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How to elope to Australia!

Elope to Australia

Top advice for eloping to Australia

Elopements are intensely romantic and beautifully personal. If getting married is on your mind, this is absolutely the most fun way to do it – elope!
Bypass all the potential hassle of having to decide whose ideas you include in your wedding and who you invite – or don’t invite!! You can do it all your own way AND it can blend in nicely with your honeymoon. Here is one Celebrant’s advice for how to elope to Australia.

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“If you are not free to be who you are, you are not free!” Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Your marriage is only about you and your partner, so why shouldn’t your wedding be the same? You are the ones making this commitment, so YOU are the ones that need to make the decisions about your wedding day and who is involved. Your whole day will be awesome and together with your Celebrant you will create one of the most magical days of your life!

What is eloping?

Traditionally eloping is running away to get married and in many ways, it is still exactly that. Most couples who elope just want to get away by themselves and make that very personal promise to each other without any fuss, but with all the romance. Your whole day can be so incredibly relaxing but exciting at the same time. No one to worry about except the two of you. That’s pure magic. More recently Eloping has expanded to include a very small group of family and or friends who create a warm circle of love around the couple, two of which will be the witnesses.

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Is eloping legal?

The legality of any wedding ceremony depends on the country – but in Australia eloping is absolutely 100% legal.
An elopement ceremony is just as legal as every other wedding performed by an authorised marriage Celebrant. You will need two witnesses but your Celebrant will be happy to provide those for you… or you can go the complete random way and just choose two passers-by who are over 18 years of age and are happy to oblige.

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What an elopement photographer should include

Your photos and videos are what can make all the difference as to how your family and friends feel about your elopement when you get home.
If you can afford to have a videographer at your ceremony, who records it in its entirety, you will definitely find a warm welcome because they can watch the video and share in your excitement and joy. It’s easy for them to understand why you chose to elope. Even better if your budget can accommodate a photographer/videographer for a few hours who will record all those other precious memories like, Getting Ready, First Look, an Outing into the surrounding area, a Picnic, the Sunset – the whole awesome story!

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How to choose an elopement venue

First of all, what would your dream wedding look like? Would you like to have beautiful white sand between your toes with the Indian Ocean lapping around your feet and the sun setting behind you? Maybe you’d prefer a magnificent Moreton Bay Fig Tree (Australian Banyan Tree) sheltering over and wrapping around you. Maybe you would like to get married while you picnic between big red rocks, on the beach, with crystal clear waves lapping around you. Tell your Celebrant your dreams and they will help you to make them come true. If you are open to ideas, this Celebrant in particular has plenty of them!

What does an elopement cost?

Your biggest cost will be your travel costs and your accommodation. But if you are including your wedding day in a trip to Western Australia you will be amazed at how little it costs and how much you can invest in your honeymoon holiday.

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What happens after an elopement?

What happens when I get home? This is the million dollar question and what worries most couples.
Will family and friends be upset with you? I have had the incredible privilege of organising and performing many elopement weddings and all of the couples were delighted they decided to elope and all were surprised how understanding their family and friends were. A big help was having a great video to show at a fabulous celebratory party when they got home. Some couples were able to keep the secret for over 6 months before they informed everyone!

All photo credits: the amazing Lauren at Swift Hound Weddings

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