Thinking of elopement activity ideas can feel a bit overwhelming. Most couples might think that the most they want is just a ceremony, some nice photos...and well...not much else.But we like to encourage people to think of their elopement as the blank slate for the coolest, most amazing date you & your partner ever go on. If you're purposefully not incorporating a lot of wedding traditions because you want something fresh, personal, and meaningful, then why not make your day full of things that are precisely that? The best place to start here is to think of what you already love to do together, and incorporate those things first. Then, if you still need ideas here's a big huge list of all our favorite elopement activity ideas for you, your partner (and your loved ones, if they're coming along). You can do these before, after, or during your ceremony, the sky is your limit here.

Incorporate an outdoor activity you love to do together!

This is a big one. While many of our couples choose to include hiking or backpacking into their elopement, there's tons of amazing outdoor activities and you can include as many as you want! Rock climbing, canyoneering, kayaking, canoeing, roller blading, skiing, skating, snowmobiling, zip-lining, spelunking, biking, horse back riding, off roading, sailing, etc. There are so. many. options!

Get In The Water

Run into the ocean! Or stand underneath a big waterfall! Jump in a lake, puddles, or a swimming pool! Out of all the elopement day activities, this is always a favorite. Nothing says just married like getting soaked and having absolutely no cares in the world.

Pack a Picnic

Literally everybody loves picnics! You can bring an awesome charcuterie spread, a collection of donuts and coffee, a tasting flight of whiskey and wedding cake, or any kind of your favorite picnic foods. String up a hammock, fly a kite, play some lawn games, and just relax.

Cook A Meal Together

For lots of couples, cooking together is a big source of quality time, so you can make a meal together on your wedding day! You can take this chance to tackle a new recipe together, or make a crowd favorite that you've enjoyed many times already.

Keep It Cozy

There's no rules that say you have to be outdoors all day. On your elopement day, you can read books together, make some tea or coffee or hot chocolate, cuddle up in front of a fireplace, play boardgames or do a puzzle together, play some of your favorite records, bake some bread, knit, crochet, play videogames, draw, paint, craft, nap.

Make It a Bonfire

If you're in an area that allows for campfires, make a bonfire! Everyone loves s'mores & campfire stories. Make sure there are no fire bans in the area & you fully extinguish the fire before the end of the night. 😉 You can check out our Leave No Trace Guide for weddings and elopements for more detail on this too!

Stay Up & Stargaze

There's some awesome apps that will show the constellations, planets, galaxies, and their names. Particularly in the backcountry, light pollution is at a minimum and you can see the night sky in incredible detail. If you have a fancy telescope or can borrow one from a friend, that's always a plus too. We can get some incredible portraits of the two of against the night sky as well! They're a ton of fun. In some parts of the world, you can also see the northern lights, biolumenescence, and certain types of wildlife that are only active at night, all of which are great reasons to stay up after dark!

Get Out on the Water

If you're eloping in the summer, some great ideas are tubing, kayaking, canoeing, snorkeling, paddleboarding, jet-skis, sailing, boating, swimming, or just pulling out one of those oversized pool floaties and relaxing in a mountain lake, whatever floats your boat (Sorry, we had to).

Get Outdoors in the Winter

For winter and cold weather elopements, a great idea is to go snowshoeing, skiing, snowboarding, or maybe just build a snowman and have a snowball fight. Cozy up in front a fire, make hot chocolate and admire the blizzard outside, go iceskating, iceclimbing, or enjoy a sled dog ride or a horse drawn carriage.

Engage with Nature

We love nature so much and getting to see how every couple has different ways they love to interact with nature is so fun, and it's a great place to start when thinking about what activities to bring into your elopement day! You can go birding or birdwatching, go mushroom hunting, identify wildflowers, try to name every kind of tree you encounter, press flowers or leaves that you find, skip stones across the water, feed some ducks (if it's allowed!), forage for some tasty berries, identify rocks formations & learn about the local geology, stop and read all the interpretive signs on the trail, bring binoculars and watch for wildlife, spend time soaking in the sun, go tidepooling and look for marine life.

Book A Guided Tour or Activity

Especially if you're visiting a new place together for your elopement, booking a guided tour or a professionally led activity is such a great way to spend your elopement day and experience the best of what the area has to offer! You could go whale watching, dog-sledding, book a wildlife encounter or guided hike, a snorkel or scuba dive, a guided kayak tour, glacier climbing, biking, ice cave tours, packrafting, canyoneering, rock climbing, hot air balloon ride, 4x4 driving or off road tours, ATV tours, horseback riding, helicopter rides, seaplane flights, boat rides, winery tours, museum tours, get a tattoo, wine tasting, cooking classes, white water rafting, and so many other incredible options.

Create Art Together

It's your wedding day, and that's some pretty great inspiration. You can take some time in the day to paint, watercolor, draw, throw pottery, sculpt, knit, crochet, sew, woodwork, make jewelry, and all other kinds of artistic activities together! Maybe play around with a new artistic medium, or try an entirely new craft neither of you have ever done together.

Make Some Music

If you're more musically minded, you can set aside some time to make or play some music for your spouse, or listen to your favorite music together.

Go on a Helicopter Tour

An amazing option to see the most possible scenery in the least amount of time, without any of the usual hiking required, or if you just wanna see the sights and soak in some scenery in a new way. As a bonus, it makes for increddddible photos.

Stay in Touch with Loved Ones

You can plan time for a video chat or phone call with the family, if they're far away on your wedding day. Some couples will choose to record a video for their friends and family on their cell phones if they're out of cell service (we'll happily lend a hand if you need someone to help record). We've also got a whole blog post about how to include loved ones in your elopement too.

Head to Your Favorite Dive Bar

or drive-in after your ceremony to celebrate in cozy, comfortable style. We have some favorite hole-in-the-wall delicious favorites in basically every mountain town in Washington at this point, so reach out if you need help finding a place.

Pop Some Champagne

A victory toast is always a good idea. This is one of my favorite elopement activities, obviously for the photo op, but also because when else in your life to you get to spray champagne everywhere and have a ball doing it?

Have a First Dance

There's something so special about two people, dancing to their favorite song, out in the most beautiful place, just totally encapsulated in the music and the beautiful scenery and each other. It's so beautiful and one of my favorite parts of any elopement day.

P.S. Don't forget about the food!!

Now that you have a good idea of what elopement activities you can include into your day, we have a whole article of awesome options for couples who are curious what their options are when it comes to elopement day food. Because a good marriage is one that is filled with delicious food, or at least we think so!

Looking into Eloping? Here's Other Helpful Things To Know!