Reading time: 6 minutes
Planning a wedding can get stressful and overwhelming from day one. Your parents want a certain type of venue, you have to juggle over one hundred guest’s expectations, flowers are sooo expensive (but we do love them and they are precious, so there’s that) and chatting (or dancing) with your uncle is not really your thing.
Most weddings are built on cookie cutter recipes and the expectation is, once you announce, yours will be the same. As there are various options to personalise and make your wedding day as much about you as possible, the fact is that gathering many of your friends and family to celebrate will always get to the point where you’ll feel the need to compromise and make some decisions you’ll stress out about later on.
Elopement weddings are not about eloping (running away), as it used to be, but about authentically choosing yourself. Yourselves. From all the possibilities a wedding can happen, when you plan for an elopement, you have the most freedom to choose every aspect of your day, without any judgement or needing to justify your options.
If you are already thinking of planning for an elopement in Málaga or want to consider if this would be right for you, here are five key points to get you started on your adventure.
Don’t settle for what others expect you to do. Follow your hearts and celebrate the day you get married in the most unique, intimate and romantic way possible. Don’t just elope – plan for your elopement with ease and intention and you will get the most memorable day of your lives!
Think of your whys as much as your where
Is planning a wedding back in your yard a thing you consider or do you wish to travel far and beyond for the perfect sunset (or sunrise) natural backdrop? Choosing where you want to elope is the first step and you need to consider why you’d like to get married there.
Maybe there’s a great holiday you both have fond memories of you want to recreate, or a place in your heart you always wanted to travel. Maybe you’re in love with another country’s traditions and culture or you envision getting a two for one and checking off the wedding and the honeymoon all in one flight. Whatever the case, make sure you know exactly why and share this with your un-guest.
Why might you consider planning an elopement in Málaga province? You’re a sun chaser, a dreamer, a foodie, a beach person, a sunset lover, a fiesta soul, a secret flamenco aficionado, a kite chaser, a sea spirit.
Choose a local wedding planner
If your elopement is a destination micro-wedding (somewhere up to 20 guests), you will benefit greatly from the expertise and savviness of someone who already knows the best intimate venues, the perfect ceremony spot, the best hours of the day for a private exchange of vows and all things needed to enjoy a day only about you.
Your elopement adventure can be as wild or relaxed as you want! Planning a whole day of authentic experiences can still feel complicated without some local help. If your elopement is set to take place in Málaga or the surrounding areas, our services include: planning and timeline of the day, research and recommendations for the perfect intimate venue, ceremony and vow exchange, photography and videography recommendations, flowers and decorations, exquisite dinner for your entire group or intimate chefs experience for the two of you.
Check local requirements for your wedding
If you want legal recognition of your wedding, it’s wise to see what are the legal aspects, what are the requested documents and other specific requirements (witnesses, for example, are a common requirement in Spain and other countries around the globe).
If you don’t care much about the official bond or if your papers are already signed in your home country, you can still enjoy an elopement with a graceful symbolic ceremony or simply exchanging vows and rings.
Read here how you can get legally married in Spain, as an expat.
Map out the perfect day as a couple
Not sure what your elopement should look like? Make a list of experiences and moments you want to share together. Develop your timeline starting with the place where you want to get ready, if you want to have a first look moment or get ready sharing the same space, if you want to exchange letters, what your vows and commitments are for one another.
Think of the type of ceremony that best describes you and how you want to celebrate after. Consider what you want to eat and drink, if there is music involved, if you want to incorporate a lifelong passion of the both of you or want to try out something new and thrilling. Make the most out of your day and enjoy every moment of it!
If you wish to elope in the beautiful province of Málaga, you can choose a variety of scenarios for your day and any elopement would be different and unique as you are. You can choose to set your ceremony on the beach or on a scenic villa up the mountain, you can incorporate nautic sports or hiking, get a dinner reservation for the two of you at a Michelin worthy restaurant or have a relaxed pool party in an exclusive cortijo. Let us inspire you with the possibilities!
Communicate your decision with your friends and family
A crucial point of commitment for your elopement is to communicate with grace to all your loved ones that you are forgoing the traditional wedding with something more personal and intimate. Invite guests if this feels right for you or choose to be accompanied only by your loving pets – it’s up to you and you don’t need to feel any pressure in doing it another way.
If the family insists on a more formal and conventional way to celebrate, you can set the intentions for an anniversary party with everyone that missed out on your wedding.
Capture your elopement day with professional photography and videography services! Not only you’ll get to revisit your special day anytime you want, you will also get to share all your moments with friends & family that were not part of your elopement wedding. As your wedding planners, we can assist you with a curated list of international photographers and videographers that will make your day even more special.
So Real Málaga Weddings provides wedding planning and elopement services all around the Andalucía area. Get in touch and let’s make your wedding the greatest adventure to last you a lifetime!