Are elopements selfish? You might be surprised to hear it, but this one is true. And before you click away, hear me out!

Here’s the thing: why shouldn’t a wedding be selfish? When you think about what a wedding really is, it’s a day to celebrate you and your partner choosing to commit to each other for the rest of your lives. It’s celebrating the very beginning of your marriage. Also, YOU are choosing all of the aspects and decor for your wedding — the vibe, colors, activities, etc. I could go on. YOU are choosing all of the vendors — the people you think are most qualified to carry out your vision. You’re making the entire day about you, rightfully so!

So with that being said, technically ALL weddings are selfish. It doesn’t make elopements more or less selfish than traditional wedding days. They’re equally selfish, in a great and perfect way. 💕

Here’s where people get hung up on this word. Being selfish is not inherently wrong. Think about self-care. You’re literally taking care of yourself, for YOUR benefit only. Does that make it selfish? Of course not. Self-care is revered universally, especially after the dumpster fire of 2020. But still, the fact remains that self-care is done for the benefit of one person, and no one else — which is the definition of being selfish. So why the double standard?

When we do things that are considered “selfish” they’re often instances where we are prioritizing our own needs over those of others; and not the other way around. It does not mean that we don’t care about the other person’s needs, it simply means we value ours more. They’re instances where we say “no” to others so we can say “yes” to ourselves. Elopements are simply a manifestation of that concept! More often than not, couples are saying “no” to many more things than for a traditional wedding day (in order to say “yes” to themselves), and the collective thinking of our society isn’t used to it — thus the stigma that elopements are selfish.

So, are elopements selfish? Yes. The bottom line is that all weddings are selfish. There is also nothing wrong with that word; and as long as you’re happy about the way you get married, that’s all that matters!

To see what a real-life (and mid-COVID) elopement looks like, head over here!