How to Tell Your Family You’re Eloping - Tips & Advice

Making the brave decision to elope and make sure that your wedding day is truly about you is so unbelievably exciting! But, for a lot of couples, one thing that holds them back, or the thing that turns those excited butterflies into nervous ones, is the thought of breaking the news to their families. There can be a lot of pressure and a lot of expectations that surround getting married, so it’s totally normal if you’re feeling a little apprehensive about sharing your decision with your loved ones! This guide will give you some advice for how to tell your family you’re eloping, some ways to break the news, and some tips that can help prevent any hurt feelings.

Will Your Family Be Offended If You Elope?

Before you think about how to tell your family you’re eloping, it can be really helpful to take some time to consider what their reaction may be. You likely already have an idea of how your family will feel about your decision to elope, so preparing yourself for their reaction can help you brainstorm how to break the news and how to respond to any backlash.

It’s important to keep in mind that if your family or some of your relatives had big expectations for a traditional wedding, and they were excited and looking forward to that happening one day, it’s understandable that they may be disappointed. When you decide how to tell your family you’re eloping, remember to be sensitive, empathetic, and mindful of how they feel. It will make for a much better conversation, and you will have an easier time helping them understand if you go into the conversation ready to talk about your decision!

That being said, it’s also super important to keep in mind that this is your wedding day! The decision to elope is an incredibly personal one, and it should be made with you and your partner’s needs and desires in mind. While being mindful of your family's feelings will likely make the conversation you have with them a little better, remember to stand your ground and don’t allow yourself to be steamrolled when it comes to the way you get married! We’ll give you some tips to help minimize hurt feelings, but the truth is that it’s possible that your family members may be offended if you elope – remember that outside opinions shouldn’t dictate how you get married, and all you can do is explain your decision and let them know that this truly is the best thing for you.

How to Tell Your Family You’re Eloping

Most couples choose to tell their families their eloping before the ceremony happens, so if you want to tell your loved ones about your plans, here are some ways to announce your elopement!

Invite Your Family to Your Elopement

When it comes to how to tell your family you’re eloping, the conversation will likely be different depending on if you plan to invite them, or if you want a “just us” day. Talk with your partner and decide if you want guests for your elopement, and if you realize that your day wouldn’t be complete without the people you love around you, you can definitely invite your family to join you!

Tell Your Family You’re Eloping in Person

When it comes to how to tell your family you’re eloping, we think the best way is to break the news in person. Especially for family members that you’re close with, this will feel a lot more thoughtful than a text. Announcing your elopement in person will give you the opportunity to have a conversation, talk to them about your plans, and help them understand your decision!

Talk About Your Elopement Plans

When you tell your family you’re eloping, they may have a hard time understanding. A lot of people still think of elopements as simple courthouse ceremonies or drunken Vegas escapades, so if your family thinks of them that way too, they might not be on board. But, taking some time to explain what eloping means to you, why this decision is truly the best one for you, and talking about some of your plans can help your family understand you better! If you don’t have anything set in stone, that’s totally okay – just talk about what you’re dreaming of for your wedding day and about some of the adventures you could have, maybe show them some elopement photos, and help them understand what eloping is really about.

Include Your Family in Elopement Planning

If you decide that you want a more private ceremony that’s just the two of you, there are still some ways to make your family feel included in the day. Decide ahead of time how involved you want them to be and which parts of your elopement day you want to include them in, as this will help you set boundaries about your expectations.

Some ways to include your family if they aren’t at the ceremony can include asking them for advice, inviting them to go shopping for elopement attire, or just sharing your plans with them along the way!

How to Tell Your Family You Eloped

Some couples decide to keep things under wraps until the knot is already tied! This can be beneficial if you do expect a lot of backlash, but it can also be a decision that you make just because you want a truly private day, and to keep the excitement and anticipation between just you and your partner. If you want to announce your elopement after you’ve gotten married, here’s how to tell your family you eloped!

Have a Reception After Your Elopement

Many couples who have a private elopement ceremony decide to celebrate with their loved ones later. You can definitely have a reception a few days, weeks, or even months after you’ve tied the knot! This gives you the opportunity to elope just the two of you or have an intimate ceremony, and still include your family afterwards.

Send an Elopement Announcement

One fun way to tell your family you eloped is by sending an announcement card! This is kind of like a reverse invitation – but the ceremony already happened. Use one of the epic photos you got from your elopement day, and mail a card that says “we eloped!”

Share Your Elopement Photos

Your elopement photos will tell the story of your adventurous day, and seeing them is the next best thing to being there. Whether your family was already in the loop, or you’re just announcing your elopement, share the photos from your day! For close family members and friends, you can send them the entire gallery so that they can see the story unfold – and you can also post some highlights to social media.

Ready to Elope?

Deciding to break the mold and plan a unique elopement day can be a hard decision, but it will be so worth it when you get to spend your wedding day adventuring, and truly having the best day of your life. Our elopement planning services are for couples just like you – wild hearts and adventurous souls who aren’t afraid to pave their own path and do things their way! We’ll be here with everything you need to plan the perfect day, including location recommendations, decorations, bookings and coordination, and access to all of our elopement planning resources – so all you have to do is relax, knowing we’ve got everything taken care of.

We’ll be your cheerleaders, waving our pom-poms and encouraging you every step of the way! So, if you’re ready for an adventurous elopement day, contact us.