Why Elopements & Micro-Weddings Are The Way to Go Right Now!
What was once a secret get together only for a handful of people to know and even less people to witness, has now become the thing to do in the wedding world! Elopements have always been around, and prior to COVID they have largely been associated with city hall and surprise (or secret) marriages but here we are in this new time, and elopements & microweddings are at the forefront of how to get married right now (and tbh, it’s a trend that we hope doesn’t fade!
Here are a few reasons (of so many) on why we looooove elopements & microweddings:
COVID friendly
Given COVID they are your best option for getting married right now, as having a small guest count works within restrictions for the foreseeable future.
If you’re set on still partying with your extended family and friend group, a popular option is eloping / having a micro-wedding now and then planning a separate date TBD reception later where you can still “get married”— not legally again, of course, really what you’d be doing here would be more of a vow renewal in front of everyone but the fun part is, is that you can get a family member or friend to “officiate” so everyone has the “wedding” experience, while still enjoying your celebratory reception afterwards!
Less pressure!
If you’re an anxious person (like us lol hello!) and the thought of professing your love in front of 50, 100, 200 people makes you nervous, think about how much easier it’ll be now only being in front of 10 people! On top of that, there’s less planning pressure, less people to please (I mean, it really is about you to begin with but you know), less overall pressure to perform.
Having a smaller wedding also allows for a more intimate wedding experience where you can be fully present interacting and enjoying your time with each individual guest. Having all of your friends and family there is exciting but it can be difficult to make the rounds and really spend time with 200 people, especially when every person is trying to grab your attention.
Budget friendly
With the money that you’re saving having less, you can splurge on other aspects of the day like higher quality photography, florals or even food (AKA things you may have been more budget conscious of before). Who doesn’t love saving money in general though, whether you choose to indulge a little or not, you’ll be saving money either way and that’s always exciting!
Here are a few elopement & microwedding locations that we love:
At home in your backyard, does it get any more personal than this?!
At your cottage / rental cottage up north
Book a room at The Broadview Hotel and use the rooftop
Over a camping weekend at Algonquin, Tobermory, Manitoulin Island
Rent out Allan Gardens for a couple of hours for a tropical-but-in-Toronto looking wedding
Rent a studio like OBJX, or Preto Loft (which are a great weather friendly option for any time of the year)
And in case you're curious / need a liiiittle more of a push to elope ;) here’s how you can be legally married in Ontario:
Fill out the Ontario Marriage License Application Form
Bring the above form into your local municipal office together (along with ID, divorce paperwork if necessary, banns, etc.) and pay a fee (rate will depend on your municipality)
You’ll receive your certificate on the same day IRL and will have 3 months* from then to get married!
And that’s it! Once you have your license you can legally get married anywhere in Ontario! Make sure you have a registered officiant and 2 witness**
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*There are some extensions on licenses right now because of COVID:
Licenses issued December 1, 2019 to July 24, 2020 will expire on July 24, 2022
Licenses issued July 25, 2020 to September 30, 2020 will expire 3 months from date issued (not extended)
Licenses issued October 1, 2020 to February 10, 2021 will expire February 10, 2023
**If you want to be the most low key and keep things just between you two, we’d be sooo honoured to be those witnesses for you!