Brit and Shaun decided to stray from the average wedding and secretly elope for an Italy destination wedding in the seaside city of Positano.

“The plan was to not tell anyone until we got back,” says the bride. “But Shaun felt he needed to tell his mum, so we told both our parents about two months before we left. They were all ecstatic and both of our mums decided to come.”

After going back-and-forth about the location, the newlyweds decided Italy offered them something exciting and unique that could not be found anywhere else.

“The Italian coastline is the perfect backdrop, so it was an easy decision in the end,” they say. “Amazing food, wine, sunshine — it was a very appealing wedding location for us.”

Brit admits that her husband did most of the planning, which turned out to be simpler than they expected. “The hardest part was keeping it a surprise,” she says.

Instagram and Trip Advisor contributed to the ease of the organizing, as the couple says they were able to find wedding packages and vendors through these resources.

Travel logistics for the pair were easy because of the minimal guests and they were able to enjoy many sights just the two of them.

“We ended up meeting our mums in Rome and travelled to Positano together,” says the newlyweds.

Brit and Shaun focused mainly on their own travel costs and the couple says the overall price of their wedding would have been around the same if they had stayed home. “But we got a five-week overseas holiday, instead of one day,” says the bride.

Communicating with vendors was also not too difficult, though planning in advance helped the process remain stress-free. “The only issue we had was the time difference,” Brit says. “The communication happened a little slower, but that is inevitable having the wedding overseas.”

Additionally, language barriers were sometimes a challenge, which is why the couple suggests using lots of visual references.

By the end of the trip, the couple couldn’t have imagined getting married anywhere else. “It’s hard to control things when overseas, so you just need to roll with it and enjoy every minute,” says the bride. “It was a once in a lifetime experience, which is how all elopements should be.”

Vendors: Photographer: Amy Bluestar Photography, Ceremony/Reception Site: Hotel Eden Roc and Ristorante Terrazza Celé, Hair & Makeup: Luisa e Flavia di Patrizia Della Mura, Gown Designer: ASOS & Groom’s Clothing Designer: Hugo Boss