Thinking About Eloping? Read This First

Eloping used to mean sneaking off. Now it mostly means a couple looked at the guest list, looked at the budget, looked at each other, and decided they'd rather spend the day differently.

I've married couples on clifftops with nobody watching but a photographer and a very interested seagull. It's some of the most honest work I do. If you're considering it, here's what's worth thinking about.

You still need the legal bits

This trips people up. Eloping doesn't mean skipping the paperwork — Australian law is the same whether there are four people present or four hundred.

You'll still lodge your Notice of Intended Marriage a month ahead, still need two witnesses, still sign the same documents. The difference is the scale of the day, not the legality of it.

And on witnesses: if it's truly just the two of you, I'll help you sort that. It's a common question and there are easy answers.

Choosing where

Sydney is unfairly good for this. Clifftops, harbourside reserves, quiet garden corners, a beach at sunrise before anyone else is awake.

One practical note: check whether your spot needs a permit. Some council reserves and national parks do, especially if you want to reserve the area rather than just turn up. It's usually straightforward, but it's worth knowing a few weeks out rather than the morning of.

The one thing couples regret

Not the eloping. I've never had a couple tell me they wished they'd had a bigger wedding.

What they occasionally regret is not telling anyone. Some family members take the news harder than expected, particularly parents. If that's a risk in your situation, a quiet heads-up beforehand — or a small gathering afterwards — tends to smooth it over completely.

You don't owe anyone a wedding. But a five-minute phone call can save a year of awkwardness.

Have someone take photos

This is my one piece of unsolicited advice. When there are no guests, there's also nobody holding a phone.

You don't need a full day of coverage — even an hour with a photographer gives you something to keep. It's the one part of eloping that couples wish they'd spent a little more on.

What it looks like with me

However you want it to. I've done elopements that were three sentences and a kiss, and ones with full personal vows and a hand-fasting, just with nobody watching.

Tell me what you're imagining and I'll build the ceremony around it. If you'd like to talk it through, I'm here.