Elopement Activity Ideas: 100+ Things to Do on Your Wedding Day
There is no required list of things to do on your elopement day. Some couples hike at sunrise, climb, paddle, or fly somewhere wild. Others sleep in, get a massage, have a private picnic set up in the forest, sail around islands, or drink cocktails on a beach until the sun goes down. Both are real weddings. Below are more than one hundred ideas, sorted by the kind of day you want, so you can pick the ones that sound like you and skip the rest.
When You Elope, the Day Belongs to You
Here is the thing nobody tells you about a traditional wedding. Almost none of it is for you.
The timeline exists so two hundred people know where to stand. The seating chart exists so your aunts don't have to sit together. The four hours of photos exist because there is a shot list of family combinations to get through. You spend a year planning, a fortune paying for it, and the whole day being handed from one task to the next. Most couples I talk to say the same thing afterward. It went by so fast and we barely talked to each other.
When you elope, all of that disappears. There is no cue to hit, no room to work, nobody to keep happy. You wake up on your wedding day and the only question is what do we want to do today.
And the answer can be honestly anything.
I think that scares some couples at first. A blank page is harder than a template. So let me fill the page in with ideas, and let me say the most important part up front: there is no correct way to do this.
The Adventurous Version (and Why It's Not the Only One)
If you have spent any time on Pinterest looking at elopements, you know the pictures. A couple in a dress and boots on a ridgeline. Someone getting married on a glacier. A helicopter parked on a beach. Sunrise from a summit with nobody else around.
I love those days. I shoot a lot of them and they're genuinely some of my favorite work.
But those photos are what gets posted, and that creates a weird impression: that eloping requires a nine mile approach hike and a pair of crampons. It doesn't. I have photographed couples who got married in a wildflower meadow twelve steps from where they parked, then spent the rest of the day eating cheese and drinking wine in the grass, and it was one of the most romantic days I have ever been part of.
Being adventurous is not a requirement. It's just one option. If your idea of a perfect day involves a hot tub, room service and a nap, that is a completely valid wedding day, and you should have it without one ounce of guilt.
So here are both versions, and everything in between.
Getting There Is Part of the Day
How you arrive is one of the easiest ways to make the day feel like an adventure, whether or not you want to break a sweat.
Hiking. Anything from a flat mile through the woods to a full day trek. This is the classic for a reason: the walk in is when you settle into the day. I know trails in every region I shoot and I'll match one to your legs, not to someone else's highlight reel.
Backpacking. Carry everything in, camp at the ceremony spot, wake up there married.
4x4 roads. Rent a Jeep, hire a driver, or take an ATV or UTV up a road most people never see. Half the fun is the drive.
Helicopter. Land on a glacier, a ridgeline, a remote beach or a mesa top. If you want somewhere wild but hiking isn't your thing, this is the cheat code.
Small plane or bush plane. Same idea, and often less expensive than people think in places like Alaska.
Hot air balloon. Sunrise over the valley, champagne when you land.
Horseback. Ride to your ceremony spot. It photographs beautifully and it's perfect at a ranch venue.
A boat. Get dropped on an island, a sandbar or a stretch of coast that has no road to it.
A vintage car, a convertible or a van. Windows down, good playlist, scenic highway.
Motorcycles. If that's who you are, that's the getaway shot of the year.
A gondola, tram or chairlift. Ski resorts run them in summer, and they get you to an alpine view in ten minutes.
A train. Some of the most beautiful mountain routes in the country are still running.
Kayak or canoe in. Paddle to a quiet shoreline and say your vows with the boats pulled up behind you.
Snowshoes or skis. Winter access to somewhere everyone else has to look at from the parking lot.
For the Adventurous Couple
If you two are happiest when your heart rate is up, build the day around that. Most of these need a certified guide and advance booking, so tell me early and we'll lock it in first.
Rock climbing or a multi pitch route
Bouldering
Rappelling off a cliff in your wedding clothes
Canyoneering or exploring a slot canyon
Via ferrata
Summiting a peak
Scrambling a ridgeline
Ice climbing a frozen waterfall
Glacier trekking
Caving
Paragliding
Hang gliding
Skydiving
Bungee jumping
Mountain biking
Gravel or road cycling a scenic pass
Trail running, if you're that couple
Slacklining
Sandboarding the dunes
Dune buggies
Zip lining
Surfing
Kiteboarding or windsurfing
Scuba diving
Freediving or snorkeling a reef
Whitewater rafting
Packrafting
Cliff jumping into an alpine lake
Dog sledding
Snowmobiling into the backcountry
Backcountry skiing or splitboarding
Heli skiing
On the Water
Water days are underrated. The light on the water at golden hour does half my job for me.
Paddleboarding at sunrise on a glassy lake
Kayaking or canoeing
A sailboat charter around the islands
A sunset cruise with champagne
A private boat to a hidden cove
Swimming in an alpine lake, if you're brave
Floating a slow river with drinks
Tubing
Jet skis
Whale watching or dolphin spotting
Tide pooling at low tide
A soak in a natural hot spring
Waterfall chasing, with a swim under one
Walking a quiet beach barefoot at sunset
Beach bonfire after dark
Fishing or fly fishing, if that's your thing
A lighthouse visit
Getting in the ocean in your wedding clothes, which I will always encourage
In the Snow
Snowshoeing to your ceremony spot
Cross country skiing
Downhill skiing or snowboarding
A snowmobile ride
A horse drawn sleigh ride
Sledding
Ice skating on a frozen pond
Building a snowman in wedding clothes
A snowball fight in the dress
Soaking in a hot spring while it snows
Warming up with hot chocolate or hot toddies in a cabin
Chasing the northern lights
If a snowy day sounds like you, my guide to winter elopements covers how to plan one and stay warm doing it.
For the Couple Who Just Wants to Relax
This is the section I wish more couples knew about. Not adventurous? Want to spend your wedding day doing absolutely nothing strenuous? Perfect. Some of the loveliest days I've photographed had a top speed of about two miles an hour.
Sleep in. Radical concept for a wedding day. Highly recommend it.
Make breakfast together at the cabin. Pancakes, coffee, music on, still in robes. This is some of my favorite footage of any elopement.
Order room service in your wedding clothes.
Get a couples massage or spend the morning at a spa.
A private picnic set up for you. There are companies in most destinations that will build you a low table in a forest clearing or on a bluff, with linens, pillows, flowers, a cheese board and champagne, waiting when you walk up. You show up, eat, and someone else packs it out. It's one of the easiest upgrades to a relaxed day.
Cocktails on the beach. Two chairs, your toes in the sand, the sun going down, nobody asking you anything.
A wine tasting or a winery afternoon. Vineyard rows at golden hour are gorgeous.
A brewery, cidery or distillery tour.
A long dinner at a restaurant you've been saving. Get the tasting menu. It's your wedding.
Coffee brewed over a camp stove at sunrise, wrapped in a blanket, watching the light come up.
A scenic drive with all the windows down and a playlist you made for each other.
Reading letters to each other. If you do one thing from this entire list, do this one. Write letters, read them separately before the ceremony, and let me stand far enough away. It's always the most honest ten minutes of the day.
Exchange gifts or a first look with your letters. More on how that works in my post on the elopement first look.
A hot tub with a view.
A hammock and an afternoon nap.
Yoga or stretching at sunrise.
Painting or sketching the view together. Some couples do a watercolor of the ceremony spot and frame it.
Reading books next to each other. Yes, that counts.
A bike ride on a flat, pretty path.
A slow walk through a botanical garden, an arboretum or a wildflower meadow.
A farmers market run for the picnic you're about to have.
A visit to a bookstore, a record shop or a small town main street.
A cooking class or a private chef dinner at the cabin.
Board games or cards by the fire.
A treehouse afternoon.
Taking Polaroids all day. I love these for elopement keepsakes, and they give you something to hold that night.
Planting a tree where you can visit it.
Writing in a shared journal you keep for anniversaries.
After Dark
Some of the best photos of any elopement happen after the sun is down. Don't end the day at sunset.
Stargazing on a blanket
Astrophotography portraits under the Milky Way
A campfire and s'mores
Cooking dinner over the fire
A first dance by firelight or string lights
A first dance in your headlights in a parking lot, which sounds silly and is unbelievably good
A night hike with headlamps
Lanterns
Sparklers, where they're allowed
Sleeping under the stars
Watching the sunset, then staying two more hours
A late night diner run in your wedding clothes
Chasing the aurora on a winter night
If You Have Guests, Kids or Dogs
Eloping doesn't mean nobody comes. A lot of my couples do a private ceremony and then bring everyone in for the fun part.
A hike your whole group can do
Yard games and lawn games at the cabin
A dance party in the living room
A family style dinner at one long table
A backyard movie night with a projector and a sheet
A photo booth or a stack of disposable cameras on the table
Karaoke
A campfire singalong
S'mores with the kids
A group toast at the overlook
Grandparents in camp chairs at the ceremony spot with a blanket and a thermos
A dog in a bow tie as your ring bearer
A hike with your dog and a picnic he's invited to
If your pup is coming, read my guide to including your dog in your elopement. For venues that fit the adventure and the guest list, I put together 34 adventure wedding venues guests can actually attend.
Camping and Glamping
Turn the day into a weekend by sleeping outside, either the hard way or the easy way.
Pitch your own tent at the ceremony spot
Book a guided backpacking trip where camp is set up for you
Rent a glamping setup with a real bed, rugs and a wood stove
Stay in an airstream, a yurt, a dome or an A frame
Rent a fire lookout for the night
Sleep in a van or a rooftop tent
Cowboy camp with no tent at all
Coffee in sleeping bags the morning after
My guide to cabins and unique stays has fifty one places to sleep, plus how to turn the cabin morning into part of your photos.
Ways to Make It Yours
Activities are only half of it. These are the small personal pieces that make a day feel like it could only have been yours.
Write your own vows, even if it's three sentences
Have a friend get ordained and marry you
A handfasting, a ring warming or a unity ceremony
Play an instrument or sing to each other
Say vows in both of your languages
A ritual from your family or culture
A toast to someone who couldn't be there
Carry a photo or a piece of jewelry from a grandparent
Wear something borrowed from your mom
Cook the meal you cooked on your first date
Recreate a photo from when you started dating
Read the first text you ever sent each other
Open a bottle you've been saving and bury a second one for your anniversary
Have someone paint or draw live at your ceremony
Send postcards to your people from the road that afternoon
Livestream or video call the ceremony to family at home
Have your dog carry the rings
Do your favorite normal thing, at your favorite normal place, because it's yours
How to Choose (You Can't Do All of This)
A hundred ideas is fun to read and impossible to schedule. Here is how I help couples narrow it down.
Pick two anchors, not ten. One activity in the morning and one in the evening, with slow time between, is a full and satisfying day. Three is pushing it. Four is a race.
Match the day to your actual energy. If you don't hike on weekends now, your wedding day is not the day to find out how you feel about nine miles. And if you do hike every weekend, don't let anyone talk you into a hotel ballroom.
Book the guided stuff first. Helicopters, permits, boat charters, climbing guides and glamping setups sell out and dictate the rest of the timeline. Lock those in, then we build the day around them.
Leave a hole in the middle. Midday light is harsh, popular spots are crowded, and you will be tired. That's your lunch, your nap, your hot tub, your nothing.
Keep one thing sacred. The letters, the private ceremony, the sunset. Whatever it is, we protect it and everything else can flex.
Have a rain version. A cabin day with a fire, a hot spring in the mist, a foggy forest that ends up better than the blue sky version. Weather is not a ruined day, it's a different one.
Leave no trace. No confetti, no petals on the trail, stay on durable surfaces, pack out everything. We get to keep these places if we take care of them.
For how all of this fits into an actual schedule, hour by hour, read my adventure elopement timeline guide with seven sample itineraries.
I'll Help You Build the Day
You don't have to sort through a hundred ideas alone, and you definitely don't have to arrive at our first call with a plan.
It starts with a conversation about who you two are. What you do on a Saturday. Whether you're morning people. Whether one of you secretly hates hiking and has been too polite to say it. From there I help you pick the location, time the day around the light, find the guides and the picnic company and the cabin, and hand you a written timeline with drive times and a backup plan.
Then on the day, you don't think about any of it. You just go do the thing you love with the person you love, and I stay out of the way and photograph it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do you actually do on an elopement day?
Anything you want. Most couples build the day around one or two activities they love, plus the ceremony, portraits at sunrise or sunset, and a meal. That might be a hike, a paddle, a helicopter ride, a private picnic, a spa morning, a sailboat, or a slow day at a cabin. The ceremony itself usually takes twenty to thirty minutes, and the rest of the day is yours.
Do we have to hike to elope?
Nope! Hiking photos are what you see most on social media, but plenty of stunning locations are a few steps from the car, and plenty of couples skip nature entirely in favor of a beach, a vineyard, a rooftop or a cozy cabin. Your elopement should match your real life, not a trend.
What can we do on a relaxed elopement day?
A slow breakfast at your cabin, a couples massage, a private picnic set up in the forest or on a bluff, a wine tasting, cocktails on the beach, a sailing charter, a hot tub with a view, a long dinner and a first dance under string lights. Relaxed days photograph beautifully because you're comfortable and unhurried.
How many activities should we plan for our elopement?
Two is the sweet spot for most couples: one in the morning and one in the evening, with slow time in between. Three is possible on a long day. More than that and the day starts to feel like a schedule instead of a wedding. Or spread your wedding day over multiple days/locations then you can do more activities! I’m currently planning my own elopement it’s over 2 days in 2 different spots!
Can we bring guests to an adventure elopement?
Yes. Many couples do a private ceremony at sunrise and bring family and friends in later for dinner, a campfire or a hike everyone can manage. You can also choose a location that has both wild scenery and easy access so grandparents and kids can be there for the whole thing.
More Planning Guides
Two Day Elopement Timeline: Creating the Wedding of Your Dreams
Yosemite Elopement Timeline Ideas: How to Plan Your Wedding Day
Your Love. Your Story. Your Way.
There is no list you're supposed to be checking off. There's no version of this day that counts more because it was harder to get to. The couple on the summit at 5am and the couple with cocktails on the sand at 5pm are having the exact same wedding: one day, entirely theirs, spent doing what they love with the person they love.
Pick the things that sound like you. Skip everything else. I'll help you build the day around them.
Reach out here and tell me what your perfect day looks like.
