Planning a destination elopement? We’ve got you covered! Destination elopements combine the best, most magical, and most exciting elements of weddings and holidays into one awesome day.

With that in mind, your packing list for your destination elopement will be similar to a traditional wedding packing list, but will also draw heavy inspiration from your travel go-tos. Consider this your ultimate checklist for what to bring with you. Scroll down to see the perfect list for your special day!

Planning & Styling: The Stars Inside // Photography: Rebecca Carpenter Photography

Travel Documents

Don’t let missing paperwork slow down your adventure. Valentina Ring, Owner and Lead Planner at The Stars Inside, recommends packing passports, visas, insurance, and booking printouts “to make it extra smooth and easy in case you need access to some practical information while out and about traveling.”

A Travel Steamer

Wedding attire often gets wrinkled in transit, and you never know what ironing facilities your hotel will provide. Ring notes that “having a trusty little hand-held steamer will save you worrying about creases and crunches in your fabulous outfits.”

Photo by Soul & Sky Weddings

Special Attire for Your Fiancé

Eloping doesn’t mean skipping the formalwear. Matt Ramirez, SVP of Marketing at Generation Tux, notes that “long gone are the days of picking up your dress or wedding suit the day before your wedding.” Thanks to modern vendors, “you can do a lot of your planning online and get it delivered directly to you weeks before the wedding,” ensuring your attire is packed and ready to go.

Special Stationery

Paper goods, like announcement cards, menus, place cards, or maps, make brilliant flat-lay props for your detail photos and serve as beautiful keepsakes. Ring highly recommends bringing these along, advising couples to “bring along any elements of the stationery suite you’d like photographed.”

Ceremony Items

Whether you are holding a symbolic reading or a legal union, don’t forget your ring boxes and vow books. For legally-binding ceremonies abroad, ensure you have all required registrar documents. Ring’s ultimate advice for paperwork? “I always recommend erring on the side of caution, and taking paperwork with you even if you’re not sure you need it!”

Electrical Converters

International travel requires the right tech accessories to keep your cameras and phones fully juiced so you can take tons of pictures. Jenna Miller, Creative Director ofHere Comes The Guide, reminds couples to “make sure you have the proper electrical converters so you can plug in your devices!”

A Wedding Day Candle

Lighting a special candle while getting ready or eating dinner is a beautiful touch. Because “scent is such a powerful trigger for memories,” Ring loves “when couples are able to take that candle with them back home, and remember just how joyous they felt during their elopement.”

Portable Speaker

Set the mood for your getting-ready moments or celebratory dinner with your favorite tunes. To ensure flawless playback, Ring suggests you “pack a good Bluetooth speaker, a battery pack for the phone you’ll be using to the play music, and pre-downloaded playlists” of your chosen songs.

Tips and Final Payments for Vendors

Keep your finances sorted ahead of time and ask your coordinator about local tipping etiquette. When traveling, always keep your wedding attire, rings, and valuables in your carry-on luggage. As Miller points out, “You don’t want lost luggage to ruin your wedding day.”

Letters from Friends and Family

Eloping often means celebrating without your wider circle, but you can still include them in spirit with letters from home. Because they are flat and lightweight, Ring notes that these letters “allow you to create a really special moment of involving those friends and family that aren’t physically with you.”

Photo by Soul & Sky Weddings

Décor Items

A few small decorations can effortlessly transform your elopement location. If you are self-decorating your ceremony or dinner space, Ring explains that “elopement decor is all about things that flat-pack easily – like beautiful fabric, tealights, or strings of fairy lights!”

Bridal Lingerie!

Your elopement is also the start of your honeymoon, so pack pieces (like a bridal robe or luxe pajamas) that make you feel amazing. Kristy Breed and Helen Semovski, Director and Designer atLe Rose Stories, suggest bringing these extra pieces “to create as many special moments as you can throughout your time away together.”

Sentimental Items

Incorporate your family history into your day with meaningful accessories, like a significant piece of jewelry or a family heirloom. Ring notes that these items “can make for a really special addition to your outfits and detail photographs as well.” (Don’t forget to also consider the terrain and weather by bringing a change of clothes or shoes!)

Emergency Kit

From minor wardrobe malfunctions to jet lag, a well-stocked first aid and toiletry bag ensures nothing derails your big day. Ring advises packing an assortment of emergency bits, such as safety pins, a travel sewing kit, or clothing tape, and reminds couples to “think carefully about items that are destination- and season-specific,” like plug adapters, sun lotion, or a travel umbrella.

Planning & Styling: The Stars Inside // Photography: Alex and Madi

Make Your Elopement Your Own

Remember, every destination elopement is beautifully different, and the true magic of celebrating this way is that you can make the day all about YOUR favorite ways of spending time together.

Before you zip up your suitcase, run through the timeline in your head, moment by moment. Think about what you could bring with you to make each part of the day extra calm, stress-free, and perfectly efficient. Happy packing!