Eloping Australia
Welcome to Eloping! We are so glad you found us. We are here to give you all the information you need to plan an amazing elopement in Australia.
Australia is a wonderful place for Aussies to elope or for overseas couples to have an elopement. It offers so many unique locations and destinations to choose from. The red dirt of Australia’s outback region, to the crystal clear waters and white sands of Australia’s beaches. There is the lush hinterland wilderness, mountain ranges, sand dunes, caves, waterfalls, snow and desert and is home to some of the natural and modern wonders of the world.
Don’t be fooled, Australia is a huge country. It is the sixth largest country in the world. It is around the same size as the United States of America and a similar size to western Europe.
If you are looking to elope in Australia, you are really only limited to your imagination. And with this site, we hope to open up your mind to the unlimited possibilities for your Aussie elopement.
What is an elopement ?
According to Merriam-Webster, the earliest meaning of the word was to “escape” or “flee”. That definition of elopement later became: “To run away secretly with the intention of getting married usually without parental consent”
According to Wikipedia, it refers to “a marriage conducted in a sudden or secretive fashion… involving a hurried flight away… to run away and to not come back…”
It is scary to think that in this modern-day world, that people and big websites like Wikipedia still refer to elopements in such a negative and old-fashioned way. It is probably what our parents or grandparents might have thought of what it meant to elope.
The modern meaning of elopement.
The modern meaning of an elopement these days is changing. No longer is it meant in a negative fashion. It does not mean that all couples run off without telling anyone. It does not mean that your parents don’t know that you are getting married. And it does not mean that it is just the two of you getting married without anyone else there
Eloping now simply means to get married without any guests or just with a very limited amount of guests.
The term is more often being used to describe a destination wedding, pop up wedding, micro wedding, tiny wedding, small wedding or an intimate wedding. They all can basically mean the same thing.
How many guests can be at an elopement?
How many guests is up for debate depending on who you ask. There are no rules about how many guests there can be before it turns into a wedding. As an elopement can also be considered a small intimate wedding. But for us, it generally means that you have less than 20 guests. So anywhere from zero to twenty guests is what we consider an elopement.
What is the difference between a wedding an elopement?
Generally speaking, a wedding involves quite a bit of planning and are bigger events. The couple will normally spend the night apart with their respective bridal parties. Then there will be a wedding ceremony at a church/chapel or outdoor location. Finally, there will be a big dinner, or wedding reception, with all the couples family and friends. And this can be anywhere from around fifty to five hundred people. The reception normally involves a three-course meal, speeches from about four to six people, there is a cake cutting ceremony, first dance,
The average Australian couple spends about $30,000 on a wedding and it take between nine months to twenty-fours months to plan.
An elopement is a much, much smaller event that can be done in a much quicker time frame. The couple will normally spend the night together and actually get ready together. There will be a simple ceremony at a beautiful outdoor location. There will be between zero and twenty guests. They may or may not have a small informal dinner that night.
Other than the exchanging of rings, most of the wedding traditions are ditched and the day becomes more about the couple and their relationship together than the pomp and ceremony that a traditional wedding involves.
The average elopement can potentially spend less money tha a full traditional wedding, but they spend the money on what is important to them.
Also note, that in Australia, a legal marriage requires two witnesses to witness and sign the marriage certificate. If there are no guests at the elopement, then this duty is often done by the photographer, a stylist or someone from the venue accommodation. An elopement ceremony can also be just a symbolic event for the couple.
