Choosing to elope feels bold and exciting, until the quiet questions start showing up. At first, it’s simple: Let’s just do this our way. And then your brain says:

“But what about…?”
“What if…?”
“Should we…?”

These are the real 10 Questions You’ll Wrestle With Before You Elope, not surface-level logistics, but the deeper things couples genuinely sit with before making this decision. If you’re in that space right now, good. It means you care. Let Jim Thorpe Elopements walk through them properly.

1. Where Should We Elope?

This is rarely about a pretty backdrop, so instead, start here:

Where have you always wanted to go together?

Is there somewhere on your bucket list?
A country you talk about visiting “one day”?
A mountain range that makes your chest feel bigger just looking at photos?
A lake town you visited once and never stopped thinking about?

Maybe it’s outside the US. Maybe it’s five hours from home. Maybe it’s somewhere that holds meaning, the place you first said “I love you,” the city where you survived a hard season together, the beach you always return to.

Then ask yourselves:
What kind of scenery actually moves us?

Do you picture:

• Wide, cinematic mountain views?
• Lakes at sunset?
• Autumn foliage?
• Desert silence?
• Snow-covered mountains?
• A historic town?
• An indoor space with character and warmth?

Some couples crave epic landscapes. Others want intimacy and texture, brick walls, old architecture, soft light indoors. If you’re drawn to a place that offers both nature and history, somewhere like Jim Thorpe quietly gives you that balance without needing to travel across multiple states.

The right location isn’t “what’s trending.” It’s what feels like you.

2. Are We Telling Family And When?

This is one of the most emotional questions you’ll wrestle with before you elope.

Do you tell them before you book?
After you book?
After it’s done?
Do you tell some people and not others?

Sometimes, couples aren’t scared of eloping; they’re scared of reactions.

If you’re sitting with that knot in your stomach, we’ve written something specifically for that moment: How to tell your family you’re eloping without the guilt and drama. There is no gold star for doing it the “brave” way or the “traditional” way. There’s only one way that protects your relationship.

3. What Do We Actually Want the Day to Feel Like?

Not look like. Feel like.

Do you want slow and quiet?
Do you want laughter and movement?
Do you want tears and intensity?
Do you want something playful and light?

Are you planning on hiking somewhere breathtaking?
Are you getting ready together in a cosy room?
Are you standing in dramatic weather with wind in your hair?
Are you inside somewhere warm and candlelit?

This question shapes everything else.

4. Can We Handle Planning This, Or Do We Want/Need Support?

Some couples love planning. They’ll research marriage licences for fun. Others read “county clerk office” and feel their shoulders tense.

If you’re eloping somewhere new, you’ll likely need to figure out:

• Marriage licence requirements
• Waiting periods
• Whether you need an officiant
• Whether self-uniting is allowed
• Witness rules
• Local vendors
• Permits
• Travel logistics
• Accomodation

If that excites you, amazing. If it already feels slightly overwhelming, this is where working with a specialist Elopement Team (who just happen to be exceptional photographers) changes everything.

Take a look at why Jim Thorpe Elopements not only photographs your elopement, but we’ll also guide you through the legal and practical details, so you don’t spiral on Google at midnight. Eloping should feel freeing, not like a second job.

5. Book An Officiant or Self-Uniting?

One of the most practical (and confusing) questions you’ll wrestle with before you elope is this: How does the ceremony actually work legally?

If you’re eloping in Pennsylvania, you have the option of a self-uniting ceremony, meaning you can legally marry without an officiant. For some couples, that level of intimacy feels incredibly powerful, just the two of you making it official in your own words.

But what if you’re planning somewhere else?

Here’s what you need to check, wherever you’re eloping:

• Is there a waiting period for the marriage licence?
• Do you both need to apply in person?
• Are blood tests required? (Some places still do.)
• Are witnesses mandatory?
• Can a friend officiate?
• Does the officiant need to be registered locally?
• How long is the licence valid for?

If you’re planning outside your home state, or especially outside the US, the legal side can get more complex. For international elopements, couples often discover:

• Residency requirements
• Translation requirements
• Apostille or certification paperwork
• Mandatory notice periods
• Extra document verification

The most important thing? Separate the emotional ceremony from the legal paperwork in your mind. The magic is in your vows and experience. The paperwork is just administration.

If you’re thinking about Pennsylvania, Jim Thorpe offers a straightforward legal process. We work with a trusted team of officiants who tailor each ceremony to you. Plus, Pennsylvania also offers the option to self-unite, one of the reasons so many couples are drawn here.

At Jim Thorpe Elopements, we guide couples through every legal step locally. But even if you’re planning elsewhere, these are the questions you’ll want clarity on early.

Because nothing kills romance faster than discovering you needed to file something 30 days ago.

6. What Season Speaks to Us?

Season changes everything:

Fall feels dramatic and golden.
Winter feels private and cinematic.
Summer feels alive and open.
Spring feels fresh and hopeful.

What season do you both love the most, not just visually, but emotionally?

If Fall foliage is your dream, booking early really matters; October is without a doubt the most sought-after time of year. The mountains turn deep gold and burnt orange, the air feels crisp, and everything has that cosy, cinematic energy couples fall in love with.

If you love snow, winter elopements can feel incredibly intimate and peaceful, with quieter streets and misty mountain views. Just remember, snow is never guaranteed, so a little flexibility will help you fully embrace whatever the season brings.

If you love long days and golden light, summer can be a wonderful time to elope. The scenery is lush, sunsets last longer, and there’s a vibrant, celebratory energy in the air. With more daylight to explore and enjoy the moment, summer elopements feel warm, joyful, and full of life.

If spring feels symbolic to you, it’s a beautiful time to elope. Think fresh air, soft light, blooming flowers, and that quiet sense of new beginnings. Spring elopements feel hopeful, gentle, and full of possibility, like the start of your marriage. Things also tend to be quieter around springtime.

7. Weekend or Weekday?

Weekends feel familiar. They’re what we’ve always been told weddings “should” be: a Saturday, as guests will be travelling in, everything centred around that one traditional day.

Weekdays feel like you’ve stepped slightly outside normal life. There’s something intentional about choosing a Monday or Friday and turning it into a long weekend for the two of you. You’re not squeezed into the busiest day of the week. You’re creating space.

A weekday elopement often means quieter streets, more privacy at scenic locations, easier dinner reservations, cheaper transport and accommodation costs, and vendors with more flexibility. It can also allow you to spread your experience out and add some activities or go sightseeing or catch train ride!

There’s something quietly rebellious about choosing a random Tuesday simply because it felt right.

8. Do We Want More Than Just a Ceremony?

What if you also make plans to hike somewhere meaningful? Book a private chef? Dine somewhere beautiful and luxurious in the evening? Book a Spa experience? Explored a new town together the next day? Book a scenic train ride like the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway?

Or (the wild card option) book a couple’s boudoir session, something intimate, playful, and completely different, before or after you say your vows?

Elopements don’t have to feel like an appointment squeezed into a schedule. They can unfold like an experience, layered, personal, and memorable in a way that feels far bigger than a single moment

9. Even If Family Isn’t There, How Do We Include Them?

This question carries more weight than people admit.

You might deeply want privacy. A day that feels calm, intentional, and protected. But at the same time, you might not want distance. You might not want anyone feeling forgotten. That tension is real and completely normal.

Eloping doesn’t have to mean emotional separation.

Some couples read handwritten letters from family during their ceremony and tuck them into a keepsake box afterwards. Others record a video message to send later that evening, sharing what the day meant to them while it’s still fresh and emotional. Some plan a relaxed dinner or celebration weeks later, so the family still has a moment to gather and celebrate. Others reveal their photographs in person, turning that first viewing into its own special event.

Involving family doesn’t have to change the intimacy of your elopement. It can simply extend it. If you’re unsure how to balance privacy and inclusion, this may help: Want an intimate Elopement but still involve family, here’s how!

You don’t have to choose between honouring your relationship and honouring your family. With a little intention, you can absolutely do both.

10. Are We Brave Enough to Do This Our Way?

This is the quietest of the 10 Questions You’ll Wrestle With Before You Elope and often the most important.

Are we allowed to do this differently?
Are we allowed to disappoint expectations?
Are we allowed to choose calm over chaos?

For many couples, the hesitation isn’t about location or season. It’s about permission. Permission to prioritise their relationship over tradition. Permission to design a day around meaning instead of obligation.

Most couples aren’t stuck on scenery. They’re stuck on giving themselves the green light. And once they do, everything shifts.

Planning elopements isn’t something we “also offer.” It’s what we do best at Jim Thorpe Elopements.

We help couples think clearly, guide them through the legal details, choose the perfect location, and shape an experience that feels intentional, personal, and completely aligned with who they are.

We can provide flowers, hair and makeup, and even a beautiful cake to take your day from simple to extraordinary. We work with trusted vendors and venues who care as much as we do, so everything feels seamless rather than stressful.

And all the while, we make sure your memories are captured in a way you’ll look back on time and time again, remembering exactly how it felt! Why not download our free Elopement Checklist, which will help you figure out some of the answers to these questions.

If you’re wrestling with these 10 questions before you elope, you’re not behind. You’re exactly where most couples begin. And that’s a beautiful place to start.