Have you decided to exchange the long months of planning a wedding with an intimate ceremony in Italy? At Scent of Orchid we love elopements, so we think this is a great idea! And if you are saddened at the thought of losing the exchange of vows or walking along the aisle, we have wonderful news for you: just because you’re giving up a gigantic reception and a big ceremony doesn’t mean that you have to renounce the traditions that you love and include some classic wedding traditions in your elopement, if that’s what you wish.
Often the reason why a couple chooses a romantic and intimate elopement in Italy is because they don’t want to feel obligated to do “traditional things” on a large scale, but the beauty of an elopement is precisely the freedom to be able to do everything you want. At Scent of Orchid we always encourage couples to embrace this.
If you are thinking of or planning an elopement, here you have three ways you can incorporate classic wedding traditions into your elopement nuptials.
1. WALK DOWN THE AISLE
Why not make a moving entrance? Although not all the elopements will include a way towards the altar, there is no reason why you cannot get to the ceremony on the tune of your all time favorite song or walk along an aisle designed especially for you, maybe with beautiful flowers that accompany your moves, or following a path or a stairway that at every step approaches you towards your love: understanding how to use a non-traditional space is part of my job as a wedding designer. This approach is also valid for the escort. Your dad, or another family member or close friend, can still take your arm and accompany you along your walk to the altar. After the ceremony, you can then hold your new husband’s hand and smile to the world for the first time as husband and wife on the tune of your love song!
2. VOWS
One of the wedding traditions that almost all couples include in their elopements is the exchange of vows. Couples can certainly draw on their personal promises from religious institutions or civil ceremonies, but many of them choose to hire an officiant. Sometimes it is much easier to work with a celebrant to guide you in incorporating your unique elements into your marriage vows.
My personal advice is to use, for the most significant passages of your wedding, words, gestures, music that reflect the things that make your relationship wonderful and unique. Including, of course, what you promise each other.
3. FIRST LOOK
First looks are a relatively recent tradition in the wedding day and are taking place even in the most intimate ceremonies. All couples who decide for an elopement in Italy also hire a photographer to capture the day and many decide that the first look is part of the list of essential shots. As with a traditional wedding, couples decide with the wedding planner and photographer the perfect place to capture their initial meeting on the big day. For a destination elopement, the moment of the first glance can be made even more dramatic by choosing as a location a unique place, like a cliff for example, which for larger weddings would not be possible to use.
