You got engaged, the planning book in hand and started making the next steps to securing a date/venue/planner/photo/dj..etc. Your mind spinning a bit yet? If not, keep on keeping on kid. But if you’re anything like me, a big celebration doesn’t fit my personality or how I wanted to experience my own wedding.

Don’t get me wrong, big weddings are fun to be apart of! Which is why I love my job and being on the sidelines cheering you all on. But if I had to do it again, hands down I would elope. An intimate cabin up in the mountains and get married where it is nothing but the two of us and our photo team. AHHHH… Sounds like a dream!

If you’re beginning to wonder wether or not a traditional wedding is right for you, consider these things:

1. You love the outdoors

Is nature your home away from home? Enjoy the peace of the mountains, desert or ocean waves? Well, consider doing a smaller ceremony on top of a mountain with your close fam and friends. Not only will it be something everyone will remember but you can keep things simple with those you love.

2. You are big on the experience

This ties into #1 as well. Want something really different? Make your wedding not just a big blowout in one day, make it a true adventure. Trek to Peru or Bolivia and hike the Andes Mountains alongside Alpacas (I mean honestly who wouldn’t want to hang with an Alpaca?). Eat traditional Andean foods and learn about their culture! It’s more than a formal dinner and dancing, it’s an experience. Want something a little warmer? I hear Mojave is pretty rad.

3. You have a small close circle

Hi, this is totally me. My list is small but mighty! Yours too? Cool. I feel this on a personal level. See, my mind instantly thinks… Why do I need to invite my mom’s boss and their family? LOL. Anyways, this just makes things all the more intimate and personal. Only the cream of the crop get to be apart of such a truly special day.

4. You want to be able to invest in what really matters

Thoughts of party favors for 200 guests at the back of your mind? Wondering if you really need a 4 course meal and all the trimmings? Ok ok, a 4 course meal is never a BAD thing (fellow foodie over here) but I’d want to make sure I could also afford that reasonably. The best advice I could give is to really invest in what matters and makes the day special. For me personally this would be: The people around me, the environment (aka it’s gonna be a Glacier mountain), the GOOD food, and of course the documentation of it all. I’d put all my money into those so I could have the best of the best while not killing my bank account or going into debt. This ties into another point I was going to make but I’ll just add it here. Budget. If your budget is a very set number I truly believe this is the best way to go. You have more freedom to put other $ toward a home and your honeymoon but spending well but smaller. Promise you won’t regret it.

5. You aren’t big on being the center of attention

My last point is simply that you don’t like the pressure of hundreds of people watching you in your most intimate moments of your life. Or that traditional receptions (garter toss, bouquet toss, parent dances) aren’t your thing. If that sounds like you, then you’re a shoe in for a unique wedding and experience and it’s ok to break the norm.