Modern elopements are all about crafting the perfect day for you and your partner. It’s about creating an experience, and not just arranging an appointment at the court house. Your wedding day is deserving of the same celebration and fun as any other full wedding day, so why not plan an entire day, from start to finish, that is a perfect reflection of you and is full of experiences you will remember forever? You can 100% plan an amazing wedding day, while still adhering to the Covid-19 guidelines in Ontario.
The only rules you have to follow when planning an elopement is that there are no rules. Craft the perfect day. From the playlist you jam out to on the way to your ceremony, to where you’ll spend the first night of your marriage. THAT’S your elopement day. Here are three different examples of all day elopements you can have right here in Essex County during Covid!
Boat Lover’s All Day Elopement
Fun, relaxed, and laid back… lake life has it’s own pace. If you’re a boater who loves being out on the water, this is the perfect day for you!
8am: Start getting ready! If you choose to be surprised by each other for a first look, stagger your getting ready times so one person can move on to the next step while the other finishes getting ready.
10am: For your first look, have one partner prepare your boat either at your marina slip or by launching it off your local boat ramp and docking it nearby. Once you’re all ready to set sail, have your partner come down and join you for your first look! Remember to bring all your essentials with you, including your champagne or drink of choice, and a catered picnic dinner by Thyme-To-Go, or one you packed yourself the night before. Chart a course to Amherstburg. Enjoy the relaxing boat ride, reminisce with your partner, and spend this quality time reveling in each other’s excitement!
In the meantime, have your officiant and witnesses drive to Amherstburg to the Boblo Island Ferry, they will meet you there by car.
12pm: Dock your boat at the Bob-Lo Island Marina and meet your guests near the Bob-Lo Beach House Restaurant. From here you can drive or walk to some of the amazing structures that were once part of Bob-Lo Amusement Park including an old stone church, historic war of 1812 fort, or the old dance hall commissioned by Henry Ford. I personally would head over to the south end of the island to the lighthouse to say your vows. What a picturesque spot! This is it… it’s time to say your vows and join your lives together, how exciting!
12:45pm: This is it… it’s time to say your vows and join your lives together. Make your ceremony personal, and meaningful. Include friends and family by having a Facebook live, or live YouTube broadcast. Or keep it intimate and special, for just yourselves.
1:15pm: After you are officially married (eek!), why not head a little farther south to White Sands Conservation Area, the only white sand beach in Essex County! It would be a great place for photos of you both and photos with any guests you may have. Explore the island for even more amazing photo ops, the island is full of rich history and one of a kind views.
2:45pm: Did you remember the picnic blanket? Find a beautiful shady spot to lay out your wedding day picnic! Whether you had it made by professionals, or packed your favourite foods and snacks yourselves, this is your first meal as a married couple! Lay in the grass, laugh and kiss, and feed each other dessert.
3:30pm: Pack up your picnic and head back to the boat. This is where things get fun! Do you have a favourite spot to go? Anchoring up in nearby Crystal Bay? Heading out to Kingsville or Point Pelee? Use this time to find someplace that you love to go on your boat, and enjoy the ride there. Once you are out in your favourite slice of open water, turn on your bluetooth speaker, and have your first dance as married partners! Then spend your afternoon doing what you love to do… fishing, swimming, laying in the sun and enjoying each other, hitching up with other boats to party (did you pack the cooler?!), tubing or jet skiiing, whatever brings you joy!
Evening: When the sun gets low and golden in the sky, sail home into the sunset to finish your perfect day, or if you’re able, settle in for the night in the cabin by candle light, and listen to the waves and watch the stars together.
“The Notebook” Inspired Elopement
Noah and Allie knew how to do one thing really well… huge romantic gestures! If you’re a fun loving romantic at heart, this elopement day timeline is for you.
9am: Have a slow and easy morning, taking your time to get ready. A lot of wedding mornings are rushed and full of stressed out energy, but because you’re eloping, you have time to savor the moment. Why not spend an extra half hour in bed together, have a lavish breakfast with your future Mr or Mrs, and then help each other get ready?
12pm: Taking cues from the most iconic scenes in the movie, fill your day with romance and entertainment. Rent a 1950’s convertible to spend your wedding day in style, and head to Windsor. With your witnesses and officiant with you, say your vows to each other as the wind blows through the gazebo in historic Mackenzie Hall as you have your wedding ceremony in Old Sandwich Town.
12:30pm: A short walk away, is the Duff-Baby house on Russell Street, Windsor’s own version of Noah’s plantation home! (It’s honestly a pretty good match!) Another fun area for photos is just across the street in front of the Sandwich Windmill at Mill Street Heritage Park. After some exciting newlywed photos, hop back into your sweet ride and grab a quick bite to eat at your favourite burger joint (and don’t forget to get a vanilla cone to lick off each other’s noses!) Put on your cat eye shades and head into the county towards Amherstburg and stop just before the Townline Road Bridge at River Canard Canoe Co.
3:00pm: You can rent a rowboat to slowly paddle through the reeds and lilies around River Canard, just like the iconic scene in Cypress Gardens South Carolina. You may even catch some swans enjoying the water with you!
5:00pm: after finishing your time on the river, take the scenic route in the convertible for a riverfront drive to Kingsville.
5:30pm: Pick up a delicious meal provided by award winning Jack’s in Kingsville, and enjoy your meal in the gazebo by the beach at nearby Lakeside Park. There is a stunning stone bridge and small lakeside beach, where you can splash in the sandbar and pretend to be birds… if they’re a bird, you’re a bird!
You can end your evening here, after spending some time by the lake and taking the long, winding, scenic way back to enjoy the evening air in your stylish wedding motorcade, but if it’s possible to do, there would be one other thing I would include to finish off this amazing, perfect day!
7:00pm: Plan your elopement day to coincide with one of Windsor-Essex’s fabulous local festivals! (If they are safely able to take place) Recreate the scene where Allie agrees to go on a date with Noah by having your photos taken on the Ferris Wheel. Have friends and family join you for a night of rides, games, cotton candy and celebration under the multicoloured circus lights.
Bad Ass Rose City Elopement
Stunning architecture, talented artists, and high energy. Bring out your personality and love of music and fun by crafting an elopement with character!
11:00am: For the night owls and perpetually underslept, start your day getting ready closer to noon than to dawn, and make sure to have some mimosa’s while helping each other get ready!
1:00pm: Because we all love a little drama, hold your ceremony early in the afternoon at the Capitol Theater in Windsor and say your vows under the spotlight like the rock stars you are! Make sure to pick a sexy jam to play you down the aisle as newlyweds.
1:45pm: Head to Maiden Lane in Windsor for some wedding photos in front of colourful murals and iconic downtown architecture. Take in Windsor’s downtown energy and enjoy taking wedding photos in front of historic buildings and your favourite businesses (Why not bond over music at Dr. Disc, and snap pictures while buying each other an album by your favourite artist) Stop at one of Windsor’s delicious downtown patios for lunch with your guests (or just yourselves!) and toast to the rest of your lives together.
5:00pm: Now that you’ve said your vows, it’s time for your rings! Head over to your fav tattoo shop and have your bad ass wedding bands inked or get a meaningful images to commemorate your epic wedding day. (For when Windsor-Essex is in the right re-opening stage)
7:00pm: Head down to the Windsor Riverfront, and take a romantic stroll watching the sun set behind Detroit’s historic skyline. Or make the most out of your potential guest list by hiring a musician (like a local guitarist with amp or electric violinist) to meet you at the most meaningful spot for you two, and perform your first dance song live, and ask friends or onlookers to join in for a dance party! Finish your evening by popping a bottle of champagne and having a late night meal at the restaurant of your choice, or head to the Casino for a neon-lit Vegas-style celebration, or party like rock stars in a hotel room with Motor City views!
It may be some time before weddings will look the same way that they used to, but for those couples who have already decided on eloping, and for those ready to plan their intimate Covid friendly nuptials, it is still possible to have a personal, romantic, and completely YOU wedding day. (And what an awesome story to tell down the line! You got married in the face of a global pandemic!)
If you want a more personalized Elopement day timeline catered to you and your fiance, fill out my contact form and lets create some epic wedding day memories!
xxx Hailey
