3 Important Tips for Traveling to your Elopement Destination

How to plan and pack for your elopement when traveling to location

(updated for 2025)

1. When to plan to arrive to your elopement location

This is by far one of the biggest mistakes you can make when it comes to planning your elopement travel: Not arriving early enough or leaving too soon after.

We have had several couples tell us they regret not staying longer or arriving earlier. This effects your entire experience.

Our recommendation for the minimum amount of days at your location and arrival/departure plans is:

• Travel day
• Rest, settle in, unpack and prepare for elopement
• Elopement Day
• Rest, pack back up and maybe do something special
• Travel Day

There is a few reasons we recommend this as the bare minimum for travel and this is because:

• Without the day gaps you may be tired or stressed on your elopement day
• This allows you flexibility in the event of bad weather or sickness on your actual elopement date
• Rushing doesn’t allow you to create profound memories
• Any time shorter would also leave you not a lot of wiggly room in the event of delayed travel

It is important to add that if you want to sight see, hike and really explore the area you are planning to elope in this is still not enough time. We recommend really 5 days or a we minimum outside of the travel days to really get to enjoy your elopement destination.

2. When to book your travel to your elopement

Let’s dive into the perfect timing for booking your elopement travel! We’ve gathered our top tips to help you plan your journey strategically and cost-effectively.

1. Book Flights at the Sweet Spot For domestic flights, aim to book between 2-3 months before your departure date. Furthermore, international travelers should start monitoring prices 6-7 months ahead, with the ideal booking window being 4-5 months before the trip.
2. Secure Accommodations Early Start your accommodation search 8-12 months in advance, particularly if you’re eyeing unique stays like mountain cabins or beachfront properties. We recommend having your stay booked no later than at least 3 months prior if you want a good pick of options, even earlier for small areas like the Mt Baker region. Additionally, consider booking through platforms that offer free cancelation policies for flexibility.
3. Consider Seasonal Timing: If you are eloping during peak season you may want to book at least your rental car (especially if you need an off road rental) and stay earlier.

By following these strategic booking windows, you’ll not only secure better rates but also ensure a more relaxed elopement experience. Remember that summer months, particularly June through September, typically see the highest tourist traffic. Consequently, if you’re seeking more privacy and potentially better rates, consider planning your elopement during off-peak seasons.

If you are planning to camp be sure you know when reservations and permits open as they go very quickly. Put the opening time and date in your calendar and be prepared to snatch an opening. For example, when camp spots in Yosemite opened last year we had two computers up to get our reservations and already mapped out what spots we wanted – they booked out in seconds and we ended up in a back up camp spot!

Pro Tip: Something newer to consider when booking travel for your elopements is the National Park‘s timed ticketed entry. This is mostly parks out West in the mountains, but you want to be sure you and your guests have a timed ticketed entry for your elopement day and any other day you may want to go into the park.

EXTRA Pro Tip: We highly recommend not booking your stay until you know your exact locations and timeline for the elopement day. As on a map some locations may look close, but in can be hours of driving around mountains or canyons.

3. What to pack for your elopement travel

Alright! Travel plans are in place and you’re getting closer to the big event. What do you need to pack?

Here is a list of items no matter what you are doing on your elopement day or where you are going that you will need to bring with you:

• Attire for the day of, including any accessories – Learn how to pack your wedding dress for your flight here.
• The rings
• Marriage License (If you have already obtained it, if not you will need to bring the documents needed to obtain your marriage license. Typically this is just both of your IDs, but it could be different depending on state and country.)
• Vows

• ID and if you are flying overseas a Passport

• Re-useable water bottle
• Shoes – the shoes you want to wear during the ceremony or for photos, but I always suggest if you are doing any hiking to bring the proper shoes for the activity
• Any toiletries items you may need for the day of or the trip in general
• Chargers for phones

For practically an adventure elopement you may need to also pack these items:

• Headlamps
• Hiking boots
• Extra layers
• Backpack (day pack bag or backpacking pack)

Most importantly when you are packing be sure anything that is specific to your wedding day, of value or importance be sure it is apart of your carry on and not your checked baggage.

***Environmental Tip: Pack a re-usable bag so when you are out shopping locally you do not use plastic bags. Pack it in, pack it out where ever you are going and with anything and everything you bring with you! As always, practice Leave No Trace Behind Principals on your elopement day.

Want more elopement planning tips!? Check out more resources below.