Should You Have a Weekday Elopement?

If you and your partner are looking for an out-of-the-box way to celebrate your love, consider having a weekday elopement! There are many advantages to eloping on a weekday (Monday – Thursday) versus a weekend that I will lay out for you below. From how you can have a more intimate and private experience, save some money, create the day of your dreams, and more! If you want help planning or need someone to capture your elopement – reach out and let’s get started!

Less tourists at your elopement location 

If you’re eloping at a state or national park, you’re going to find the most tourists on the weekends. 

Of course you can usually make reservations for specific ceremony locations, but most parks won’t restrict other park visitors to steer clear of your elopement ceremony and you want to avoid having strangers walking through your elopement as much as possible. 

If you elope on a weekday (Monday-Thursday), there will be a lot less foot traffic and it will make it so much easier to have privacy for your elopement. 

Usually if you want the utmost privacy at your elopement ceremony, it’s recommended to elope at sunrise or sunset. But when you elope on a weekday, you have more freedom to elope at different times of the day and truly create the elopement day of your dreams! 

More vendor availability on weekdays

Because weekend weddings & elopements are so popular, vendors are usually pretty booked for weekends, sometimes up to a year in advance (if not more!). 

If you have vendors that you know you absolutely want to work with, their weekends might be booked but they may have weekday availability. 

It’s recommended to book your photographer, videographer, and elopement planner (if you’re hiring one) first, since those are the vendors who are usually booked out the farthest. Want to check if I’m available? Reach out and let’s chat!

FUN FACT: As a traveling wedding photographer, I can also help connect you with other vendors like videographers, florists, planners, etc. 

You’ll probably save money having a weekday elopement

Wedding vendors sometimes offer discounted rates for weekday elopements. 

Weekday elopement packages that wedding venues offer are also usually MUCH more affordable than reserving the venue on a weekend (I’ve seen venues offer $5-10k cheaper package options just to get married on a weekday instead of the weekend!). 

If you’re staying at a hotel or Airbnb, those rates will be lower as well. (psst..I have a saved list of some of my favorite Airbnb’s to elope at across the country!)

With the money that you save, you can spend that on a photographer/videographer that you really LOVE! Your photos (and video if you choose to have one!) will be what you look back on for years to come, so it’s important to hire a professional photographer whose work you absolutely love! 

You can also use that money to go on a really beautiful honeymoon to celebrate your elopement. 

The perfect excuse to elope just the two of you

If you’re having a hard time justifying eloping just you and your partner, this is your perfect excuse.

Most people aren’t available on a weekday because of work, school, and other obligations, so you can elope completely guilt-free.

If you do want to have guests but want to cut down the guest count, a weekday elopement is perfect because your closest loved ones will probably take off work, but not everyone. For the few you do want to come, tell them that it could be a great excuse to have an extended weekend or vacation! 

Don’t forget that even if you elope just the two of you, you can still have a gathering or reception at a later date if that’s what you want! That’s exactly what my husband, Josh, and I originally planned – we ended up doing our first look and bridals at Zion National Park then went back to Wisconsin near our family to throw a big party! 

You can celebrate your elopement for the entire week

Wanna elope on a weekday? Make hotel or Airbnb reservations for the entire week, and have a great time exploring your elopement location! This turns it into a little vacay on top of marrying your partner! How could it get any better!?

For example, if you elope at Canyonlands National Park, this is what your week could look like:

Monday – travel to your destination and check into your hotel/Airbnb. Relax together and get a good night of sleep!

Tuesday – Explore Moab, Utah with your partner and check out all the local gift and coffee shops, eat some food at their food truck park, take a stroll downtown, or use my FREE Moab, Utah travel guide to find what interests you the most!

Wednesday – Have an easygoing, slow elopement day on Wednesday. You can sleep in, have brunch, and then head to Canyonlands National Park for your elopement. Then we can spend the rest of the day taking photos together, in all the spots I have already scouted out for you! (Want to see what your elopement could look like at Canyonlands National Park? Check out Emma + Colin’s Canyonlands National Park Elopement)

Thursday –  as a newlywed couple, you can go on a beautiful hike in any of the nearby National Parks like Canyonlands (again) or Arches National Park or state parks like Dead Horse, taking in the scenery and celebrating being married!

Friday – you can go home as a married couple, and STILL have the weekend to decompress/relax. 

So – should you have a weekday elopement?

Overall – eloping on a weekday can help you create the day of your dreams with your partner. You are less likely to be interrupted by tourists or people in general. You can save money with some vendors and with your lodging. And your elopement day can turn into an elopement WEEK filled with love, adventure, and rest. 

Ready to start planning your weekday elopement and want a fun + inclusive photographer to capture it? Fill out my contact form and let’s chat! Follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok as well to see recent work and upcoming travel dates!