How to Plan an Unforgettable Elopement Party

If your decision to elope was born from a desire to skip the big celebration, then an elopement party may not be your style. But if you wanted only to say your vows privately, or envisioned a ceremony location—like a mountaintop or isolated jetty—that couldn’t accommodate all your guests, then hosting a party afterward lets you commemorate your marriage with a perfectly personalized party. 

“The party that follows the elopement happens because you still want to celebrate with the people who want to celebrate your new marriage with you,” says Florida-based event planner Kelly McWilliams. “The biggest benefits—beyond throwing a great party where you can have all your nearest and dearest—is that you can have the time and opportunity to create those memories you would make at a traditional wedding cocktail hour and reception: You can get the fancy dress and tux, get dressed and ready with your best friends, get portraits with your family and friends.” A post-elopement party also allows both partners’ families and friends to meet, socialize, and create shared memories.

Best of all, this type of celebration doesn't have the same intrinsic traditions as weddings, so you can design yours to look and feel however you want. “The great thing about elopement parties is that you have the flexibility to be very similar to a wedding or entirely different,” says McWilliams. “Because an elopement party is a newer idea, there aren’t rules in place for what it has to be.” Ready to start the planning process? Here's everything you need to know.

How to Plan an Elopement Party

As mentioned, the beauty of an elopement party is that you can host any type of celebration—big or small—no matter your budget. Here's what you need to do when throwing this event, according to McWilliams.

Decide on a Theme

Before you begin planning your elopement party, consider the traditional wedding elements you want to include—and those you want to skip: live music, a dance floor, a seated dinner, and/or family introductions. “It can be as casual as a backyard barbecue day or dinner at a restaurant,” says McWilliams. “You could host a ‘We Eloped’ cocktail party and not serve dinner (also a great way to celebrate but save on costs), or you could go all out and throw a traditional wedding—less the ceremony.”

The details of your elopement can also inspire the aesthetic of your celebration. For example, if you had a destination ceremony, use the location as a jumping-off point for your design, advises McWilliams. Or, she says, “Did you elope because you preferred to build or buy a home instead? How about making your elopement party dual-purpose, with a housewarming open house, too.”

Choose a Location

While you can hold an elopement party at a country club, event venue, or catering spot, you have more flexibility to choose an unexpected venue than you might for a classic ceremony and reception. “I would absolutely suggest thinking outside the box because your event is non-traditional,” says McWilliams. Consider buying out your favorite restaurant, the bar where you met, or an art museum for the day. “The traditions or elements you want to forgo may open up doors that perhaps weren’t options previously—like venues that don’t allow music, flowers, or set-up time,” adds the event planner.

Make Your Guest List

McWilliams, who has overseen “every size elopement party,” from an eight-person dinner to a 350-guest weekend, has only one rule for the guest list: “Once invited, always invited,” she says. “That means that anyone who is invited to a pre-elopement party has to be invited to the elopement party.” Otherwise, you have free reign over who you can invite: Host an intimate, family-only meal or a raucous all-night party for your full roster of friends and family. 

Finalize the Budget

Want your elopement party to cost less than a full wedding? This depends on the size of your guest list, the specific costs associated with your venue, and the details you choose to incorporate. “It can be less expensive than a wedding because you’re removing one of the largest elements of a traditional wedding day timeline—the ceremony,” says McWilliams. You can also save money if you opt for a shorter venue rental, cut back on ceremony florals and signage, and avoid the costs associated with an officiant and with a wedding party—or you can spend your entire budget on entertainment, lighting, menu options, and other party-only upgrades. 

Add Personal Elements

Make your elopement party as memorable as any wedding by including unique elements specific to you and your partner. “Have the pretty wedding stationery, have a monogram designed, and get the cute cocktail napkins with your dog,” says McWilliams. Instead of a cake, serve your favorite dessert from your go-to date night restaurant; create “Our Story” cards with details of your relationship and elopement in place of ceremony programs; and take the microphone to toast your partner, parents, and friends who supported you, suggests McWilliams. “My absolute favorite way to make the event about your new marriage is to show everyone how it started with the video of your elopement or the images in a slideshow,” the wedding planner adds. “Much like a traditional wedding, you can still incorporate your style.”