After a decade behind the lens photographing hundreds of real elopements, we’ve seen so many creative ideas that couples have incorporated into their wedding day to make it more meaningful, special, tasty, funny, and above all, memorable! In this list, we’ve combed through every single one of our elopement galleries to show you 77 of the best elopement ideas we’ve been a part of over the years. Hopefully it inspires some fun ideas for your own adventure!
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Our list of unforgettable elopement ideas
This isn’t your typical wedding checklist. These are outside-the-box moments that that make elopement days more meaningful, memorable, and photo-worthy! From the beginning of the day til the hike home after sunset, we’ve got inspo for every part of the day.
Whether you’re in the early stages of planning or looking for that one final idea to complete your vision, we hope this list inspires you to think creatively, be intentional, and fill your elopement with moments that are as fun to look back on as they are to actually experience. Let’s dive in!
Getting ready elopement ideas
This is where the elopement starts, and it sets the tone for the entire adventure to come. So don’t skimp on planning this part of the experience! These are our favorite ways and places our couples have kicked off the big day!
make a damn fine cup of coffee (or tea) together
For our fellow coffee connoisseurs, making a boujie brew together creates a fun photo op and fuels you up for the adventure ahead! Caffeine is one of the most important elopement essentials, especially for those sunrise wake-up calls! 😜
Grab your aprons and cook breakfast together
Have a favorite weekend breakfast you cook together? Make it on the elopement day! These two started their day cooking their favorite special breakfast: homemade bananas foster french toast!
Help each other get ready
If you’re not doing a first look, helping each other put the finishing touches on your wedding attire is a super sweet photo op! Jeremy and Sarah got ready together at their cabin in Olympic National Park.
Cozy up in wedding day pjs
Let your photographer get some cozy candids of you enjoying a slow morning before jumping into your wedding clothes. You can wear matching robes, sweats, dragon onesies… no judgment from us, it’s your day and we’re always fans of unique attire 😉
Exchange wedding gifts
Giving each other gifts that remind you of a special memory, trip, or inside joke is a great way to personalize your day. Planning to share this moment at the beginning of the day allows you to wear or use it throughout the rest of the elopement. Tyler and Chris exchanged sunflower earrings and a necklace from Kansas City, where they met.
Get ready with your fur buddy
If you’re eloping in a non-dog-friendly location like a national park, renting an Airbnb that allows dogs is a great way to include them in the day! They might not be able to help button up the dress, but they bring allll the cuteness so we’ll let it slide.
Unique elopement lodging ideas
A beautiful Airbnb or hotel can make for both an incredible experience and unique photos. This day only comes once, so why not stay somewhere truly special? Don’t forget to turn that hot tub filter on 😉
Rent a glass house where you can see the stars from bed
We’re obsessed with these all-glass Airbnbs in Iceland! They make for amazing getting-ready photos (exhibit A: Krystal and Ryan’s elopement gallery!) and are even more fun to stay in with views of the night sky overhead!
Stay in a yurt and embrace your inner woodland fairy
We’re all about unique lodging options on the elopement day, and yurts are typically found in some pretty cool places! This yurt on a private island in Alaska, tucked deep in the forest, was a super cool place for these two to get ready.
Get a taste of royal life with a historic manor or villa
Rozlyn and Michael booked a Scottish manor on the Isle of Skye in Scotland! We explored the property snapping pics both inside and outside the hotel.
Stay on a tropical floating bungalow accessed by boat
These two stayed on floating bungalows in Thailand’s Khao Sok National Park! Since it was so remote, it was an all inclusive stay with food, drinks, and private boat tours every day.
Stay at an a-frame cabin in the woods
The iconic shape of an A-frame cabin is so cool and cozy, both inside and out! Washington’s forested foothills are covered with them and they make for a perfectly PNW getaway if you’re eloping in Washington.
ditch the four walls and stay in a geodesic dome
You’ll often find these domes in remote elopement destinations due to their ease of construction, and they’re so cozy! We love the big bubble windows that are perfect for watching the sunrise and sunset from bed.
Go glamping!
Under Canvas has locations near national parks all over the US, making these beautiful canvas tents an excellent and authentic choice for adventure elopements. Don’t worry about comfort, this is glamping luxury at its finest!
Take your home on wheels
We’ve had lots of couples rent camper vans or bring their own rigs to the elopement. This is another great option for remote destinations. You can get ready inside, or decorate it with string lights and have your first dance in front of it like Damian and Amparo in New Zealand!
Elopement ceremony ideas
Unlike traditional weddings, there are no rules for elopement ceremonies! Whether you’re into private vows on a mountaintop, an easily-accessible location for guests to join, or a beautifully-designed setup at a venue, these elopement ceremony ideas are here to spark your creativity. Take a look through our list and see what feels the most like you 😊
Get creative with your vows
Besides writing your own vows, you can draw cute pictures for each other in your vow books like Shannon and Nick did!
Check out all of the beautiful photos from their Mt. Rainier elopement here!
Share private vows separately
Sometimes couples don’t want to say their personal vows in front of their guests, and that’s totally okay! Have a ceremony with your loved ones, but save your private vows for the intimate sunrise or sunset adventure.
Walk down the "aisle"
You can still include some traditional wedding practices into the elopement like walking down the “aisle” (aka trail) with a parent or loved one.
Include your dog in your ceremony
They can act as ring bearers, flower pups, or just sit alongside you looking adorable as you share your vows. You can even dress them up in a fancy bow tie, leash and harness set, or flower collar!
Play a game to decide who reads vows first
Besides the classic rock-paper-scissors, you can bring a favorite game (like Meg and Kevin’s custom parcheesi board!) and play a round before your ceremony!
Have a handfasting ceremony
We know some incredible officiants like Pink Iceland who have lots of creative ideas for unity rituals like handfasting. You can customize your handfasting ribbon with charms, embroidery, or special fabric!
Seal it with a shot
After all the emotions of your private vows, cheers each other with your favorite shot and start the after party! A little booze never hurts for the camera-shy either 😉
Incorporate religious or cultural traditions
Some of our past couples have had a Jewish ceremony under a chuppah, exchanged Hawaiian leis, had a bilingual ceremony, or had a traditional Hindu ceremony.
Ask a friend or family member (or your kids!) to officiate
It’s always fun having someone who knows you both so well be the one to marry you! Kirsten and Danika had Kirsten’s two teenage daughters co-officiate their ceremony, which was so sweet 🥹
Draw or paint your elopement location
You’ll look back at your elopement destination in a whole new way and it’s a fun keepsake! Andrea is a professional artist so she painted her and Nick’s vow books with a vibrant sunset over Mt. Rainier.
Have a sand artist design your beach ceremony location
This is one of the most unique ceremony decorations we’ve ever seen! Haley and John hired a sand artist to create a mandala for their Oregon Coast elopement!
Hire a musician to play your favorite song
Cathy and Alex hired a violinist for their ceremony and romantic first dance in Olympic National Park. While walking down the aisle to a bluetooth speaker is nice, live music is even better!
Have a ring warming ceremony
Each of Courtney and Derek’s guests passed the wedding bands around and shared a prayer for the newlyweds during their ceremony at Mt. Rainier.
Celebrate with a bubble sendoff
Run through a tunnel of guests with bubble guns or wands as you head off on your sunset photo adventure! This is a great Leave No Trace alternative to a sparkler sendoff, which are usually not allowed due to fire restrictions.
Adventurous elopement ideas
Put the “adventure” in adventure elopement! Photos of couples doing these adventurous activities in their wedding attire are always so much fun. You can hike to a remote location with a jaw-dropping view, look for seals on a kayaking trip, or even ski into your ceremony. We promise you don’t need to be athletes or seasoned hikers either – there are so many fun, low-effort activities that everyone will love!
Take a helicopter ride to a remote destination in the mountains
Alaska, New Zealand, and Canada have some incredible locations only accessible by helicopter! Plus you’re guaranteed to have the spot all to yourselves 😉
Grab a paddle for a kayaking or canoeing adventure
If you love being on the water, you can explore via a kayak or canoe and look for whales, seals, or penguins! Meg and Kevin took a Thai longboat all around the Phi Phi islands.
Go offroading in a jeep
Moab, Colorado, and Sedona are prime locations for off-roading, with red rock formations, canyons, and dramatic mountains. You can access some pretty spectacular spots with big wheels and high clearance!
Hike to a historic fire lookout
We have tons of these in Washington and they’re always such a fun hiking destination! They’re usually located at the tippy top of a mountain peak, which makes for amazing 360-degree views.
Go rock climbing together
Whether it’s a via ferrata in Italy or bouldering in Yosemite, we love when couples incorporate their love of climbing into their elopement. Plus you look way more badass dangling from a cliff in fancy clothes!
Go fly fishing on a glacial river
Grab your waders (the perfect addition to any wedding outfit!) and fish for salmon, trout or steelhead. Lisa and Ben went fishing in the Smith River at their redwoods elopement.
Set up a bonfire on the beach
The west coast is known for its magical sunsets over the Pacific, so why not hang out and enjoy the evening with a bonfire and s’mores? The light glowing from the fire makes for beautiful romantic photos.
Go dogsledding
Mush!! Alaska is an awesome spot for dogsledding in the winter or spring. It’s always so fun to cuddle with the new sled dog puppies too! Hannah and Michael had a jam-packed elopement full of winter activities in Alaska.
Rent a classic car and ride in style
If you’re not feeling the Jeep vibes and want something a little fancier, you can rent a classic car or convertible for your elopement. If it’s a fun color, it will pop against the landscape and we can get some cool drone shots!
Rollerblade or skateboard somewhere epic!
Adam and Christy love skating together in their free time, so we incorporated that into their elopement day. We found a particularly scenic stretch of road and they skated along the Oregon Coast with jaw-dropping views of the Pacific!
Take a backpacking trip
If you’re interested in hiking a longer trail, it’s always fun to break up the journey with an overnight! Camping under the stars is a pretty magical way to spend your wedding night. Plus you can catch sunrise the next morning!
Bust out the mountain bikes
Carrie and Chris love biking so they brought their wheels up to the North Cascades for some photos. We had so much fun playing around with different perspectives and compositions – definitely a unique prop to bring along on the elopement!
Have a "snowlopement" full of fun winter activities
Go snowshoeing, snowboarding, skiing, build a snowman, or have a snowball fight in a winter wonderland! Kelley and Colton got married in a blizzard in the North Cascades.
Elopement photo ideas
These are moments that add to the experience and make for memorable photo ops! We love getting artsy and playing around with props, lighting, and fun activities that photograph beautifully. No matter your vibe – whimsical, romantic, cinematic, or fun and silly – these creative photo ops will give you tons of ideas for your elopement day!
Plan for a dramatic first look
There’s something so dramatic about a first look on the trail. The photos capture the sense of anticipation and the big reveal, all set against the stunning backdrop of the place you chose to elope. Kelly and Mitchell did their first look at sunrise on sea cliffs in Madeira and the scenery looked like a painting!
Surprise your partner with an unexpected first look
Madison and Garth met at a halloween party, so she decided to break out her iconic banana costume for their first look! His reaction was hilarious and they did a more formal “second look” afterward with the wedding dress.
Snuggle up with cozy gear on a rainy day
On moody weather days, we love warming up with a hot drink (like hot toddies, cider, or cocoa) and packing lots of layers like earmuffs, mittens, and blankets. Can’t forget the cute clear umbrellas either!
Snag some fun wedding day socks
We love a fun pair of socks for the elopement! A funky pop of color always makes for a fun photo op.
And go all out with the shoes
No matter how much hiking you’re planning to do, you can always pack out a fancy pair of kicks and change at the end of the trail!
Take film pics of each other
Have your photographer take pics while you each take some photos of each other. You’ll get double the fun shots – pics that you each took on your wedding day plus the fun behind-the-scenes photos as it happened!
Look back on old photo memories together
These two had a roll of film that they waited to develop so they could look through the images together for the first time on their elopement day. You could also create an album of photos to reminisce about your relationship up to this point. Taking a moment to relax and reflect in between the hiking and posing is a special moment that also makes for a sweet photo op.
String up a hammock
Kick back and snuggle up in a hammock after all the hiking, your feet and photographer will love it!
Have both a first and second dance
Start with a slow, romantic song, then end with a fun one to break it down. Abby and Ray had a dance party atop the red rocks in Sedona!
Have a midday outfit change
Can’t decide on a dress? Wear two! Same goes for the guys – you could wear a formal suit for part of the day and then change into a more casual look for the other half. We’ve had made couples do wardrobe changes midday and we are so here for it.
The just married backpack signs + wedding cans
You know how people tie a bunch of cans to the wedding getaway car bumper? Well B+K did the same with their favorite beer cans on their backpacks. So good!
Stay out for nighttime photos after the sun goes down
We love that post-sunset “blue hour” when the light gets nice and soft and all the other hikers go to bed. You can play around with headlamps or, if you’re extra patient, star shots!
Get artsy with props like a mirror
Christy and Adam brought mirrors we played around with in the redwoods. It made for some super cool and creative photos!
Say hi to the local wildlife
Okay this one is kind of luck of the draw, but if you’re an animal lover then you gotta get some pics with any buddies you encounter along the way! Pro Tip: The Icelandic Horses loooove a good carrot.
Spark a celebratory cigar
Brin and Kendall enjoy a fine cigar on special occasions, so they brought one out to puff during sunset in Kauai. A great way to unwind after a jam-packed day of adventure and the ultimate cool kid photo op.
Take a cheesy "tourist trap" photo
Steph and Alex wanted to get some shots at some of the iconic Twilight locations in Forks. We took lots of silly photos with Bella’s truck and the cardboard cutouts of the cast!
Have an impromptu gas station photo sesh
This wasn’t planned at all but ended up being so fun! J+J wanted to snag some beers on the way in between locations, so we followed them into the beer cooler and had a little photo shoot. Love these silly shots!
Take the plunge and jump in the water
Go for a swim and trash the dress and suit like Siera and Zach did in Kauai! (Just make sure to wait til the END of the day!)
Pack lanterns to light your way back to the car
We have lanterns we love to bring out in the evenings for some fairytale vibes as we hike back to the parking lot. It makes for super romantic photos like Carolyn and Michelle’s North Cascades elopement!
Recreate an old photo
Steph and Alex have a cute gas station photo from their senior prom, and we recreated it on their wedding day!
Elopement food ideas
You gotta stay fueled up for all the adventuring you’ll be doing! Here are a few ideas for food, drinks, and desserts that’ll be equally fun to enjoy in the moment and look back on in photos.
Check out our elopement picnic blog for tons more inspo for picnics of all shapes and sizes!
Cook up a backcountry meal
Pack a camping stove and cook up a delicious meal like pancakes, homemade chili, quesadillas, or pizza in an Ooni pizza oven!
Hire a caterer or diy a fancy sit-down meal
After the ceremony, it’s nice to have a true wedding reception with your guests and share a meal! We’ve had couples put together a brunch spread, hire a caterer or private chef for lunch at the Airbnb, or go out to a local restaurant for dinner after sunset.
Opt for cookies over cake
We love a good cake, don’t get us wrong. But these custom designed cookies from M+P’s day are so cute (and tasty)! Plus, cookies pack out easier for those backcountry picnics.
Pour a champagne tower with custom camp mugs
Another brilliant addition from M+P’s day were these custom camp mugs. They stacked them into a tower and we took a ton of pics while the champagne spilled down and filled them. So fun!
Pop in somewhere local for a treat
If you’re driving through town, you can grab some local coffee (we love Sleepy Monk in Cannon Beach!), Hawaiian shaved ice, or chocolates from a candy shop to round out your elopement picnic.
Or take some local goods on the picnic
B+K eloped in the Italian Dolomites, so some Dolomiti wine and to-go Aperol Spritzes were definitely on the menu! Incorporating some of the local cuisine and beverages into the day is a great way to get even more out of your chosen elopement location.
Have "happy hour" out in nature
Instead of your local dive bar, you can cheers custom cocktails, champagne, or beers somewhere beautiful like Fern Canyon in the redwoods!
elopement ideas with family
There are so many creative ways to incorporate the people (and pets!) you love most into your day, even if they’re not physically at the elopement with you. Whether it’s a vow renewal with your kiddos, a micro-wedding celebration with friends and family, or having your dog as your only guest, you can have a day surrounded by love no matter who’s on the guest list!
Have a micro wedding!
For couples with lots of guests, we love putting together micro-weddings with part of the day at a venue celebrating with everyone and part of the day just the two of you out in nature! You can do it as a single Sunrise+Sunset day, or break it into a Double Day package.
Bring your kids along on the adventure
If your kiddos love the outdoors too, they can join on a hiking adventure and we can snap photos of the whole fam as well as just the two of you! Plus you can use the photos for your family Christmas card!
Remember loved ones who couldn't be there with a memorial pendant
Make a memorial pin with a photo of your loved family member or pet who couldn’t be there for your wedding day. This is a sweet way to incorporate them into the elopement and get a nice photo that can live on in your photo album forever.
Get ready with your family
If you and your partner are getting ready separately, your parents, siblings, or friends can help you put the finishing touches on your wedding attire. If you have kids, it’s a super cute photo op to have them help out as well!
Do a first look with a family member
We’re always suckers for first looks with dads (they are usually VERY tear-filled!), and Sydney did a dress reveal with her brother and nephew!
Have a camping elopement with the whole family
Scarlott and Charles went overlanding in Colorado with all of their guests! We had so much fun cooking steaks over the campfire and dancing the night away.
Read letters from loved ones
If you’re eloping without guests, having them send cards or letters is such a special way to include them in the day. Just make sure to pack your kleenex!!
Surprise your fam with a baby announcement
Aly and Rick held up a baby onesie during their group photos and their family had no idea! It was a huge celebration when everyone realized what was happening!
Go hiking with your dog
We have an amazing blog post all about eloping with dogs with tons of ideas for keeping them entertained throughout the day as well as what hiking gear to pack!
Phew! That was a lot! We hope this list of unique elopement ideas sparks some excitement and helps you envision what your perfect elopement day could look like. Whether you take one idea or 10, the most important thing is that your day feels authentic to you and full of special memories to look back on in your photos 💕 Happy planning!
-The Foxpack
The photo experts of the best elopement ideas
We’ve photographed 500+ adventure elopements across the globe since 2016.
What makes us unique? When you work with one of us, you get the combined knowledge of our entire team sharing real-time intel about everything from secret ceremony spots to current trail conditions. Whether you’re dreaming of a sunrise mountain ceremony or a helicopter ride to a private glacier, we’re here to help make your elopement dreams come true ✨
