Did you do any DIY Projects or create any handmade items for your wedding?
Considering the choice to elope was somewhat last minute, (we had been planning a formal wedding and decided to scrap the idea and run off to italy!) there wasn’t much time for DIY.
What creative or personal aspects did you include in your wedding?
Since we were eloping there wasn’t much room for personal details, but one that we always knew we wanted was to have Colton’s father marry us. Having someone officiate who knows and loves us, and who has seen our relationship grow over the years, was so special.
What is the most memorable moment of your day?
This may be a cliché answer, but it was the moment just before the kiss. We were holding hands and looking into each other’s eyes as we were being pronounced husband and wife. I was so jittery with excitement and Colton gave my hand a little squeeze. It was like we both knew what the other was thinking, and that we had both been waiting for this day since the moment we met!
What was the biggest thing you did to save money?
Honestly, the biggest money saver for us was our choice to elope! Our intimate elopement and our entire two week vacation in Italy altogether cost significantly less than an average wedding in America would have – even a small one.
What was your biggest splurge?
Our photographers! I say “splurge” lightly because their prices were more than fair, and significantly more affordable than any photographer I got quoted for in the United States.
Since we had a simple elopement ceremony outside, there wasn’t a lot of expenses on our wedding day. I knew since the moment we decided to elope that I wanted to find the most amazing photographer to capture the day. Emanuele and Federica more than delivered, they blew us away!
What was your favorite detail?
My favorite detail is kind of silly, but it was the books we wrote our vows in. The night before our wedding, walking around Rome (after a few glasses of wine) we realized our vows were written on our phones! We didn’t want to read off of them or have them in our pictures, so we thought fast and walked into a little tourist souvenir shop.
I found two little white books with watercolor paintings on them. One is of the Vatican (which we happened to have visited the day before) and one of two little lovers in a red Fiat with heart balloons tied to the back.
I still pull them out sometimes and it’s impossible not to smile and shed a few tears.
What’s the best advice you have for planning your wedding now that you’re on the other side?
Elope!Of course every couple should do what feels right for them, but I just cannot speak highly enough about our decision to elope. It was the perfect choice for us! Getting to focus on just each other, living in the moment and enjoying that day to the fullest without any stress or external factors was a dream come true. We look back on our two weeks in Italy and our wedding day often and say how surreal it felt. It was like something out of a fairytale or an old movie. It was truly the best experience of our lives!
