Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Avoiding the Drama: How to Prevent Conflict After Eloping

When all is said and done, one problem remains after an elopement: the possibly hurt feelings of the people you know who you did not inform about your wedding. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why you eloped in the first place. In fact, a significant number of couples say they eloped in order to prevent any conflict with their families and friends regarding their marriage. But while eloping may have prevented the initial problem, it will lead to a possibly more complicated mess, especially if you do not deal with your cards right.

So how do you prevent drama after elopement?

The point of elopement is the secrecy and urgency of it all, but it would really be beneficial and convenient in the long run if you tell your family and close friends. Of course, the key here is to tell them at a time when no one can do anything to stop you from marrying. Perhaps you can call your parents when you are already in Reno or Las Vegas? This is necessary because it almost gives people the consolation that you, at the very least, informed them of your actions. They may feel a bit betrayed and angry, especially if these people do not want you to get married to that people, but that is unavoidable, something you have to prepare for. Therefore, the least you can do is inform them.

However, you should be selective with whom you tell your secret to. If you tell everyone you know about your “elopement,” then it is no longer eloping. Rather, what you will do is a untraditional wedding ceremony. Also, tell several people can hinder your plans more than you can imagine.

If you plan elope, consider the people you will invite. This is one of the most common roots of conflict due to elopement. Although it seems very shallow, its implications are grave and deep. Who you invite reveals who you think are important in your life; excluding and including people will create tension, even if you make it clear that your decision to elope was sudden. The best way to avoid conflict is not to invite anyone during your elopement. This way, it’ll be easier to explain why you did not invite someone, simply because you did not invite anyone.

How to tell the people that you eloped is also a key factor here. Many couples who eloped do it the formal way to reduce the drama. For instance, you can send cards or formal announcements regarding your union. Organizing a reception after the wedding is also wise, as it allows you to interact with the people important to you, with the chance to clear any conflicts that arose or will arise due to your sudden decision.

When you elope, you are bound to offend or hurt someone, especially those important to you. Dealing with the events after the elopement will reduce these tendencies, but the fact remains that you did elope. Make sure that you can deal with this if you do plan to elope.
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Thursday, March 18, 2010

More than Just the Ambiance: Practical Places for Eloping

For many, eloping is actually a time-honored tradition. Even though it is not exactly what people usually do in place of an elaborate wedding ceremony, there is something undeniably romantic about running away with someone you love with the intention of marrying him or her. Of course, eloping becomes more romantic when you do it in an appealing locale. Elopements, after all, need not be done in a bleak and sad city hall room; it can be done anywhere—from scenic locales to elaborately decorated rooms. You are not likely to invite other people when you elope with someone, but that does not mean you have to contend with unattractive backdrops for your ceremony. Your wedding still has to be special, even if it isn’t exactly thoroughly planned.

Where are the best places to do romantic eloping? Eloping in itself is already romantic, but doing the elopement in a picturesque location will add more flavor to the event. However, this is not the only consideration to think about when looking for elopement destinations. Before the romance, you have to know if you can elope in a particular location. For one, different places have different laws regarding eloping. A good example of this is Las Vegas.

The Las Vegas is a popular elopement destination not only because of its appeal as a contemporary and cosmopolitan wedding locale—it is popular because of the state laws, local laws, or national laws, depending on where you plan to conduct the elopement. In the state of Nevada, where Las Vegas is located, the laws regarding elopements aren’t strict. In fact, getting a marriage license in Las Vegas is very easy. These licenses are valid for one year.

Because different states in America have different laws, the acquisition of a marriage license differs from one state to another. Therefore, some states are not the best elopement destinations. The laws of such state wouldn’t allow couples to get married hastily. The same goes for other countries. For instance, some countries require couples to take blood tests to make sure that the involved parties do not have sexually transmitted diseases and other similar ailments (this law exists in some states of the United States as well). Some places and countries impose a waiting period for weddings. Meanwhile, other locations require the reading of marriage banns. Here, the event of the marriage must be announced in church, usually in the parishes where each of the two involved parties is based. Obviously, with these laws in place, elopements are not possible.

This explains why Las Vegas is a popular wedding destination, and why a significant number of weddings in America take place here. But you don’t have to settle for Las Vegas if that isn’t your thing. There are several places where you can elope without sacrificing the romance due to uninspired wedding locations. All you have to do is look up the local laws regarding weddings in your preferred destinations. You can also choose to get elopement packages so you wouldn’t have to worry about the legalities of the ceremony.
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Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Romantic Eloping: Adding Some Spice in Your Non-Traditional Wedding

Although many think that it is not at all romantic, others feel that there is something very old-fashioned and even sincere about eloping. Running away to marry someone you love is like a testament of love, because it shows how willing you are to take that leap of faith. It also proves how much you trust your other half; because why would you marry someone hastily if you don’t trust the person. However, almost everyone agrees that eloping removes some of the romance during the wedding ceremony. After all, practically everyone’s idea of a romantic wedding is an elaborate ceremony inside a church brimming with people, with a festive reception afterwards.

But a romantic wedding need not aspire to accomplish all this. In fact, it is possible to do a romantic eloping. Romantic eloping does not aspire to equal the grandeur of a traditional wedding, but it is perhaps more solemn than your usual marriage.

Romantic eloping usually involves doing the ceremony in a scenic or picturesque location. For instance, there are companies that offer these romantic eloping packages. These packages will provide everything you need for the ceremony, plus some few extras depending on the package. Nonetheless, the idea here is you get to do the ceremony in an appealing and scenic location. Most packages even include the accommodations for the honeymoon, a romantic dinner, and other additional amenities.

In a way, all these only add a little to what is usually perceived as an elopement. The act of running away to marry is still there. You still don’t invite more than a handful of people—in fact, you probably won’t invite anyone at all. But booking a romantic eloping package is more special than your usual elopement, because it is not as unplanned as some elopements go. It is also not as bleak as your usual city hall elopement. Rather, you will say those two meaningful words in a special place—which is only fitting, because marriage is indeed a special occasion.

However, what makes romantic eloping more special and dreamy is the fact that you get to celebrate this special moment with your partner and only your partner. Ideally, a wedding ceremony is a communal practice, a shared celebration that you do for others more you do for yourself and your beloved husband or wife. With romantic eloping, you take away the excesses of a lavish wedding and keep only the things that matter to you. This means you do the ceremony at its barest—although that doesn’t mean you have to do it without adding a little romance.

The elopement can become more romantic according to the location. Perhaps you can do it in a place that has a special value to both of you. Or maybe you can do it somewhere you and your partner have been dying to go to for the longest time. Eloping doesn’t mean you have to take away the romance, the lavishness of it all. You can still be lavish and romantic without the usual attachments to the wedding.
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