedding or elopement in New Orleans. For some, this change is tough because they’re being forced to give up their dream of a big, 250+ person wedding. Others see this as a blessing in disguise because they don’t feel pressured into having a large wedding when they didn’t want to have one in the first place.

Elopements have been growing in popularity over the last few years but there still seems to be some confusion about what elopements actually are. What’s the first thing you think of when you hear the word “elopement?” Running away to Vegas? Secret ceremonies because families don’t approve of the marriage? That may have been true a few decades ago but elopements have a completely different meaning today. 

What is an elopement?

Elopements are all of the emotions and traditions of a big wedding day without the production of a large wedding and everything that comes with it. Big weddings often end up being more about the production – the venue, the catering, the bridal party, the guest list, the vendors, etc – than the love and union of the couple. This differs from elopements or intimate weddings where all the attention and focus is on the couple and the commitment they’re making to each other. 

Pause – I’m not anti-big weddings. My wife and I had a big wedding and it was the best day of our lives. I’ll never forget that day and everything that came with it, but there are a lot of couples who just don’t vibe with the idea of a 200+ person wedding and that’s ok! You deserve to have the same wedding day experience as couples with big weddings.

What could an elopement in New Orleans look like for you?

There is a common misconception that elopements are just a quick 2-hour event. You book a photographer for a couple of hours, you have a quick ceremony, do a quick photoshoot, and boom, you’re done. I’m guilty of having thought of elopements like this in the past, as well. But I really want to bust that myth for you and show you that you can dream so much bigger for your elopement. 

Your elopement is your wedding day – it’s the day that you will have as an anniversary for the rest of your life. Why should it be valued any less than someone who is having a big wedding? You deserve to look back on this day and remember it with the same fondness and nostalgia as other couples do. It shouldn’t just be a ceremony and a photoshoot.

New Orleans is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world. There is so much to see and do here. I put together a couple of sample timelines for coverage of a full-day elopement.