Reasons to Elope From Our REAL Couples!
Why elope instead of having a wedding? You might be thinking it’s a lot cheaper, you don’t have family, or you want to keep it a secret. Well, for some people those might be true, but it’s pretty outdated thinking. This isn’t the 40s. According to Brides, “Eloping used to be scandalous, because it was done in secrecy, or maybe you didn’t have the buy-in from your families,” says celebrant Alisa Tongg. “But I don’t think it’s like that at all anymore.” Not to mention, Jake and I eloped with our closest family and friends in Glacier National Park! We chose a 2 day wedding, and you’ll see our WHY at the end!
So WHY do couples choose to elope? We asked our real couples who eloped!
You want to get the heck out of dodge, go somewhere beyond cool, and keep it just you and your numero uno. This is probably the most popular thing people think of when they hear “elope” but only two of our reasons to elope from our real couples!
our foreign adventure junkies
Vi and Bryan will always be a standout couple. We really got to know them in ICELAND and their whole elopement was nothing short of spectacular. So what led to our 2022 Iceland elopement at Reynisfjara? The couple shares, “We wanted to embark to a magical place and share our vows as we embarked on our greatest adventure yet. We are lovers of mountains and love to hike during the warm months and snowboard during the winter. Our vision is to elope in an intimate setting with a stunning backdrop of mountains and lakes.” Ask and you shall receive!! There was some rain, some chickens, some horses, some BLACK SAND, some salt columns, some unbelievable waterfalls, some pizza, some lupin fields, and some perfect couple in a secluded cave exchanging vows. (THAT COUPLE WAS VI AND BRYAN!)
we are lovers of mountains and love to hike
- Good ole Lexy and Nate, our now forever friends. The pair choose Spain for their elopement as it holds all things adventure – mountains, scuba diving, fishing, beaches, and a rich history. Nate is in the military and knew he would be deployed for most of the next year. Having a foreign elopement allowed the most badass wedding and epic honeymoon at one time! For their Costa Brava 2 day elopement, the bride and groom chose a gorgeous, sandy location for their ceremony! We were in the most beautiful area of Costa Brava, Spain with crystal blue waters, orange tinted rocks, and alllll the white house Mediterranean vibes. We cruised all around to find the coolest hidden areas to photograph in. The water sloshing up, so fun! Platija de l’Antasasia is this beautiful stretch of fine sand and beach. The Mediterranean sea just hits differently, you know? Ohhh, they know.
Because screw the stress of a big wedding! Next up on reasons to elope from our real couples is S-T-R-E-S-S.
our stress free is the way to be couples
- Lindsay and Vance were very clear that they wanted to enjoy THEIR day! They eloped so it would be less stress and would allow greater flexibility for “when life happens” to pivot their special day. They had never been to Montana and were excited to take in all its beauty. They believed the day should be full of laughter and their corny and inappropriate jokes. And it was!
- Mallory and Houston started planning a big Mississippi wedding before getting frustrated with the whole task. An elopement should be fun for the couple! Mallory kept thinking, “I am spending all of this for 50 people?” Out with the old traditional stuffy way of weddings and in with a one of a kind Honeybee Wedding elopement package!
our wedding day should be fun!
- Jessica and Curtis have a stressful family relationship. Both of her parents have passed away and Curtis’ family was difficult. So when talk of a wedding was brought up they ixnayed that shiz and did things their way! On their dog friendly elopement near glacier national park, Jessica and Curtis brought their number one – Ryka! We chose a mountain lake just outside of the park where they got ready in the campground and said their vows for a dog friendly elopement. After, the couple drove up the Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park where they experienced the epic mountains of Logan Pass! Their reasons to elope truly came from the heart and it will stick with us forever. And ever ever.
Because you don’t want to limit the most important time of your lives to a single day. First up on our reasons to elope from our real couples are our weekend warriors.
our weekend warriors:
Jazzy and Ben opted for a glacier national park micro wedding. They shared with us how important their close friend relationships were. So, they had an adventure weekend for the books! The six of them stood on the shores of Lake McDonald where Jazzy and Ben professed their love, then Jazzy and Ben had some alone time with a solo adventure by the creek, then the six of them ended the day with a feast at their Air BnB! A weekend elopement is great if it’s for two or a small group! This is the best way to maximize time with your closest people while also finding time for the two of you.
why have just one wedding day when I can have two?
- Addie and Charlie tied the knot at the 320 guest ranch with a micro wedding. Pssst 320 Guest Ranch is the name, there were not 320 guests! Located between Big Sky and Yellowstone National Park, 320 Guest Ranch honors its rich history and celebrates Montana’s pioneer spirit through lodging, food, and activities.This sweet little micro wedding at 320 Guest Ranch is the stuff of dreams. Ten people from around the country came together to celebrate Addie and Charlie on a beautiful day in July. They chose a Montana elopement because they love to travel and always enjoy the mountains. Addie was so excited to get married and focus on the two of them. She was set on incorporating vows, bringing their closest guests, and epic scenery. They wanted to go back to basics!
Because you’re the outdoorsy type and want to stay true to YOU. Our outdoorsy couples weigh in on their reasons to elope.
our outdoorsy couples:
- Bianca and Max are avid campers and hikers. They love Glacier National Park and didn’t want to spend money entertaining other people. A big wedding felt stressful to them and the idea of entertaining a crowd made Bianca feel awkward. Ultimately, they decided to spend a few days together around Glacier National Park and do something that was more “them”!
- Chelsea and Josh also love a good night camping and star gaze! This duo envisioned a camping trip in the mountains and asked their friend to get ordained for the occasion! Growing up in an outdoors family, Josh’s parents have a camper and they set out for a two week outdoor camping elopement.
- Claire and Denver dreamed of nothing more than a stress free and fun elopement in a beautiful place with fun activities. Claire, our adventurous bride shared, “we think it would be cool to book a sailboat or a classic wooden boat and tour around the lake (with photos, champagne/wine/snacks) for 1-2 hours. Even better if it’s during the day then turns into sunset for part of the tour.” Well, Honeybee Weddings made it happen! Their Lake Tahoe elopement was full of all the fun and fresh air adventures. They were even able to get their pup, Duke, involved! It was Paws-itively perfect elopement!
I think it would be cool to book a sailboat on my wedding day
- Ashley and Steven choose a Glacier National Park hiking elopement for many reasons. To start, they’ve never really been the people to picture their wedding or obsess about decor, or the flowers, or the food, or all the somewhat meaningless details that large wedding days have. Neither of them wanted that large wedding. Ashley and Steven wanted an entire day that focused on them so that’s what they got! These two amazing human beings like to hike, explore, and spend the day together. The money they would spend at a large wedding will be much better spent on adventuring! Which is why they had an incredible glacier national park hiking elopement. Their reasons to elope were basically too many to count and eloping was totally the right fit for them.
You have tiny humans and it feels right to focus on your created family rather than appease extended family. Next up, reasons to elope from our real couples with their own families have their say!
our family affairs
- Nikki and Evan enjoyed their love story by adding one to the family before getting married. Coming from divorced families, the pair took their time and decided an elopement was for them. They enjoyed planning an elopement that was just for them and Amelia!
- Andrew, Kim, and their son Odin were set on making their elopement a family affair. Their Glacier Park Elopement at Logan Pass was accompanied by many of their loved ones. The guests were made up of family that had flown from Tennessee to Montana and then made the five hour trek up to Kalispell. Needless to say, they were all committed to the adventure of an elopement!
- Tillie and Jesse aren’t ones to soak up the spotlight. Tillie shared that she and Jesse haven’t done things the traditional way yet, so why start now?! They got married in a Blackfeet ceremony – this is a public event for the family to get together. They choose a Montana mountain elopement because of the significance and beauty it holds for the Blackfeet People. Their elopement mantra was: simple yet meaningful. With their closest family, their child, and members of their family watching from above, they felt like they honored themselves and the ones closest to them with their elopement.
we don’t like to be the center of attention. that is why we eloped.
- Maggie and James were excited to elope with hers-turned-theirs kids, Evie and Ridge! In their glacier elopement with lake hike, Maggie and James met their closest friends at Apgar Amphitheater. There, they gathered for the sweetest, intimate wedding. Maggie’s step dad officiated the wedding and had everyone laughing. Off the shores of Lake McDonald, there was a large AirBnB for the family. The following hours were spent eating, drinking, and soaking in the celebration. A nephew cut the cake (the really delicious cake) and then the party moved to Whitefish city beach. A perfect elopement to celebrate the newly bounded together family!
You want a destination wedding with only those REALLY close in your life. Honeybee’s favorite reasons to elope from our real couples are alllll about creating a freaking fun time with friends!
our micro wedding wanderers
- Hannah and Casey kick us off in Utah! They took a couple people closest to them to help them celebrate for an Arches National Park elopement. Starting at Devil’s campground trailhead they hiked to Pine Tree Arch. Hannah and her dad walked alone to the ceremony site, enjoying father-daughter time to chat, reflect, and hang out. Pine Tree Arch is a shady hike, which is really rare for desert elopements. After their ceremony, the group indulged in pizza from the Moab Food Truck Park. You heard it here first – it was a pizza perfect elopement. Hannah and Casey share their first dance under the twinkle lights of a food truck park, playing their song from a speaker. They cut the cake on a bistro table. It’s spontaneous. It’s perfect. There is no ballroom with 300 guests. Instead, it’s their closest family and friends, the two of them, and that’s all they really need. They end the evening outside their tent at Under Canvas Moab to capture the gorgeous night sky. They stargaze, pointing out Hannah’s favorite constellations. What a beautiful way to start their marriage together!
- Bailey and Garrett were ready to elope somewhere fun with their closest friends by their side. Their Montana micro wedding was full of golf cart rides, hangin’ with the local horses, and friends from decades hyping them up. These choose to elope with a micro wedding as they wanted their closest friends to be part of this special day, but big groups really aren’t their jam. Bailey and Garrett value experiences over things, so all they wanted to do was to spend the day with their friends and then take their honeymoon on the road with a multi state road trip. Drive fast, take chances!
our closest family and friends, the two of us, that’s all I really need
- Abby and Travis were over the moon about their Glacier National Park elopement at Saint Mary. Abby was set on a small intimate outdoor wedding and her father walked her down the aisle to the song “Speechless” by Dan and Shay. 2 popped bottles of champagne. 1 eagle flies over their ceremony. 20 guests. 5am sunrise. 1 marmot. 6 hours of awesomeness.
big groups aren’t really my jam
- Lainey and Kyle got married in their hometown then wandered over to Montana for some micro wedding fun! The couple and their six guests left their campground at St Mary at 1:50am in the morning and drove the Going to the Sun Road for their sunrise Glacier National Park elopement. After watching a majestic sunrise, the couple shared their personal vows in the most meaningful way. They stood on a rock with the mountains behind them. This moment was just for them. It’s not about the production or what they “should” do. It was an intimate way to share their feelings with each other. Then, Lainey and Kyle decide to have their close family members give toasts, they pop champagne, and they hold each other for their first dance. At the end of the night, the couple took a polar plunge into St Mary Lake. BRRRR, we love a brave couple! This isn’t the typical wedding day, it’s true. Their reasons to elope were about the adventure! We were happy to be along for these wanderers and their micro wedding!
- Ryan and Brian had their hearts set on Montana. These two imagined a fall Glacier National Park elopement for their wedding day. The day was so meaningful, intentional, and just for THEM. Ryan has family in Montana and they were excited to have their seriously blended family there. As such, Ryan and Brian were married on the shores of Lake McDonald with the best fall colors that Glacier National Park had to offer. If you’re ever wondering to risk the biscuit and elope in the fall, do yourself a favor and do it! A fall Glacier National Park elopement is so worth it. Northwest Montana is basically an autumn paradise. Even if it’s snowing!
bonus: why we eloped!
Jake and I got married with our 2 day Glacier National Park wedding of our dreams. We are the outdoor nerds who just love traveling and being outside. Our family being included was really important to us because we have such close and meaningful relationships with them. BUT we also knew we didn’t want the stress of putting the wedding in one day, and inviting a ton of people. Privacy and intimacy between the two of us was really BIG. We also wanted our wedding day to be about our relationship and celebrating that, not just want others expected out of us.
While we don’t have the science done, we are going to say that couples who elope last longer. With less stress, more outdoor fun, and all the amazing travels, there are so many benefits of eloping! Don’t keep your elopement a secret and don’t think it’s selfish to want to elope! YOU DO YOU! END OF STORY! Still not sure about eloping – check out or blog debunking 5 myths about elopements. 100% ready to elope, (or even 85%!) give us a jingle all the way. Schedule a call!
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