Elope first, party later?

You can elope and then have a celebration of marriage at your venue later.

ETA although I'm not sure how long it is ideal to wait between your ceremony and celebration before it should be considered a vow renewal.

4-6 months sounds like a solid number to me. We're planning a small wedding ceremony in January here in FL and then having a celebration up north probably in May or June. So you could honestly do your ceremony in like March and still celebrate with everyone in July.

I don't know if there is proper etiquette on this timeline or not but it sounds reasonable to me. Beyond 6 months is pushing it to me.

LOVE this idea !

My wedding is in 2 weeks, we thought about doing this and decided not to - TOTALLY wish I would have! If its what you want then do it your wedding is your day and you can celebrate when ever you want !

Are you absolutely positive this is the route you want to take? You booked that venue, with the expectation of a large wedding, for a reason. There's no problem if you want to change your plans, but realize, you'll never replicate that original wedding experience with a secondary anything.

You can absolutely have a party celebrating your marriage, but I'd caution you to make it a party only, and I also have to let you know that weddings attract more guests than "Celebrations of Marriage" do. Redoing a ceremony with honor attendants, a processional, etc., (and you never said you're doing that) constitutes a vow renewal, and those usually occur at the ten year mark, at the very least.

Just be sure you're doing what you really want to do. If you're sure, then move ahead. Congratulations.

Why can't you have a private ceremony the same day and have people come celebrate at the reception? If it's just you and FH or like a very intimate guest count at the ceremony then I don't think that's against etiquette? Not sure if people do it same day or not though. But otherwise yeah you can do the private ceremony another day and keep your venue for reception

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We're doing something similar to this, our family is going with us to Florida where we're having a small wedding on the beach, honeymooning, then returning back home to a larger reception / "wedding celebration". I'm so glad we chose to do it that way!

Hi Amber,

I eloped May 27, 2016 and my husband and I will celebrate our first year anniversary with a wedding celebration on May 27, 2017. I had to wait such a long time because I was moving jobs, moving out of the state, and I had to get my house in order. I wish I would had my wedding earlier, but with everything going on I couldn't.

Wish you the best!

We are doing this! We are getting married in Florida with our very close family members and will have a "celebration" a few months later back home.