Create the Perfect Elopement Invitations to Surprise Your Loved Ones

You’re planning a dreamy elopement to mark one of the most incredible moments of your life, and now it’s time to let your closest loved ones know about it. Traditionally, eloping was synonymous with spontaneity and often evoked images of a couple running off into the sunset. But things have changed. An elopement doesn’t have to mean just the two of you. It can include your nearest and dearest.

Let’s explore elopement invitations, including when to send them and how to personalize them to beautifully match your celebration.

What Are Elopement Invitations? 

Design: National Park Foundation

Elopement invitations are a lot like wedding invitations — except they’re for a much smaller guest list. While a traditional elopement wedding features just the couple and whoever is required to make it official (aka, the officiant and a witness), many people are now inviting their closest friends and family members to share in the moment. 

Having such a small guest list and an intimate ceremony allows you to make your elopement invitations as creative and personal as you like.

When to Send Your Elopement Invitations

Wedding invitations typically follow a save the date card, but if your elopement was unplanned or you’ve brought the date forward you might not have sent one. Not to worry, simply get your elopement invitations out in good time.

We recommend sending your elopement invitations six to eight weeks before the ceremony date if you can. For super small gatherings or where you’re planning a small wedding ceremony in your hometown, you can get away with giving guests less notice. 

If you’re having a destination wedding or setting off on a road trip for a Las Vegas elopement, get your invites out extra early. This gives your guests plenty of time to consider travel arrangements and take time off work.

What to Include in Your Wedding Elopement Invitations

When it comes to wording ideas, your elopement invitations won’t differ too much from a traditional wedding invitation. You can go big and bold, traditional and formal, or keep things light and casual — whatever suits you and your partner best. To help you get started, here’s how to structure your elopement invitations. 

Your Names

Start with the most important detail — the two of you! Your elopement guests will know you pretty well, but it’s still a must-have line to feature on your invitations. Use the names that people know you by best, or opt for your full names if you prefer a more formal invitation.

Type of Wedding

It can be helpful to let your guests know that you’re planning an elopement. A smaller, more intimate wedding ceremony has a different atmosphere than a bigger celebration — which might change the outfit they choose or the gift they bring. Share that you’re eloping and that you’d love for them to be part of your special day.

Wedding Date and Time

Next up, cover some important ground — the wedding date and time. While traditional weddings often happen on the weekend, your smaller-scale wedding means you could plan something more unique during the week or at a more unusual time of day. 

Be sure to write out the day of the week and month to avoid confusion with date formatting — for example, instead of 04/16/2023, write Sunday, April 16, 2023 along with what time they should meet you there. Give yourself some buffer time for people to arrive, and state a time shortly before the ceremony is set to begin.

Wedding Location and Venue

Including the wedding day venue in your elopement invitations is just as important as the date and time. With so many options available for an elopement, this might be a location your guests have never visited. Include the full street address and a ZIP code to make it easy for people to find you, and include information on parking, public transport, or nearby hotels on your details panel or wedding website.

Dress Code

Many elopement ceremonies are casual or have a rustic, boho vibe. That doesn’t mean yours has to, though. Give your guests a clear idea of how to plan their wedding guest outfit by offering a basic dress code. Encourage them to come in cocktail wear or jeans and shorts — it’s up to you.

How to RSVP

After you cover the ceremony and reception details, let your guests know how they can RSVP. If you’re using online invitations, guests can RSVP in just a few clicks — it’s one more thing off their to-do list, and one less name for you to chase before you put your final numbers together. 

​Extra Details

Every elopement is unique, which means you might want to cover some extra details on your invitation. Share how your guests can provide menu preferences, make song requests, or if there’s a hashtag to use on social media for your post-wedding celebration. Include information on how they can send wedding gifts, or where they can find your wedding website for more details. 

Another Way to Use Elopement Invitations

Design: See That There

Many couples use elopement invitations to invite their closest friends and family members to join them for a small wedding ceremony, be it a minimony or micro wedding. But that’s not the only option.

You might decide to elope with just your fiance and an officiant, then invite everyone to a post-elopement party on another date. Fortunately, digital invitations from Greenvelope let you customize any design — including elopement announcement cards — to share the exciting news that you’re already married and invite people to your post-elopement wedding celebration. 

If you’re simply looking for fun marriage announcement ideas instead of sending a ceremony or wedding reception invitation, here are some phrases to consider for your elopement or wedding announcement card: 

• It’s no joke, we eloped! 
• Just married — we couldn’t wait! 
• Surprise, we’re married! 
• While we wed in secret, we’d love you to join us for a big celebration! 
• The timing was perfect, so we went for it! 
• We wed in an intimate ceremony in [Destination], and now want to celebrate with you
• We finally tied the knot! 

Let your personality shine through in your announcement. Go for something light and funny if your loved ones enjoy your sense of humor. You could also take the romantic route, and mention how wonderful it was to say your vows with only your loved one in sight.

How to Choose the Perfect Elopement Invitations

Design: Lisa McLean Designs

Before you can work on your wording and figure out how to structure your invitation, you’ll first need to find your dream design to act as the perfect backdrop for your elopement invitation, reception invite, or elopement announcement.

Decide on the Type of Invite You’re Sending

First of all, get clear on what you’re sending to your guests. You might have a list of people you want to invite to your ceremony, a separate list for a bigger post-wedding party, and a list of people you simply want to share your big news with afterwards.

If you’re sending an invitation to an elopement ceremony, look for a wedding invitation that you can customize. For a post-elopement party invite, a cocktail party invite is a great starting point. You can also consider marriage announcements that are ideal for elopements. 

Choose a Style You Love

Think about whether you want to go for a bold and bright design or something more minimalist. Maybe you prefer floral illustrations and delicate calligraphy or perhaps you want something with a more rustic, DIY feel. The goal is to select something that best expresses your personality as a couple.

Look for an Editable Design

At Greenvelope, all of our designs are easy to customize. You can transform a birthday party invitation into a super-cute elopement party invite, or turn a thank you card into an elopement announcement. This means you’re not restricted by what you see on the examples — you can truly make any design your own! 

Play around with color options, or ask our designers to create something even more bespoke with personalized colors. Change the wording, add extra lines, and shape your elopement invitations into the perfect match. 

Some of Our Favorite Elopement Invitation Designs

Ready to jump in and look for your dream elopement invitations? Here’s a handpicked selection of some of our favorite templates to inspire you. Don’t forget — each one can be personalized with your own wording to suit your elopement ceremony.

Dreamy Hues Invitation

Design: Flowie Studio

Invite your guests to a gorgeous elopement ceremony with this art-inspired Dreamy Hues invitation. Use the front cover for the main details of your small wedding ceremony, then share your timeline, menu, or other information on the reverse. 

Fancy Free Invitation

Design: Flowie Studio

Share a stunning photo of the two of you thanks to this Fancy Free invitation. It’s beautifully modern with a coziness that resonates with a more intimate celebration.

Open Bar Invitation

Design: Signature Greenvelope

Our Open Bar invitation is a great option if you want to put the focus on your after-party following a more relaxed ceremony. The contemporary design and inviting color palette (there are six colorways to choose from) makes this invite ideal for a casual get-together.

Beautiful Ampersand Invitation

Design: Owl and Toad

If there’s a photo from your engagement session or your collection of snaps that you’d love to feature, this beautiful photo invitation is perfect. There’s plenty of space on the reverse to fill your guests in on the details, leaving the front free for your photo to make a big impact. 

Let’s Do This Invitation

Design: Noonday Design

For an informal and fun event, our Let’s Do This invitation is the way to go. It’s ideal if your elopement is low-key and you want to focus on your love, future, and marriage instead of the ceremony itself. There’s something exciting about the call-out too — so it’s perfect if you’re throwing an epic party afterwards. 

Create and Send Personalized Elopement Invitations the Easy Way

Designing and sending your elopement invitations is a thrilling part of wedding planning. And it’s just as thrilling for your invited guests. For such a cozy and intimate ceremony, receiving one of your invites is a real VIP moment for your loved ones.

With Greenvelope, you can create and personalize your elopement invitations in moments. Find a design you love, choose your colors, customize your wording, and send to your guests from one easy dashboard. Explore our wedding invitations and begin creating your invites today.