October 10, 2022

Elope – Just the Two of You! Why 2023 is the year of “Couples-Only Elopements”

 
 
Looking back to 2020, we saw that couples-only elopements were having a moment.
 
Covid gave a lot of engaged couples a good reason to ditch the bigger wedding and elope solo.
 
So many people were able to experience the joy and intimacy that comes from eloping, just the two of them.
 
At Elope Outdoors, we’ve been hosting “couple’s only’ elopements for nearly a decade in the wildly beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.
 
This past summer, we created a summer special package for couples who were eloping without bringing guests along.
 
With so many couples getting to have that “just us” experience, we witnessed the intimate power of eloping solo like it was the first time! And we are so inspired by how intimate, easy, and perfect their days went, we are proclaiming 2023 the year of “Couples-Only” Elopements!
 
So if you are engaged and curious about eloping, this blog is for you!
 
You’ll get to hear from Steven, who eloped with just his Bride Kayla in May 2022.
 
Read on for their detailed account of their experience to learn all the reasons why you should consider a “couples-only elopement” for your special day. 
 
 
 

Reasons to Elope- Just the Two of You

Written by Groom Steven!

Kayla and Steven eloped on April 25, 2022 in Asheville, NC. 

 

Less-Stress

The only thing we think we can take credit for was picking Elope Outdoors to coordinate and host our special day. Everyone involved in the planning and execution seemed so excited and made us feel so special, but also abstracted away almost all of the planning and arrangements that can add to the stress.

We are sure there would have been no wrong choice when it came to the officiants, but Michael was such a pleasure to work with and really helped us feel at home.

When we were on our way back from the elopement we kept saying it felt like the entire event was done with good friends – our photographer, videographer, and assistant were all such incredible people and helped us feel relaxed through the whole event!

In a few words, our elopement was stress-free, tailored, and perfect.

We were able to make the entire day about just US and how excited we were to be getting married. It was relaxing and a little unreal!

 

Total Intimacy

 
We’ve both attended A LOT of weddings, and something that always stuck out to us was how much stress was possible around planning a day with so many friends and family, all while getting to spend so little quality time with any of them (many whom you haven’t seen in some time and traveled far for the event). Both of us are fortunate to have such wonderful (but large) families and friend groups, and when we played with the idea of including guests it just seemed impossible to include everyone we cared about while keeping it to a reasonable size.
 
We opted to have an elopement that was private and just about us, and have since had a gathering of our immediate families and have gotten to travel and celebrate with friends!
 

If we could go back and do it all again, we wouldn’t change a thing.

 
It’s been wild how many friends and family members we’ve had tell us that they wish they had done it the way we did – we’ve even had an engaged couple we’re friends with book with Elope Outdoors based on our experience!
 
 

No one to take care of

 

When you don’t have guests to attend to and plan for, there is more room for planning the little details.
 
Little things we were able to bring with us really went a long way towards making the day and the photo memories we have just feel like “us.”
 

Kayla surprised me with an UP-themed (the movie) cake topper, I wore some Mario socks and Kayla wore her favorite pair of Converse (a good call with the hike!).

 
The photographer and videographer really focused on these kinds of details and LOVE the photos that felt unique to our own special day!

 

It can be a Special Vacation

With so little planning to do, we were really able to make the experience a wonderful adventure around Asheville!

We took a little over a week off and other than a makeup trial and getting our license, the entire time leading up to our elopement was just filled with amazing food, hiking, and exploring the city.

Our elopement was towards the end of trip, which we think allowed us to have more of a connection to the area (we even hiked around Black Balsam earlier in the week).

 

 

Backstory of Kayla & Steven:

First comes Pizza, then comes Love 

When Kayla & Steven had their first date at a pizza place, they knew right away they were in big trouble!

After falling in love and dating a few years, Steven proposed to Kayla in St Augustine at the Nights of Lights and the pair decided to trade beaches for mountains for their April 2022 elopement.

Steven said: “We wanted to make our ceremony a wonderful travel experience in itself, just the two of us having our first adventure as the Bairs, and returning with the best souvenirs and memories! We live in Florida and always talked about getting married on the side of a mountain. When Kayla found your Instagram she couldn’t wait to show me.”

Before the elopement, Steven shared: “I can’t wait to see Kayla for the first time in that beautiful dress with such an incredible backdrop behind her, knowing I get to spend the rest of my life with her!”

Wow! Steven and Kayla truly had a beautiful experience and we loved creating and capturing their day!

Their day really encapsulated what we value here at Elope Outdoors. 

We believe elopements are best when they are simple and stress-free – and we believe that is achieved in the highest form when you elope, with just the two of you and no guests.

If you are interested in a “couples-only elopement” we would be thrilled to plan it all out with you. 

Elope in Asheville, NC and make your day full of presence and pure bliss between you and your partner.

Contact us today to start the easy planning process!

 

Contact Us

Our Team behind Steven and Kayla’s special day:

Officiant: Michael
Photographer: Maddie
Videographer: Jen, Wildwood Media
Assistant: Kara 
 
 

 

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