Do you need an elopement planner?
One mistake we often see when planning an elopement is assuming it is super easy. Sure – it’s way more fun most of the time than planning a traditional wedding because you don’t have to worry about anybody else’s needs. But the basic steps remain the same: you’ll need to book an accommodation, find a location for ceremony, portraits etc. and you probably like to have other vendors (e.g. stylist, florals, wedding cake, food etc.) around. So you might need a little bit of help in one or the other way.
Table of Contents Show
1. What is the difference between a specialized elopement photographer and an elopement planner?
When searching for elopement photographers you’ll find out that most of them offer planning assistance. This includes location & vendor recommendations and timeline reviewing. However, your elopement photographers will and can not substitute a full-service planning. Elopement planners usually have a professional training certificate and a background in event management. If you’d like to have a bespoke elopement day while handing over the organizational stuff to someone else, hiring an elopement planer might be the right choice.
2. What tasks does an elopement planner exactly take on?
Depending on the extent you want your planner to get involved, most planners offer a variety of packages. Starting with a simple consultation regarding specific parts of your day (e.g. location suggestions) to full-service planning. At Nomadic Hearts we believe that it is a full-service planning that truly makes your elopement experience extraordinary.
The planning process starts with putting together a moodboard and a budget plan for your elopement. You will have several consultation calls during the whole time. Unlike an elopement photographer the elopement planner will also lift the weight of your shoulders regarding the following tasks:
Checking availability & booking your location
Permit research & guiding through legal paperwork
Checking availability & quotes from vendors, reviewing contracts & assisting the booking process
On-going organization & communication with all vendors
On-site assistance on the elopement day and set-up check
Guest management (e.g. accommodations for your guests)
3. Reasons to hire an elopement planner
Besides all the above-mentioned tasks that an elopement planner will do, there are many more good reasons to hire a helping hand for your wedding:
Expertise from a local: Planning an elopement can be challenging especially when traveling to another country. Elopement planners that can call your chosen destination their home will have a broad network of vendors that a specialized in elopements. Furthermore they will know a lot more locations than famous hot spots and can share the hidden gems with you. The benefit of having a local elopement planner by your side is of course that they speak the national language and can handle all the communication for you.
Organizational talent: Most likely it is the first elopement you plan. Elopement planner however have loads of experience in setting up events like this. They know exactly what factors should be considered when planning an elopement especially in the mountains. Furthermore, they have developed working systems so that the planning process goes smoothly and will feel effortlessly. And let’s be real – that will save you a lot of time in the end!
Less stress: When you’ve reached this point of the blogpost, it might have already become obvious that an elopement planner will save you a lot of worries. But the devil is in the details. Although you might have no or just a handful of guests it’s a good idea to have someone have your back – especially on the day of. Imagine the following situation: You just headed out to the location where you will have a first look with your partner. The second you walk up to him/her your mobile phone rings and it’s the pilot of the helicopter you booked later that day telling you the flight needs to be postponed because of the current weather conditions. Or your stylist calls you because his/her car broke down. Of course, your elopement photographers will do everything in their power to help you out of these situations and have a plan B right at hand. But they obviously can’t just leave you alone and fix all these problems for you. An elopement planner however can. There will be many unforeseen hiccups that you won’t even know of because he/she tackled them on their own leaving you enjoying every moment of your elopement stress-free and relaxed.
3. What to consider when hiring an elopement planner
So you caught up with the idea of hiring a planner for your elopement, but what are the criteria you should base your decision on?
Right fit: One of the most important things is that you feel in good hands. Your elopement planner will be a supportive friend throughout the whole process. You want to make sure he/she will always have an open ear for you and that you feel validated in whatever way you get married and who you marry. Hop on a video call with your elopement planner before booking so you can see if your personalities match and they fully understand your vision for your elopement.
Local & specialized in elopements: There are so many wedding planners out there that it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Elopements are a special niche inside of the wedding industry and can be quite different to traditional celebrations. That’s why it’s important to find someone who specialized in elopement planning and can fully understand the reasons behind your decision to elope. As most of the elopements in our region take place in the mountains it is also helpful to consider someone who knows the ins and outs of the alpine culture, unpredictable weather patterns in the mountains etc.
Hidden costs: Instead of simply comparing numbers make sure you fully understand the service you are paying for when searching for elopement planners. Questions you should ask are for example: to which extend do you support us during the planning process (e.g. simply giving location suggestions vs. actually booking locations, is on-site assistance at the day of the elopement included, will you get to the elopement location a day earlier to check out all the logistics and prepare accordingly etc.)? Are travel fees & accommodation costs included?
4. Advice for couples from an actual elopement planner
At Nomadic Hearts we have an in-house elopement planner, so we let her take over from here on. Find out what Anne’s best advice for eloping couples is:
“Navigating the wedding and elopement industry can be difficult if you don’t know what to look for or are unfamiliar with the terms. It’s a big step making the decision to elope and traveling to a new destination. Fully trust your elopement planner to bring your vision of the day alive. Be open for ideas & experiences and be flexible as the Alps are unpredictable. The better the planner gets to know you the better will be the elopement experience as it truly reflects your relationship. So tell your elopement planner all your dreams for your big day, no matter how crazy they sound. And don’t hesitate to share your worries & fears as well as your planner can support you in every direction. It would take you over 150 plus hours to plan even a small wedding on your own, so enjoy the feeling of excitement as a nearlywed with having a professional have your back. With opting for a planner you will have a person by your side that is as invested in the organization and design of your elopement as you are.”
