Anybody that wishes they just eloped?

I am having a private ceremony (just an officiant, photographer, FW, and I). Best decision we could have made. I would still call it a legit wedding though. *shrug*

I decided i wanted to elope, but we agreed that we need to go through with the wedding because it's a DW other people have already invested money, not just us.

I've been torn on this lately. I know i won't have a large attending guest list, maybe 20-25 (without kids), though my family OOT could surprise me and actually RSVP yes.. I'm not sure i can justify spending such an obscene amount of money for one day. Though, I also want the gown, my dad to walk me down the aisle. FH and I talked last night about it, i jokingly said "lets just elope", he said if that's what you want. He doesn't have a preference either way, as long as we get married.

I would of loved to elope , fiancée didn't want that she called me selfish and thought I didn't want to get married (said that she owed it to her family to have a proper wedding) We have 4 months til the wedding and it's me who's doing all the planning and right now I can't even stand her. Do whatever your heart wants it's important , you don't owe anybody a wedding , a marriage is a marriage and it doesn't matter how you do it.

I would reconsider your word choice of "legit wedding". Elopements, courthouse weddings, etc are all "legit weddings" even if they don't have wedding parties or even guests. I think what you mean to say is "full-blown wedding" or something like that.

Beyond all of that, yes, lots of people feel that way. Weddings are complicated AF. There are a lot of feelings involved from a lot of people, and of course the money and the planning. FH and I scrapped our plans for a 150 guest wedding in our home state (lost out on some deposits too), because we couldn't deal with the drama and the expanding budget. We are hosting about 15-18 guests for a small destination wedding in Hawaii instead. We don't have a wedding party, our ceremony site is free, and we are treating everyone to a nice dinner and all they can drink at a small restaurant. We are having a simple cake, and simple decor and flowers as well. We wanted our priority to be our guests so we are also treating them to a sunset cruise and a luau. Also, I think our flower order is like $310 with tax which is my favorite part because our quote from our local florist for the larger wedding was $3,900. It's awesome!

At the end of it all, despite your feelings of wanting to elope, your wedding will be amazing and your guests will make it all the more special. Your guests are spending the time and money also to be a part of your day. Keep moving forward, your feelings will subside, especially once your day gets closer.

We planned on having a "small" wedding with just our family... that quickly turned into everyone getting offended so I decided to invite more people. Our wedding is still small, but I feel like for the amount of money that I have spent that I could have eloped and saved the money.

Sometimes I wish we eloped. As I get more stressed out about dumb things. But we wanted to share the day with our family and friends.

@ANH as I start planning and pricing everything in my area, the eloping option is starting to have more appeal.

34 days out & I told my FH we should have eloped when we were in Vegas last week. Now that the wedding is getting closer it's bringing out the crazy in our families

Sometimes while planning n seeing $ go out the window so fast! But I honestly know a larger wedding is what I want n think I'd regret not having one. Larger as in 100 guests.

I wanted to elope from the beginning. FH wanted his family present. Well, if we have anyone else there, I want my family too! We are now having a much larger wedding than either of us originally desired, and my parents' have gone "Father of the Bride" movie style on it. It's all lovely gestures, but I didn't want any of this to start with.

I've come around to it all, but I really wish we could have just eloped...

I feel like everyone has this feeling at some point throughout planning. For some people it's the way to go, others just seems like a better option because of the money spent. I've said it plenty of times but never REALLY meant it because in the end... I totally want the day with all our friends and family and I know the money will be well worth it.

I hear this all the time....probably why we do about 100 elopements and weddings under 20 guests every year. And they are all just as much a wedding as any other scenario.

Not everyone has the same priorities, not only for weddings but for life/money....I think that many couples have family dangling money or guilt in front of them and they end up with parties they never wanted to begin with.

I wish we could elope or do a DW with just very close family. But it's important to my FH that we do the full thing. I figure once we start looking at prices he'll agree to pare down the invite list a bit. I just don't think he had a realistic sense of what these things cost, especially in the ridiculously expensive city we live in.

5 years ago my cousin eloped in Turks and Caicos, just herself, her husband, and her son. And while she says that it was the best thing she ever did, the whole family still talks about how sad they were that they couldn't see her get married. My aunt said she cried every single day the week they were gone because she was so upset that she couldn't be there on her daughter's wedding day.

I know that ultimately it's the bride and groom's decision and if they're happy that's the most important thing, but personally that would break my heart. I don't think I'd be able to do it. Your family and friends are probably so excited to be there on your wedding day and I don't think you'll regret having them there in the long run.