The Guide to Planning Your Minnesota Elopement
Congrats!
You’ve decided to have the most intimate wedding celebration ever. An elopement in Minnesota is by far—in my opinion—one of the most beautiful experiences you’ll ever have.
Not only are you choosing to immerse yourself in one of the BEST states in the US (unapologetically biased here), you are also choosing to do it in the most intentional way, where every detail is a reflection of who you two are AKA exactly what you want—it is one of the most important days of your life.
Needless to say, you want to make sure you know what you’re doing. And that’s why I’ve created this ultimate guide to planning your Minnesota elopement. I mean we talk: legalizing your marriage; why you love Minnesota; what to consider when finalizing your big decisions; location and date; vendors, and so much more.
Let’s get to the nitty gritty of things!
Obtain a Minnesota Marriage License to Make it Legal
Before getting married, Minnesota requires for you to apply for a marriage license in-person with a photo ID such as a driver’s license or passport. You can get your marriage license from any county in Minnesota as long as your 18 years old. The cool thing is your license is valid for up to 6 months and you can have your ceremony anywhere!
Tip: Google “[your county] marriage license” and the results will take you right where you need to be.
Who Can Marry You and Do You Need Witnesses
Minnesota requires for an authorized officiant/minister who’s at least 21 years of age to perform your ceremony. Two witnesses that are 18+ years of age are also required.
Most couples actually fill out the paperwork and officialize the marriage locally before the elopement day. For example, my husband and I had my cousin perform our ceremony with my mother-in-law and father-in-law as witnesses. We signed our marriage license at home and two months later eloped to Punta Cana for our celebration! That’s us pictured below 😉
You can also invite a family or friend who’s authorized to officiate your ceremony. If you prefer to not have any guests, I’m ordained in Minnesota and can perform your ceremony! We can always ask amazing bystanders to sign as witnesses because who wouldn’t want to be of witness to such a joyous celebration??
Start Dreaming About Your Elopement
Now that the legalities are out of the way, start dreaming! This is the time to dream as big as you can because the best way to start brainstorming, is to do it with no limitations in mind.
If you could say your vows anywhere in Minnesota, where would you go?
questions to get your brain warmed up
What does Minnesota mean to you?
Where was your first date and what about it made it so memorable?
What are your favorite hobbies and activities to do together? Is it movie nights? Checking out new breweries? Exploring Tettegouche State Park and hiking the trails?
When you close your eyes and think about your elopement day, what do you hear? The autumn breeze?
Distant conversations between courteous and mild-mannered residents (you know, why we’re “Minnesota Nice”)?
What do you smell? Pine? Baked apple strudel?
How do you feel? Relaxed? Excited? Adventurous?
What are you doing on your day together? Are you sitting on the pebbly sand of Black Beach enjoying the view of Lake Superior? Are you canoeing the Boundary Waters? Skiing down the slopes of the Afton Alps? Or simply slow dancing under the stars at Voyageurs National Park?
What have been the best days you two have had together, just the two of you.
Finalize the Big Decisions
Now that you have a vision for your Minnesota elopement, it’s time to start honing in on your big decisions.
choose a date
What season would you like to elope in? We are blessed in Minnesota because we get the best (and worst) of all four seasons! Did you envision a fall day with red, orange and yellow leaves? Or were you thinking winter because of the smell of pine boughs, evergreens, and snow?
What time of day? Think about rush hour, foot traffic of visitors/tourists, and how much privacy you’d like.
What does this actual date mean to you? If nothing now, what will it mean to you in the future?
how long will your elopement be
Are you considering a multi-day elopement where the first day is all about the two of you, followed by celebrating with friends and family on the second day?
Have you considered transportation and travel time?
What activities are you thinking of for the both of you to enjoy on your elopement day?
How do you want to end the day?
choose a location
It’s ok to not have an exact location in mind yet (pssst…location planning assistance is something I provide!) but start thinking about the specific regions of Minnesota. What are you resonating with in that particular region?
Are permits required? Are there restrictions and what are they elopement policies?
Think about how far in advance you’d have to reserve a date if reservations are required.
Location, Location, Location!
Organized by Minnesota regions, here are some of my favorite indoor and outdoor location ideas that offer a mix of natural beauty and unique indoor venues.
Research Vendors and Schedule Consultations
At last, the fun part—where you get to see it all come together!
Starting doing research on your vendors. After a Google search, I would suggest narrowing down your options by using Instagram! As a visual person, seeing their feed is so helpful.
Talk to friends and family who were past brides and grooms about their vendors. Ask them what they were looking for in a vendor and if the vendor they hired met those desires. Make sure to ask if there’s anything they wished their vendor did differently and most importantly, if they feel a specific vendor actually wasn’t necessary.
Finally, book those consultation calls and meet your vendor (virtually or in-person). It may sound like an extra step (and you may even feel like you don’t have time for it) but trust me, it makes all the difference in the world. Nothing hurts me more than reading a horror Reddit story about a couple who chose not to meet their vendor before their wedding.
common vendors that elopement couples book
- Photographer (thasss me!)
- Videographer
- HMUA
- Hairstylist
- Florists
Finally, have the best day ever!
I may have spent more time writing everything above, but this is the most important part of it all:
Slow down and BE on your elopement day!
Don’t worry about anyone or anything else and just be present on your day. Soak it all in because it comes and goes fast. Have fun, relax, and CELEBRATE.
KIND WORDS
Made me feel so comfortable and was not afraid of trying anything new.
THE COMPLETE
Lookbook
Use this paragraph to introduce your complete shoot.
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