My husband(!) and I were supposed to have our wedding in September 2020, but we recently changed the date to August 2021. At first, I was so disappointed to wait another year to be married, although I'd heard it's becoming more popular to get married this year and celebrate later. But I had some nagging worries about this option: If I got married in 2020, the 2021 wedding would have less meaning, and my family would not be able to attend any sort of elopement due to the travel advisory in NYS.
We wound up sweeping these concerns under the rug and planning an elopement within two weeks! We eloped August 14, 2020.
And even though I still have to figure out what to do for my "ceremony" next year, and my mom was not able to come, I would still make the same decision over and over again. It was easily the best day of my life, and if anyone out there is debating whether or not to do this I can personally say that it was the right choice for me.
There was no "venue," caterer, florist, or DJ/musician. We hired an officiant off Thumbtack and our wedding photographer was there to take tons of pictures. I bought a $200 dress online from David's Bridal (I tried the thrift shop thing, but I'm just too picky). My sister-in-law helped me with hair and makeup while I video chatted with my mom so she felt like she was helping me get ready. We walked the trail to the waterfall where we had our first date (something we never would have been able to do with all of our wedding guests). We read our own vows (highly recommended), which was much less nerve-wracking with such a small audience. It was an incredibly special day and I can't stop smiling about it!