Choosing to elope doesn’t mean you have to exclude your family and friends. In fact, there’s no wrong way to elope! This blog post contains multiple unique elopement ideas you can use to decide how you want to include your family and friends at your elopement. 

How to Think Outside of the Box to Include Your Family and Friends at Your Elopement

You get to fully personalize your elopement! You can do whatever you want. This is your day and you’re in control of how you celebrate! To start thinking outside of the box, don’t give yourself any limitations. Allow yourself to dream big! Working with an elopement photographer like myself means I can help you figure out the logistics. Especially if you want to split time on your elopement day with just the two of you and with your family!

Unique Elopement Ideas to Involve Your Guests

Whether you want to include some traditional elements or not, here are some different ideas you could use for your elopement day to involve your guests!

• A ring warming ceremony

• Invite a friend or family member to officiate your ceremony

• Invite close friends and family to get ready with you

• Print a photo album your loved ones can look through

• Create personalized goodie bags for your guests

• Design custom place cards with personalized details

• FaceTime your family after your elopement ceremony

• Share private vows before you celebrate with family and friends

• Record your elopement ceremony

• Ask your friends and family to write you notes to read on your wedding day

To spark some more ideas, you can check out this blog post: How To Tell Your Family You Are Eloping

Jessica and Justin’s Spring Microwedding in DC

For Jessica and Justin’s elopement, they really wanted the focus to be on just the two of them for their wedding day while still including a few family members and friends. So they did both! They had a beautiful spring elopement and microwedding celebration in Washington DC. 

They planned the majority of their elopement day to adventure around DC as a couple. Then, they met with their guests at Little Pearl restaurant in DC for a ring-warming ceremony and dinner to celebrate! Walk through their wedding day to see how they incorporated their family and friends to be a part of their microwedding. 

Getting Ready and Wedding Detail Photography

While Jessica was getting ready at their condo in Washington DC, I met with her to begin capturing the moments of their elopement day. Justin had stayed in a local hotel down the street the night before and got ready there too. 

As Jessica got ready, I started photographing the wedding details. They had a lot of personalized items! The had customized bookmarks, their wedding invitation, a wildflower seed pack party favor, and more! Jessica and Justin put a lot of thought and effort to curating a special experience for their guests who attended their micro wedding. They made goodie bags with these items for guests! 

It’s still incredibly important to me to capture my couples’ wedding details because it usually means their chosen items are very personal and meaningful. Jess had even personalized a pair of hightops with their wedding date which was a surprise for Justin! 

How to Include Your Guests While You Get Ready

While you could invite your family and friends to get ready with you, you could also prepare for them a specifically curated list of activities to do and explore in the city you are eloping in! This would allow them to feel seen and taken care of as they also make incredible memories on your wedding day. 

For Jessica and Justin’s wedding, a few family members were hanging out at the condo as they got ready for their wedding. Then, guests left ot go to their hotels or explore DC as tourists before changing for dinner later that evening. 

If you need a checklist to give your family for things to do or see in DC while visiting for your wedding, I’ve got you! That’s one of the exclusive client planning resources that I give my couples. Visit here to learn more about how we can work together!

Jessica and Justin’s First Look in Their Neighborhood

We did Jessica and Justin’s first look in the neighborhood which was so sweet. She showed him her high tops and he LOVED them! I always help set my couples up for the first look, and then take a step back to give them a moment alone to themselves.

Wedding Couple Portraits at Rock Creek Park

After their first look, we took a few couples portraits in the courtyard before hopping into the car. A private driver took us over to Rock Creek Park in DC for their private vows. Both Jessica and Justin are huge nature people. They love to walk and run at Rock Creek Park, so this was a special place for them to say their private vows. 

We walked into the park a little bit following the path. We took a few couple photos on our way to the stone bridge that overlooks the river that runs through Rock Creek Park.

Jessica and Justin’s Private Vows

Jessica and Justin handwrote their vows into books to read to each other as they were surrounded by nature. As an elopement photographer, this is another moment I take a step back from my couples. I capture the entire scene from a distance, so they can have that moment truly alone. 

Personalizing Your Unique Elopement

This even more of a unique way to do your elopement – Jessica opted in to do truly private vows, then asked a friend to officiate a ceremony, and THEN meet up with guests at an intimate dinner celebration. The possibilities are endless with elopements like this! You get to do whatever feels perfect for you!

After taking more photos afterward around the bridge and getting silly with sunglasses, we made our way back to car to head to the Constitution Gardens on the National Mall. This garden is a little bit of a hidden gem because while it’s still on the National Mall, the most touristy location in DC, Constitution Gardens is kind of tucked away to the side away from the monuments. There’s still a great view of the Washington Monument here!

Jessica and Justin have a friend who is a judge in DC, and they asked Brad to officiate a quick ceremony to legally marry them at the Constitution Gardens. This was one of the ways they wanted to include their friend! When they had their first kiss and were officially announced married, people cheered from all around the pond! Such a cool moment! Jessica and Justin had even specially prepared healthy duck food to feed the ducks after this ceremony. 

Unique Elopement Idea: Celebrating with Wiseguy Pizza!

Their second date was at Wiseguy Pizza over at the Navy Yard part of Washington DC, so it was fitting to celebrate their marriage with some pizza! It’s always so wonderful to incorporate important locations and personal details like this into a couple’s elopement day as a unique and personal touch. After ordering pizza, we walked down the riverfront to sit and eat pizza and pop champagne with a view!

Wedding Reception and Ring Warming Ceremony at the Little Pearl

Jessica and Justin set out their custom place cards at Little Pearl as people began to arrive for a cocktail hour and dinner reception. It was great for them to be able to mingle with people and tell them about their day adventuring around the city. 

The most important formality they wanted to do with their guests was a ring-warming ceremony. This is a tradition that involves passing around the wedding bands to guests for them to bless the couple. 

Afterwards, the guests headed back inside for more drinks and appetizers before Jessica & Justin cake their cake! They even ordered a custom cake topper with them as a bride and groom with their cats. They also chose two family members to give short speeches and that just goes to show that you can still have a few traditional elements of your elopement day if you want to!

Feel Inspired with Unique Elopement Ideas that Include Your Family and Friends?

You deserve to have an extraordinary elopement experience! Save your favorite elopement ideas to include your family and friends in a way that feels special to you. 

For more assistance with the logistics of planning your elopement and photographing the intentional moments throughout the day, you can inquire to work with me here! This is supposed to be the best day of your entire lives. Why not spend it doing what you want while I document it, so you can remember every second? Whether you’re eloping in DC or anywhere else on the East Coast, I’ll be there to support you on your adventure and cheer you on!

Juliana Wall Photography | Virginia & DC Elopement Photographer

View more DC elopement photos below from Jessica and Justin’s wedding! You can also check out some of their engagement photos as well. Save your favorites to Pinterest and check out my portfolio for more elopement photo inspiration and unique wedding ideas here.

Rainy Engagement Photos in Washington DC

Jessica and Justin not only booked with me to capture their elopement but also their engagement session! This is an excellent add-on for couples to get to know me as a photographer before your wedding day. You can use your engagement photos for engagement announcements, save the dates or wedding invitations, or as a keepsake to document this season of life!

Jessica and Justin’s Kind Words

“I loved working with Juliana. She was there with us at every step of the way, rolling with our indecisiveness and providing helpful suggestions as we planned out an elopement day that felt meaningful to us. She was always easy to get in touch with, and her advice was helpful and very much appreciated.

When it rained for our engagement pics and I thought the day would be ruined, Juliana arrived with clear umbrellas and a smile. She proved that rainy photo shoots can be fun.

On our elopement day, Juliana’s texts of support and calming presence were exactly what I needed to stay grounded and enjoy every moment. She was easygoing, professional, and just a delight to be around.

And I can’t believe I’ve written this much without mentioning how beautiful her pictures turned out! It felt like Juliana truly made an effort to get to know us as a couple throughout this process, and that paid off immensely when we received photos that took us right back to that wonderful day. Not only that, but Juliana managed to capture a few moments that I’d missed or forgotten about (she even got a few close-ups of our pets, which was an awesome discovery as we went through the final gallery).

Juliana really heard what we were looking for, and helped us craft a meaningful elopement day while capturing every special moment. I’m so grateful that we will be able to look back at her photos for years to come.”

The Wedding Vendors from This DC Elopement

Dress & Veil: Modern Trousseau in DC

Tux/Tie/Cufflinks: Suitsupply

Watch: Daniel Wellington

Officiant: Bradley N. Garcia of the US Circuit Court Appeals for the District of Columbia

Hair and Makeup: I Do Artistry

Florals: Sola Flowers by the The Paisley Moon on Etsy

Cake: SweetsbyE

Private Driver: DC Path Transportation Services

Cake Topper: Mudcards on Etsy

Calligrapher: TheBrushingBride on Etsy

Cocktail Napkins: GB Design House

Venue: Little Pearl DC