A weekday elopement is something that all couples should seriously consider for weddings but also particularly for elopements. And when I say weekday, I mean Monday to Thursday. In the wedding industry in Australia, Fridays are the second most popular day for weddings after Saturdays. And more popular than Sundays.

Now just imagine for a second, that you have found the perfect location for a coastal elopement in Sydney. High up on a hill overlooking the beach and coastline. The afternoon light is golden, the weather is beautiful and it’s an easy walk for your parents.

But you get there and you cannot find a parking spot. You circle around and around but still no luck. Then you drive down back streets and finally catch someone driving out. You get out and start walking to your hilltop. People are clapping, cheering to you and also taking photos and videoing you. You get to your hill and there are people everywhere. Having picnics, watching the sunset and just enjoying life. As Australians do, they politely move away for you and you can have your ceremony but now you have a crowd of people watching.

This is the reality of any popular destination in Australia on a beautiful weekend in Summer, Autumn or Spring. It can get packed. Even places you would think are secluded aren’t because the locals know of it.
Trust me, I have photographed weddings where a crowd of strangers are watching and taking photos of you.

1. Less strangers photobombing your elopement photos

This is the number one reason because it is the most important in my opinion. On a weekday there will be fewer people around in general which means there is less chance of people getting in and ‘photobombing’ your photos.

Weekends are busy times for Australian and they especially love the outdoors. Beaches, parks, National Parks, State Forests, waterfalls, cliff tops all become a location that people flock to on weekends. And much less chance of the above example happening to you.

The only time a weekday elopement wouldn’t be as effective here is if you choose a really iconic location that many international tourists visit. So somewhere like Sydney Opera House for instance. As tourists will visit there every day and it is almost always busy.

So if you have a beautiful and epic location in mind, go there on a beautiful weekend and check out what it really looks like and how busy it is. And then imagine how good it will look in your photos if there was no one else there.

2. Easy parking and no traffic

Certain locations can get extremely busy on the weekends. The example at the beginning of this article was something that has happened to me on numerous occasions at weddings and elopements in Sydney. People want to get married on a weekend in Summer at a popular beach like Balmoral Beach, Camp Cove Beach or Manly Beach and you seriously cannot get a parking spot to save your life. It is absolutely packed with people and can be an absolute nightmare.

Coastal towns like Byron Bay, Terrigal or Hymns Beach also get choked with people on weekends. And some of these one road towns on weekends, feel like you are stuck in peak hour traffic in a major city.

But by eloping on a weekday you avoid all these major problems and everything just become easier and more relaxed.

3. Get the date, month or season that you want for your elopement

By choosing a weekday, you will basically have your choice of dates. This is a great reason why you should consider a weekday elopement. You are not restricted to only what dates are available. You have so many more options available to you.

My quick tips for choosing a date…

• Is there a date that is significant or symbolic to you? Maybe your current anniversary date?
• Do you have a preferred season? Warmer weather, cooler weather etc.
• When can you get time off work?
• Can you time your elopement with the best season for your honeymoon destination? For instance, if you want to honeymoon in Europe in Summer, you may want to consider a Winter elopement in Australia.

4. You will get the elopement location that you want

Some locations in Australia book out a long way in advance. Couples planning a traditional larger wedding will book locations a year or more in advance. These locations also book out quicker for Spring and Autumn weddings.

Some National Park locations are only available a year out. And I know couples that will try to book that date exactly a year out so they get their dream location.

A weekday elopement allows you to get that dream location so much more easily.

5. Vendors will be available

The top wedding and elopement vendors also book out a long way in advance. The best photographer, videographers, stylist and celebrants can book out 1 to 2 years out from a wedding. And they will be booked for a weekend.

Elopements also generally have a shorter lead-up time. Weddings will generally be planned from nine months to two years in advance. While elopements are normally a fair bit quicker. So if you are planning an elopement three months from now and on a weekend, chances are all the best vendors are already booked out.

By choosing a weekday, you will give yourself the best chance to get your dream vendor. And your wedding vendor will probably be pretty excited to get some extra work during a weekday.

6. You will get the accommodation you want

It is important to have a good accommodation for your elopement. Somewhere awesome to base yourself from.

Your elopement accommodation is where you will generally spend the morning getting ready and it is where you will come back to at the end of the night. So choose the accommodation that you love. If you were ever going to splash out on luxury accommodation, this is the time to do it.

This type of accommodation also books out way ahead of time, so by having a weekday elopement will get the accommodation that you want, instead of what is available on a weekend.

7. It is easier to limit your guest numbers for your elopement

Another great reason why you should consider a weekday elopement is that it will definitely help in reducing your guest numbers. And it will reduce the number to only the people that really care about you and really want to witness your marriage vows.

People have to work and children have to go to school. And they will really need to try to get time off. They will get time off work if they really want to. But are less likely if you aren’t really that close.

If you want to party with all your friends and family, then you can always choose to elope on a weekday and then have a larger party or dinner on the weekend. You get the intimate ceremony and beautiful photos, and you still get to have a big celebration with everyone.

8. You might even save money

You can potentially save some money by having your elopement mid-week. Hotels, resorts, villas, farms, apartments and private house home rentals often have cheaper rates throughout the week as most of their business is on the weekend.

Some wedding venues also offer cheaper rates for a weekday wedding. But don’t expect all wedding vendors to give you cheaper rates. Small businesses price their work and services so that they can remain profitable. So be happy if you are offered a discount, but don’t expect one.

In conclusion

Ultimately these eight reasons why you should consider a weekday elopement, that we’ve listed here are so that you can have the best and most amazing experience for your elopement. You’ve probably never planned an elopement before and you’ve probably never considered choosing a weekday. Most people just assume it has to be on a weekend, and it really doesn’t have to be.

But sometimes it is just not possible for you to have a weekday elopement. You might have any number of reasons and that is totally ok.

If you need to have your elopement on a Friday, Saturday or a Sunday, then here is some advice.

• Consider using a private property that has some land, for your elopement. A private property will give you the privacy and intimacy that you are after. Look for a place with somewhere nice for a ceremony and some nice spots for photos afterwards.
• Make sure you book and pay for your location with the council, national park etc. Some places will allow free ceremonies for small weddings, but by paying you can have the area to yourselves for a certain amount of time.
• Scout out and have a look at your potential location on a weekend. Make sure you do it on a nice sunny day so you can get a more accurate look at how many people might be around.
• Try to scout your location around the time you were thinking of having the ceremony. Some locations are extremely busy around sunrise and some at sunset. And other places are just busy during the middle of the day when families come out to play.
• If your location is busy, walk around the area and see if you can find a more secluded location that is away from the crowds. You might find something just around the corner.
• Talk with your elopement/wedding planner and your photographer about locations. They may know of locations nearby that are equally as beautiful but much quieter.
• If there is a certain iconic or epic location you want but it is too busy, it also might be worth having the ceremony at a quieter location and then returning later to your iconic spot to do photos, when the crowds have gone. But talk to you vendors, particularly your photographer and get their advice.

I hope this article 8 reasons why you should consider a weekday elopement has helped to convince you to have one. A weekday elopement is an option that most people don’t even consider. And it has so many benefits. So if you haven’t locked in a date yet, elope on a weekday.