When you’re searching for ways to make your Florida elopement unique, you probably are met with more cringe than ideas, amiright? Basic ceremony set ups on the beach with no pizzazz. After meeting with hundreds of eloping couples planning a Florida elopement, I quickly realized that most couples view Florida elopements as quick and dirty. While those types of elopements have a place, the root of this stigma is that couples are not being inspired on ways to make their Florida elopement unique! And I’m here to change that…

After helping dozens of couples plan their elopements, I’ve discovered the 8 ways that couples can make their Florida elopement unique to them and I’m here to share it with you!

Here’s my list of 8 ways to make your Florida elopement epic! After reading the blog, please leave a comment and let me know how you plan to make your Florida elopement unique!

1. Add Your Personalities & Interests

While adding in your personalities and interests seems like the obvious answer, this is the most overlooked by couples! When you’re planning your Florida elopement, look for ways to include things you love to do together throughout your day. This could be as simple as finding a cute local coffee shop for morning coffee together, adding some brewery stops along the way, watching the sunset together on the west coast, or enjoying live music at a cool dive bar. This day is about who you are as a couple and it’s only fitting that the day include elements of what makes the two of you…you!

2. Plan an Adventure

Including your interests is definitely the start of making your Florida elopement unique, but what really sets the bar high is adding in an adventure! The adventure spectrum is broad here in Florida and doesn’t need to be as crazy as hiking a 14er before swapping vows (also impossible in Florida). An adventure can be anything from renting a boat and watching the sunrise all the way to kayaking down one of Florida’s blue springs. Adventure is relative, but this is the most exciting way to make your Florida elopement unique. Here’s a list of common Florida adventure elopements:

• Sport fishing in Fort Pierce
• Wildlife watching (dolphins, manatees, etc.) in the Indian River
• Kayaking at King’s Landing
• Horseback riding on the beach
• Off-Roading in Central Florida
• Airboating in the Everglades
• Duval bar crawl
• Renting mopeds in Key West
• Paddleboarding
• Booze cruising on a boat
• Hanging on a sandbar
• Hitting up a theme park in Orlando
• Ziplining in Ocala
• Scuba Diving/Free Diving in the Florida Keys
• Camping on the beach

3. Add an Activity

This seems redundant to number 1 and 2, but hear me out! After you’ve included your hobbies and interests and an adventure, be sure to pair it with an activity! This is something small and fun that you might not do in your normal day to day. For example, after you’ve gone horseback riding on the beach, you come back to a luxury picnic with champagne and munchies. Or maybe after you’ve got morning coffee and went sport fishing in the Atlantic, you can mix up some gin cocktails on the boat and take in the day. Here’s a list of activity ideas you can include in your Florida elopement day:

• Hiring a luxury picnic company
• Mixing cocktails
• Making s’mores by the campfire
• Playing a fun card game
• Go to a wine tasting
• Making pizzas together back at your AirBnB
• Swimming at the beach
• Rent a vintage car

4. Find an Awesome AirBnB

Your elopement is more than just swapping vows in a tropical location! It’s an entire experience and should be treated accordingly. That means booking an AirBnB that feels like an adventure, a luxury, or complete getaway. Making your elopement unique doesn’t stop at what you do for your elopement day. Wake up with a view in the most comfy bed you’ve ever stayed. Get ready in a luxury bathroom. Spend your elopement evening in the jacuzzi on the best back porch you’ve ever seen. If you need some inspiration on finding an AirBnB for your Florida elopement, check out this blog for the best AirBnBs for Florida elopements!

5. Don’t Forget About the Food

Food is the next BIG thing for making your Florida elopement unique! I’ve had couples go as simple as artisan pizza to locally renowned food halls to 5-star restaurants for their elopements. There’s no right answer for what you can do for food, but one thing is certain – include a fun food experience that feels memorable!

6. Bring Your Dog(s)

Ugh, if there’s one thing about our elopement that I regret, it’s not bringing our dog, Pepper! Bringing your fur babies is a huge bonus for making your elopement unique. There’s nothing like a good portrait in your wedding attire with your doggo(s). Bringing your dog makes things a little more complicated, but it doesn’t need to be! Finding dog-friendly adventures, activities, and AirBnBs is easier than you think!

7. Include Special Moments

Including small, special moments throughout the day can increase the excitement of your elopement! A special moment is a simple addition to your day that brings joy, happiness, and excitement. Special moments can be anything you want it be. Here are some of my favorite special moments:

• Writing/reading love letters to each other
• Buying a special bottle of champagne or whiskey to drink
• Reading letters from your family
• FaceTiming with your family after you’ve swapped vows
• Adding a unity ceremony
• Bringing a polaroid with you throughout the day
• Collecting momentos from each of your stops
• Getting a tattoo together

8. Find an Elopement Photographer

Florida is notorious for cheap elopements, but your elopement is so much more than a wham, bam, thank you ma’am experience. Consider investing in a Florida elopement photographer to plan and capture your elopement. Elopement photographers focus on understanding your elopement vision; finding activities, and adventures that align with your vision; planning and curating a day that’s 100% percent you; and helping figure out the logistics of your elopement! These moments are once in a lifetime, and having a local expert on your side to bring your elopement vision to life is SO worth it. Need help finding the right elopement photographer? Check out this resource for some guidance!

And if you already feel like we vibe? Let’s get to planning, boo!