If you had to cancel and decided to elope instead

We originally wanted a small wedding but my large extended family prevented it. Now we are excited to have an intimate affair. We’re still dressing up and decorating and taking pictures but we are having a sense of humor about it. My favorite thing we are doing is getting a Darth Vader sheet cake instead of a wedding cake because we both love Star Wars and we don’t need the huge cake someone was making for us. We are saving the big one for our reception later. The actual ceremony will be a very laid back and comfortable time to spend with family and I can’t think of a better way to start our lives together.

We are eloping and still having our actual wedding "ceremony"/reception later. I was trying so hard to plan a little ceremony at home but I would cry in the stores when new florists or stores tried to help me plan something new. My poor dad was trying so hard to make things right and I just couldn't handle it. It just wasn't the same and to plan something new felt so forced. Just like everyone else we are heartbroken and to simply replace that day doesn't feel right. I also don't think I would forgive myself if we never had an actual celebration down the road when this clearance up. Our solution, which came about as of last night, is to elope randomly. We are choosing to elope on Sunday! No audience. My dad as the officiant and my mom will snap a few photos. I will wear the extra white dress I had bought as back up and he will wear his slacks and vest. We want the elopement to be special so we kept it to only my parents (his all live out of state). By not replacing the wedding/reception with an elaborate elopement, we will still be able to have a special wedding day. I don't want to take that moment away from us and I refuse to let a virus destroy my happiness. We still deserve a wedding whether already married or not.

View Quoted Comment I'm so glad you're getting the small wedding you wanted, and with a cake you want! Even with the bigger wedding later you'll still have this memory

View Quoted Comment That is so great! I feel like having a ceremony with no audience makes the focus more on the marriage than the wedding. This way you'll be able to enjoy both, the elopement and the bigger event later

I had to reschedule our whole reception for July, but we both wanted to keep our wedding date of 3.20.2020. I asked our venue if they would mind if we came with a handful of people to do a simple ceremony and they said yes! Our videographer and photographer were on board too, which was amazing! We had a small ceremony yesterday, I wore my dress and he wore a suit and bought a small cake from our local bakery still taking take out orders. Even if our venue said no we would've went to a park to do a small ceremony on our day. I'm not changing or investing anymore money into our July party, we'll just be celebrating 3.20.20 and our marriage on July 12! Here is a pic of our special day yesterday. Good luck, it's been a rough week for so many of us, but love will win!

View Quoted Comment Love this! Congratulations!