Elopement

Elopement seems to have caught on the trend these days. You might think that an elopement is great as both of you have a lot of say in your wedding. You may be thinking of a quiet beach wedding in the Caribbean, or at the tropical beach of Thailand or Indonesia.

So what does elopement means and how is it different from a destination wedding?

A simple definition of elopement is:

Both of you:

• want to get married in private
• total control of your wedding
• stress free ceremony
• save money
• killing two birds with one stone ( incorporating the wedding ceremony and honeymoon together)

Destination wedding, on the other hand, is a small affair but it involves inviting the guests and doing up the reception.

However you may still do a theme wedding such as a beach wedding in the popular destinations.

Most people might think that elopement is a last minute affair and is easy to plan! On the contrary, this belief is not true! Some couples spend months to plan for it, especially if the groom wants to keep the bride in suspense!

One thing unique to an elopement is that usually there are many creative ideas that come with it, from ‘abducting the bride’ to a unique proposal.

Whatever it is, you have to consider your options properly as you might face incurring unhappiness in your families, should you choose an elopement.

You might have to make known your plans earlier to your family but if this is done, it will not be an elopement!

Interestingly, elopement seems to be the culture for the Indonesian people staying in Lombok. I was there vacationing and the tour guide mentioned that this was their custom!!! The groom would need to really come up with creative ideas to trick the bride to go with him and he will ‘kidnap’ her and hide somewhere else for the night. Then he will send a close relative, e.g. his cousin, to bring the news to the bride’s family and his family. After which, they will do the traditional Indonesian wedding ceremony by which, they will have to walk to their new house. It is believed that if the groom goes to ask the bride's family for her hand, it means that he is a bad guy. Interesting right???

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