Amber & Nathan
Perth, Australia
1. Tell us about your elopement wedding – and was anyone really put out?
Do you mean like the reveal of our elopement to our friends and family?
No actually! No one was really put out, we actually had heaps of love from everyone (I think the majority were expecting this outcome with how long we’d been engaged!) and lots of validation that we’d done the right thing and done what was right for us which I think I really needed to hear deep down inside. I’m very grateful for everyone that was there to share our joy.
2. Why did you choose to elope?
We never pictured ourselves having a big traditional wedding. I personally struggle with social anxiety when hosting in large numbers, I become flustered, I can’t think straight, nerves are heightened and memories become a blur. So we needed to strip away all the pressures, anxieties, expectations and obligations so that we could authentically soak up all the little details of the experience.
I think everyone is different. Everyone’s story is different, everyone’s experiences are different and everyone’s social battery life is different. And that’s okay. Our story is just that… It’s our story and it’s not to minimise the experiences of all those who had absolutely stunning weddings with all their loved ones around to share it with.
For us, we had to do it our way because it was that or we’d just spend another 3 years stewing on it. Our ceremony was small, it was intimate, just me and my bestie, on a mountain, in one of the most beautiful places on Earth. I’d do it all over again if I could.
3. Is there anything you would do differently, or any words of advice for those contemplating elopement?
Probably just to get out of your head about it. No time is ever going to feel like the right time. We so easily become yes men in life trying to please everyone else and rarely think of ourselves. You know who you are, listen to your intuition. If the thought of hosting a big traditional wedding gives you hives, don’t do it!
It’s completely possible to have the best of both worlds. We still value our relationships with family and friends so we didn’t want to completely leave them in the dark. Hiring a videographer along with the photographer was 100% the best way about it. We surprised everyone with our family so they could virtually feel like they were there and feel all the emotions we felt on the day!
I think the definition of a wedding is slowly evolving as our cultures evolve. 100 years ago traditional weddings looked entirely different to what they look like today and in another 100 years’ time, it will again look different. With every little elopement, we’re paving the way and opening the door to the idea that a wedding can be whatever you want it to be. We’re throwing out ‘tradition’ and normalising ‘choice’.
