Tips and Ideas for Including Guests in Your Elopement Wedding

Written by our rad team member, Kiersten Roy

So you’ve decided to elope (cue the LNT-friendly bubbles), but you’re not totally sold on doing it just the two of you. Maybe you can’t imagine your day without your parents present. Or you’ve got a tight-knit crew of siblings or lifelong friends you’d love to have by your side. The good news is that eloping with family is absolutely possible and it can be every bit as meaningful, intimate, and adventurous as a “just us” elopement.

Over the years, we’ve helped dozens of couples plan an elopement with family that allows them to stay true to who they are while also being surrounded by their favorite people. Whether you’re dreaming of a mountaintop ceremony with your parents or a quiet lakeside picnic with your inner circle, this guide will show you how to elope with family in a way that feels personal, intentional, and aligned with your values.

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Table of Contents

• Tips and Ideas for Including Guests in Your Elopement Wedding
  • Can You Elope With Family?
  • 9 Thoughtful Ways to Include Guests in Your Elopement
  • 4 Locations That Are Perfect for Eloping With Family
  • 4 Tips for Including Family in Your Hiking Elopement
  • Ready to Start Planning Your Elopement With Family?
  • More Inspiration for Your Elopement with Family

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Can You Elope With Family?

Let’s get one big elopement myth out of the way. You CAN absolutely elope with family and friends! Eloping doesn’t have to mean running off without telling anyone or skipping out on celebrating with the people you love most. So many couples today are choosing to elope with immediate family and friends and making their day a more customized experience. Whether you want to hike into the mountains, share a first look with your parents, or toast with your siblings under the stars, there are lots of ways to include your people while still keeping the day rooted in your relationship.

Real Talk: Navigating Family Expectations

Before we share specific ways to include your people in your elopement, we want to first share some context behind why this blog post is so important. Throughout the planning process, it’s common for couples to encounter mixed opinions and ideas from their loved ones. Our hope for couples is to find the balance of honoring their friends and family members, while simultaneously advocating for their dream day. Overall, your wedding day is about you two. It’s important to be considerate of friends and family, as well as your own needs.

We also understand that choosing to elope can bring up big feelings (especially if your loved ones imagined a more traditional wedding). If you’re feeling nervous about how to approach the conversation, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Lead with love – remind them this choice is about creating a meaningful start to your marriage.
• Be clear about your vision – let your loved ones know how you do want to include them, even if it’s in a nontraditional way.
• Share your why – when people understand the heart behind your decision, they’re more likely to support it.

As you read through these ideas of how to include family and friends in your elopement, remember there is not a cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all way to elope. The only “right way” to get married is to get married how you and your love want to get married! Alright, now that we’re on the same page about how to approach these tips and ideas, let’s dive in!

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9 Thoughtful Ways to Include Guests in Your Elopement

1. Invite Them to the Ceremony

Keep it simple and sweet by having your parents, siblings, or a few close friends join you for your ceremony. This could be at a trailhead, a scenic overlook, or a cozy cabin in the woods. Many of our couples opt to keep this group small (think 5–10 guests) so the day still feels intimate and stress-free.

*Insider Tip – Keeping your guest count limited to a handful of guests can also open up more location options as many national parks have limits on how many guests can gather in a certain area.

2. Share a Meal Together

There’s something really special about gathering around a table after saying your vows. Whether it’s a private chef at your Airbnb or a laid-back picnic at a day-use area, having a celebratory meal is a beautiful way to celebrate your elopement with family.

3. Plan an Entire Weekend Celebration (Adult Summer-Camp Style)

What’s better than one elopement day? A whole weekend of celebration with your favorite people! Why not book a cabin for your elopement that fits the whole family and celebrate over multiple days?

Imagine this – your friends and family are gathered together in a cozy cabin, enjoying the morning as you and your love get ready. Then everyone heads out for an intimate ceremony at a nearby mountain trail before coming back to the cabin for a catered celebratory meal. You then spend the rest of the weekend playing games, hiking nearby trails, roasting s’mores, and spending quality time with your favorite people. Sounds like the best days ever if you ask us!

4. Have Loved Ones Write Letters

If some guests can’t be there in person, ask them to write letters you can read before or during the ceremony. It’s a heartfelt way to feel their presence and incorporate their love into your day, even from afar.

One of our couples who eloped at Mount Rainier did this! They gathered letters from their family and had their officiant read them aloud during their elopement. There were plenty of tears and laughter as the couple heard what their family wrote for the first time. It was such a special moment!

5. FaceTime Loved Ones or Have Them Send a Personalized Video

Similar to writing letters, a video allows family and friends to play a personal part in your day even if they can’t be with you in person. Consider FaceTimeing loved ones from your cabin while you are getting ready (this is special way for them to send their love before you begin the rest of your day), or watch a sweet video compilation of messages on the trail after your ceremony.

6. Wear a Family Heirloom

You’ve heard the saying, “Something old, something new; something borrowed, something blue.” Choosing to wear a family heirloom during your elopement is a great way to honor your family and the tradition of wearing something old and borrowed! Pieces of jewelry from a family member or even borrowing a veil from a loved one are a special way to include family in your elopement.

7. Share a First Look

First looks don’t have to be reserved for just you and your partner! A first look can be with anyone (think, parents, grandparents, friends, children, or even your pup of honor!). Whether you’re inviting loved ones to your ceremony or not, planning a first look with your most important people always makes for an emotional moment and is a beautiful way to start your day.

8. Include Parents in Your Elopement Ceremony

Looking for ideas for including parents in your wedding ceremony? Have them share a reading, walk you down the trail, or help with a unity ritual. Little moments like these can make your ceremony even more personal and memorable.

*Insider Tip – Have a loved one officiate your ceremony. Anyone can get ordained at the Universal Life Church and having a family member or friend perform your ceremony can make the experience so much more meaningful.

9. Plan a Separate Celebration

If your dream elopement is just the two of you, consider hosting a small celebration with family after the fact. This could be a backyard dinner at your cabin, a slideshow of your elopement photos, or even a weekend getaway with your favorite people post-ceremony. We’ve known couples who have reserved breweries or micro wedding venues near their mountain elopement where friends an family are waiting to celebrate with them. We’ve also had couples plan a reception days, weeks, or even months after their elopement (Another reason to wear your elopement attire again? Yes, please!).

10. Bring Them Into the Planning Process

Sometimes the best way to elope with family is to simply invite them to be part of the journey. Ask for their advice on locations (if you want), share updates as you plan, or invite them to help choose your elopement day playlist. Want to make it an even more collaborative experience? Invite your loved ones to help with DIY details like flowers or food. We’ve had some amazing couples think outside of the box and come up with details that were not only beautiful, but that also allowed their family to leave a personal mark on the day as well. Here are just a few of the fun elopement ideas that our couples have done:

• Hand-painted denim jacket featuring the bride’s new name
• Winter elopement makeup look created by the bride’s friend
• Custom banner or sign to hang at your cabin or campsite
• Hand-painted signs to hang on your hiking or climbing packs that say, “Just Married”
• Vow books to read at your mountain elopement
• Sign that says, “Thank You” for the couple to use as their personalized thank you cards
• Wedding cake baked by a friend or family member

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4 Locations That Are Perfect for Eloping With Family

So, you want to elope with family and friends and invite them to your ceremony! This is a great way to have your closest people present and supporting you as you start this new chapter.

Choosing the right elopement ceremony location though is a big decision (especially when eloping with family and friends). Need help picking a spot that’s stunning and family-accessible? We’ve got a few (ok, a lot) of places up our sleeves that we can’t wait to share with you! Here are a few of our favorite places to consider:

• National parks – places like the North Cascades or Mt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest have drive-up viewpoints and ADA-accessible trails that are just perfect for an elopement with guests!
• Coastal spots with beach access – imagine saying your vows with the sound of waves in the background! The Olympic Peninsula is not only a great place for your beach elopement with family, but it’s also one of our favorite places to elope in Washington State!
• Fire lookouts or scenic overlooks near your cabin – oftentimes, these locations are just outside a national park. This means you get the same incredible view without the crowds. Plus, they also offer more flexibility in terms of how many guests you can include at your ceremony (win, win!).
• Day-use areas – this is one of our favorite (not to mention one of the most underrated) places to elope. These areas often have the same stunning views as well-known parks, but fewer people giving you the best of both worlds. Oh, and an added perk is that day-use areas offer the perfect setup for a celebratory meal after you say ‘I Do’.

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4 Tips for Including Family in Your Hiking Elopement

It is totally possible to make your day an adventure fit for the whole family. If you want to invite your family to join you on your hiking elopement, do it! The key with this option is to be willing to accommodate while standing firm in your plan (it’s your day after all). When inviting guests to hike with you for your elopement, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

1. Understand the Rules of Your Location

When eloping with family in nature, there are some limitations you’ll need to be aware of. For instance, places like national and state parks have rules on where you can get married and how many guests you can invite. These rules protect the park trails and keep them safe and accessible for everyone.

When you’re deciding on a location, be sure to research the rules and requirements for each area (don’t worry, as your elopement photographer, we can help with this step!). From there, you’ll be able to make a decision about where to hold your ceremony based on what is most important to you.

2. Consider Accessibility Levels

If you are planning a hiking elopement with family, consider the accessibility levels of all your guests! If having guests at your ceremony is important to you, look for trails that don’t require a long hike (we know lots of trails that are more like a walk that would be perfect for your ceremony). We can always go on another adventure with just the two of you before or after your ceremony.

3. Wear the Proper Attire

It’s important to consider the environment (and weather) of your elopement location. Inform your guests about your ceremony plans and remind them to wear the proper attire. This can include hiking boots or shoes, rain gear (if needed), and extra layers to keep warm.

4. Practice Leave No Trace

No matter where you choose to elope with family, we always encourage everyone to follow the principles of Leave No Trace. These 7 principles include staying on designated trails and not leaving anything behind to help keep these areas safe and enjoyable for everyone. If you want to learn more about planning a Leave No Trace elopement, read our guide here and share it with your loved ones.

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Ready to Start Planning Your Elopement With Family?

Whether you’re dreaming of a family-inclusive elopement in the mountains or you’re not quite sure how to balance alone time with celebration time, we’re here to guide you through every step. From helping you choose the perfect location to navigating logistics and permits, our job is to help you have your best day ever! Reach out to us and let’s work on making your dream elopement come to life, friends and family included!

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More Inspiration for Your Elopement with Family