Are you wanting to know how to elope in Vancouver? We can help! Firstly, congratulations! You two are making such an important decision to prioritize and honour your commitment to one another, and I think that’s beautiful. 

Little known fact: I love an elopement. I know that may sound odd given that I’m a wedding planner, and so many events that I help bring to life are elaborate and have a lovely collection of guests. To me, an elopement is a couple making a testament to each other. They are creating a moment that’s deeply personal and intimate and meaningful — and they’re doing it for nobody else but themselves. There’s something so special and powerful about that.

A CHECKLIST FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO ELOPE IN VANCOUVER

Unlike what a lot of people might think, you can plan an elopement. It doesn’t always have to be a spur-of-the-moment decision where you steal away to get married with no one being the wiser. Instead, you can take a few days (or even a month!) to put together a beautiful moment that you’ll remember forever. 

Given that, here are the 14 steps you should take to make your elopement as special as possible. 

  1. 1. Make sure you have a partner (tee-hee).
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  3. 2. Choose your location. This should be somewhere that’s special to you as a couple (like a park or courtyard in a neighbourhood you lived in). A special added bonus about eloping in Vancouver, is that there are so many special and unique places to elope that are not accessible to larger groups of people. This could be the top of a mountain, or the end of a walking path, next to a pristine lake. 
  4. Select your wedding date. Given that it’s just the two of you, this doesn’t have to be on a weekend. Any vendor you end up working with is much more likely to be available on a weekday.
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  6. 3.Find and book your officiant; and then work with them to write the ceremony. 
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  8. 4. Get your wedding license. The Government of BC has a helpful guide for that process.
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  10. 5. Decide who you want there as witnesses — you need two in BC. If you really want it to just be you two there, with no guests, you can ask your photographers or planner to be a witness. 
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  12. 6. Choose a photographer and/or videographer. Even if you don’t include anyone in your elopement, you may want to share the memories with your loved ones after the wedding. 
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  14. 7. Book any transportation you might need, whether that’s a vintage car or a helicopter. 
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  16. 8. Choose and book any other vendors you might need, depending on the vision you have for the ceremony (e.g. hair, makeup, florist, music).
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  18. 9. Purchase your wedding rings and the outfits you want to wear. This could be a way to inject your favourite colours into the event — or a special garment that’s been in your family for generations.
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  20. 10. Decide on what you want to do after the ceremony (if anything). You could have a special dinner together at a favourite restaurant, or have a mini staycation at a nice hotel.
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  22. 11. Write your vows. What is it you want to say about your love to your partner?  
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  24. 12. If you’re an uber-planner, write a timeline. My tip? Work forwards and backwards from the ceremony. What needs to happen before the ceremony? What should happen after?
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  26. 13. Have the elopement! 

The only thing you’ll have to think about after the ceremony is how you want to announce your marriage to your friends and family. Once you have the pictures from your photographers, you can create a digital announcement to send out with Paperless Post, or you can even do a social media post. You’ll know what feels right when you get there!

I’m so excited for you — and I hope you have so much fun planning this elopement. 

xoxo Alicia

Need help planning your elopement? We’d love to work with you to create a custom package for you. Get in touch.