50 Unique elopement activity ideas to make your day special

WHY PLAN ACTIVITIES FOR YOUR ELOPEMENT?

Including activities in your elopement adds depth, joy, and meaningful connection to your day. It’s YOUR wedding day, so why not make it what you want…right?! Here are several reasons why incorporating activities can elevate your elopement. Activities reflect your personalities, interests, and shared story, making your day uniquely yours. Whether it’s hiking, bar hopping, or stargazing, these moments highlight what makes your relationship special. Doing something meaningful or adventurous together makes the day unforgettable and become stories to cherish and share for years to come!

With just the two of you, there’s no pressure to rush. Activities help you stay present, enjoy each other’s company, and savor the experience fully. Traditional weddings often follow a set structure, but an elopement is your chance to redefine celebration and foster intimacy and connection. Whether you’re exchanging love letters, hiking to a secluded spot, or sharing a meal, these moments bring you closer. Activities like kayaking, exploring a new city, or taking a scenic road trip turn your day into an epic journey. Some activities, like a couples’ spa session, a quiet picnic, or a sunrise walk, allow you to relax and soak in the joy of the day without stress. Eloping gives you the freedom to skip rigid schedules and expectations. Activities let you revel in the spontaneity and joy of a day that’s all about you and your partner. That’s what choosing to elope is all about. An elopement can be more than a ceremony—it’s a chance to embark on an exciting adventure together before before AND after your elopement day, which I offer documentation for HERE!

How to include activities for your elopement

Now that you know why including activities for your elopement day can be beneficial, let’s talk about what this could realistically look like! Here’s an example of a thoughtfully paced timeline for an elopement day with a mix of romantic and fun activities.

For a 4-8 hour elopement, it can look like this:

Wake up and make breakfast together

Get ready together

Hike/travel to your ceremony location

Have a picnic for lunch

Read your vows and say I do!

Pop champagne to celebrate

Take a romantic canoe ride

Travel/Hike back

Watch the sunset together

For a 2-day elopement, things could look like this:

Day 1:
Spend an afternoon exploring the local stores together
Have charcuterie board lunch on the water
Go back to your airbnb
Welcome friends and family to town with a dinner
Campfire time

Day 2:
Wake up and have a slow morning together
Visit a local winery or explore the area before your ceremony
Get ready separately
Have a first look and/or share private vows
Hike with your family and friends to your location
Say your I do’s
Eat snacks and enjoy company together
Go back to your cabin
Hire a private chef to cook everyone dinner
Make s’mores
Stargaze

The possibilities are endless whether you’re looking for a 4 hour elopement or a full two day elopement. There are many options!

50 UNIQUE ELOPEMENT ACTIVITY IDEAS

1. Write love letters to each other
2. Have a champagne toast in nature
3. Create a time capsule
4. Write your love story in a journal together
5. Dance to your favorite song
6. Get matching tattoos
7. Make smore’s
8. Rent a canoe
9. Visit a hot spring or private sauna
10. Pick flowers for each other
11. Have a candlelit dinner in a secluded spot
12. Explore a hidden gem
13. Have a “first look” in a special spot
14. Go horseback riding
15. Share a cultural tradition
16. Make and eat pizza
17. Hike a new trail
18. Read poetry to each other
19. Do a hand-fasting ceremony
20. Go skinny dipping
21. Rent a camper van
22. Visit a farmers market
23. Bring a mini projector and set it up
24. Visit a lavender field or flower garden
25. Release butterflies
26. Stargaze and identify constellations
27. Go on a vineyard or brewery tour
28. Ride dirt bikes
29. Mushroom foraging
30. Record a video of each other on your wedding day talking about how you each feel
31. Dance your heart out
32. Exchange gifts with personal meanings
33. Take a ferry or boat ride
34. Write letters to open on your Anniversary
35. Create a custom elopement playlist
36. Visit a waterfall
37. Make dessert together
38. Take a bubble bath
39. Watch your favorite tv show or movie together
40. Call friends and family
41. Bring a pocket journal and journal how you feel
42. Hike to an alpine lake
43. Plant a tree to celebrate
44. Book a couples spa
45. Take a sunset walk on the beach
46. Paint or draw portraits of each other
47. Take a 4×4 road
48. Eat ice cream together
49. Have a private yoga session
50. Stop and savor the moment