Your Elopement Checklist

So you two crazy kids have made the decision to elope.  Now what?  Hopefully this handy little checklist will set you off on your marry way. (See what I did there? *snort*)

1. Budget - You can go ultra inexpensive and get married for the cost of your license + the ceremony fee at the Justice of the Peace's office.  Or you could run off to your dream vacation spot and plunk down a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.  Items to include in your budget if you so desire: license, location, officiant, his & hers (or his & his or hers & hers) attire, flowers, photographer, and a celebratory dinner for two, perhaps?
2. Date - Decide when you're gonna do it.  TIP: A lot of locations and photographers will give you a discount if you get married Monday-Thursday.
3. Friends & Family - Are you going to tell them before or after?  Traditional eloping rules say not to tell them but the modern definition says, "what they heck, bring a few of them along!".
4. Location - Are you staying local or are you heading off to that dream vacation spot of yours?  Maybe just a short road trip out of town for a day or two?
5. Legal Things - Check what the rules are for getting married in the location you have chosen.  Somethings you may run into: waiting periods, need for blood tests or witnesses, or you may need to provide your divorce documents if you were married before or birth certificates.  Don't put learning these very important things off until the day of your elopement.  Nobody wants to be sent home from the clerk's office empty handed because of a minor oversight. 
6. Reservations/Bookings/Appointments - Now is the time to make all those phone calls and get your name in the time slot.  Location?  Officiant?  Photographer?  Flowers?  Plane tickets?  Doctor appointment?  Hair salon?
7. Attire - Remember that from the budget?  Dress up or dress down.  It doesn't matter.  It's your day and you're doing this the way YOU want.  You can not spend anything by picking something you already own out of your closet or spend a little on non-"wedding" outfits or you can spend a lot by renting a tux and purchasing a real wedding gown.
8. ELOPE! - You've crossed all your t's and dotted your i's and now it's your special day!  Relax, have fun, and make some memories!