Full-Day Elopement vs. Courthouse Ceremony: Your Love Story Deserves More Time
When people hear the word “elopement,” they often picture a quick Vegas ceremony or a visit to the local courthouse. But elopements have evolved, and today they can be intentional, full-day celebrations of love, adventure, and meaning. Whether you’re chasing waterfalls or cuddling up fireside with s’mores, your elopement can be anything but rushed or ordinary.
Of course, if a courthouse elopement speaks to you, that’s completely valid (in fact, I did a full-day elopement AND a courthouse elopement too!), but I want to make sure you know the full range of options so you can choose a day that feels genuinely you and focuses on celebrating you.
Want a photographer who can help you plan an epic elopement? I’m an Ohio and destination elopement photographer who specializes in planning awesome elopements and taking amazing photos of your day. Learn more about my elopement services here.
What Is a Full-Day Elopement? (And What It Can Look Like in Real Life)
Basically, a full-day elopement gives you the freedom to do what you want on your wedding day without the stress and pressure of a full-scale wedding.
It looks like…
- waking up in an epic rental cabin and having a slow morning cooking brunch together and then writing your vows over coffee
- getting ready separately and heading to a scenic spot outside your rental for a first look
- heading out for a hike and saying your vows in front of a beautiful waterfall
- going to a scenic lake for a picnic together, and after that kayaking around the lake
- ending the day back at your rental roasting marshmallows for s’mores and popping some champagne to celebrate.
No matter the vibe or specific activities or guests you invite, your elopement looks like you spending time together, stress-free enjoying your day and soaking up the joy of being married.
Sound like your kind of day? Learn more about my Ohio and destination elopement photography here — I specialize in helping couples plan and document full-day experiences that reflect them.
What to Expect from a Courthouse Elopement?
Everyone’s experience is a little different, but typically, a courthouse elopement entails scheduling a time with your local court for a judge to conduct the legal ceremony for you. Courthouse elopements are super short ceremonies that are usually scheduled back to back with other couples (mine was 15 minutes long with couples scheduled before and after).
You also don’t have a lot of choice when it comes to the location of a courthouse elopement. Many courthouse ceremonies will take place in the actual courthouse.
4 Reasons Full-Day Elopements Are the Best Way to Get Married
As someone who has done both the full-day adventure elopement AND the courthouse elopement to take care of the legal side of things, I feel uniquely qualified to speak on this topic. And without a doubt, I can tell you which one made me feel celebrated and fulfilled during one of the most important milestones of my life.
It Tells the Full Story of Your Day
When you opt for a full-day elopement with me, it means we can capture your full story, from start to finish: the getting ready process, the small in-between moments, your intimate ceremony, the celebration together, the epic landscapes you experience. We have time for all of it. You don’t have to endure the stress or FOMO of picking and choosing which moments to have captured.
It’s WAY Less Rushed, and WAY More Meaningful
From my own experience, I can tell you that a courthouse ceremony feels pretty impersonal and quick. You are scheduled back to back with other couples, and you get about 15 minutes for your ceremony slot. It can feel rushed and transactional. These ceremonies are really just about taking care of the legal requirements to get married.
Full-day elopements are the opposite. You get to customize your day to be exactly what you want it to be. You get more time to connect with each other and it can feel like a relaxing and stress-free experience. A full-day elopement is all about making sure you feel celebrated.
Room for Adventure and Fun
Full-day elopements are like a choose-your-own-adventure book. You get to pick activities and locations that feel like YOU. You can include…
- Hiking
- Museums
- video or board games
- breweries or wineries
- Kayaking
- And more!
Whatever your vibe is, you can focus your day on that. And you have the time to do that.
A Stress-Free Experience
I like to think of full-day elopements with me as the best compromise between a traditional wedding and a courthouse elopement. You get all the feelings of celebration and you get to skip the stressful planning and societal expectations.
That’s because, as an Ohio and destination elopement photographer, I help the couples who work with me to plan their elopement activities and locations. I do the heavy lifting on researching things like permits and planning your timeline for you so that you can focus on celebrating and enjoying yourselves.
Common Misconceptions About Elopements
The concept of full-day elopements is still relatively new, so I know there can be some misconceptions or hesitations when it comes to diving in. Let’s break some of those down!
“We don’t need that much time.”
You don’t need a full day to get legally married, but that’s not the point. Everyone deserves to have an intentional wedding day that focuses on celebrating their relationship.
15 minutes in a courthouse ceremony might make things official, but a full-day elopement makes things unforgettable.
“It’s just about getting legally married.”
There are so many more personal and intentional ways to get legally married than a quick courthouse ceremony. As an Ohio and destination elopement photographer, above all else, I want you to feel celebrated on your wedding day, and opting for a full-day elopement can play a huge part in that.
“It’ll be more expensive.”
I like to think of full-day elopements as the happy, still affordable medium between a traditional wedding and a courthouse elopement. When you aren’t locked into tradition, you can spend your money on things that are important to you and your experience.
My Own Full-Day Elopement Experience
Before I was an elopement photographer, I was just like you – my partner and I were trying to make the decision about how best to get married.
Both of us have unique family situations and neither of us wanted the stress of planning a big wedding and dealing with any conflict or opinions that might arise. We are also both introverts who did not love the idea of being in the spotlight.
I saw an Instagram post one day showing an adventure elopement and knew that was the right direction for us.
We booked a photographer who specialized in photographing elopements and we planned our day in the remote Westfjords of Iceland, just the two of us. Our elopement day was all about hiking to waterfalls, spotting puffins, and laughing in the rain. We felt so celebrated and it truly felt like we started off our marriage with the adventure of a lifetime.
My own experience is why, as a photographer now, I’m such an advocate for full-day elopements. There is no better way to get married!
Which One Is Right for You?
A courthouse elopement may still be right for some folks, and that’s totally okay. You may just want to sign the papers and get the thing done. However, a full-day elopement might be the perfect fit if you want a day that’s about celebrating your love to the max, hanging out together, and doing awesome things.
This Is Your Day. Make It Count!
You deserve more than just a legal formality, you deserve a day that feels like you. If you’re dreaming of a wedding day filled with meaning, adventure, and zero pressure, let’s bring it to life together.
