The Virtues of Eloping
Many little girls dream of the day that they will be a beautiful blushing bride. They dream that they will be the star of a beautiful wedding which is the nearest thing to being a fairytale princess in our modern times. Little girls grow into women and when they become engaged to be married, the idea of a huge family wedding comes up against a few realities. Eloping can be a great way to avoid these realities but is something that few couples consider.
Anyone who is engaged and planning their wedding will realize that, once the engagement is announced, certain family members will begin trying to take over the wedding plans, the guest list, the choice of attendants and all the other myriad details of a family wedding. Auntie Joan thinks that her latest little grand-daughter would make a wonderful bridesmaid when you have decided that you only want adult bridesmaids. Your mother-in-law wants you to get married in her family church instead of your own. You want a themed wedding and there are family members who think a traditional wedding is more appropriate. Some family members would like to veto the names on your guest list. It does not stop there and by the time of your wedding you realize that it is no longer the bride and groom's day but everyone else's.
A traditional wedding costs an awful lot of money. Traditionally the Bride's father bears most of the expense but these days, the price of a wedding is so great that, one family cannot carry the burden and the couple must pay the bulk of the outlay. This means that they may begin married life in debt and that they have spent money that could be better spent on their new home. After all a wedding day is but one day whereas (hopefully) married life will carry on for the rest of the couple's lives.
Planning a traditional wedding is very stressful and the stress continues for months leading up to the "Big Day". This stress takes over and can reach the point where the details of the wedding overshadow the true meaning of the day itself. After all a wedding is the pledging of a commitment of two people and not a three ringed circus.
Eloping can be the answer to all these difficulties. It is fast and quick. You can have the wedding day that the two of you want without having to please everyone else. You and your families will not bankrupt yourselves for the sake of one day. You can have your wedding ceremony anywhere that you both want to be, it could be on a tropical Island or in a field of poppies. You could still take a trusted relative or friend or not. You could throw a family party when you return from your wedding to appease the relatives. Eloping is romantic and fun but there are also many practical reasons to consider it. You may still want to be the traditional fairytale bride and groom or you may want make your own fairytale. Whichever you choose your wedding day will be a shared and treasured memory for you both always.
