In This Article
Elopement. A wedding in which the couple deliberately marries with few or no guests beyond legally required witnesses, often in a destination location chosen by the couple. The modern usage describes a chosen, planned, photographed event; distinct from the older usage that implied secrecy or escape from family disapproval.
Where the term comes from
The English word elope dates to the 14th century with meanings around escape and absconding; the marriage-specific usage stabilized in the 17th and 18th centuries, often connoting unsanctioned marriages contrary to family wishes. The contemporary American meaning is significantly broader: a chosen small wedding without the older transgressive overtone. Wedding photographers operating in elopement destinations (the Dolomites, Iceland, the American Southwest, Tulum) drove much of the modern semantic shift in the 2010s.
How it shows up in real life
A couple chooses to elope to a high mountain pass in Patagonia. They hire a local photographer, hire an officiant, invite four people total (two witnesses, two parents), spend the week of the wedding on the trail, and host a casual party for friends and extended family three months later in their home city. Every step is planned. Nothing is secret. The elopement is the wedding.
Common misuses
Elope is sometimes used to suggest something rushed or rebellious, in line with the older meaning. Most modern elopements are neither. The other misuse is calling any small wedding an elopement; an elopement is distinguished by the deliberate exclusion of most guests in favor of a defined intimate event, often in a destination chosen for the location itself rather than for guest convenience.
