Courthouse then ceremony?

So my fiancé and I are both in the military. We’ve been dating for 3 years but currently stationed in different states. About a month ago he popped the question right before his deployment. We agreed to get married in the courthouse after he comes back later on this year and in 2020 do a ceremony with both families. My issue is seeing a lot of forums and pages on how it’s a stupid idea. We aren’t planning on keeping the elopement a secret. It’s just very common for service members who are away from family to do essentially two weddings. I’m worried that my friends and family will find it... offensive(?). It’s financially better to elope after his deployment so we can co-locate our jobs and move in together, and get extra pay, but I still want that white wedding. I’m feeling conflicted.