Elope and then have ceremony at a later date?

Definitely not "wrong" to want to elope but then celebrate with your friends and family! Be authentic to yourself and do what makes you and your fiancé happy

It's a wonderful idea, it gives you and you fiance the chance to be married but allows everyone to celebrate it with you later. As long as you make it clear that you are having an "actual wedding" where they are all invited at a later date so that they don't get upset about the eloping because families tend to do that unfortunately. Hope it all goes well

Hi Hannah!

Welcome to the WeddingWire community! We’re excited to have you here

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with eloping and having a vow renewal and reception at a later date.

It would be important to announce your marriage when you return and assure your family and friends that couldn’t make it that you will be having a vow renewal and reception in the future. There’s a great article in the WeddingWire ideas section which offers some advice and what to expect - How to Tell Your Friends and Family You’ve Eloped

Hiring a photographer and/or videographer is also a great idea to capture the day, not only for yourselves but family and friends to enjoy at your vow renewal!

Why did you and your FS choose Hawaii? Have you visited before?

I think this is a great idea! Definitely ok to have your elopement in Hawaii and then a vow-renewal/"actual wedding" later on when it's better timing for you!

I actually had a dream my FH and I went and eloped in Hawaii before our wedding because we didn't want to deal with it all anymore lol.

Of course it's not wrong!!!

The only thing I would say would be a great idea is if you could get a videographer of you eloping so that you could play clips at your vow renewal when you can afford and have time to!

Oh - and don't hide the fact that you are married Let people know by maybe sending out a card in the mail for new years letting people know? Of course a FB update would do just fine!

NOOO!!! Oh my god this is so funny because this is exactly what we were planning. It's my fiance's dream to get married in Hawaii so we initially decided we would run off there and have our wedding on the beach.

But then we also started doing the whole thing you're doing - with the "actual wedding" so we decided we would have a reception of some sorts here after the wedding. I don't think is wrong at all.

Having said that, our plan totally changed. We decided we wanted to be married sooner than the Hawaii plan would allow so we're kind of doing it in reverse now.

In june we will be married in Brampton, our venue is a restaurant so we get the wedding ceremony and the reception all done there, our guest list is fairly short with around 50 people. In October we will have a late honeymoon in Hawaii and we are having a vow renewal ceremony at that time so we still get to be married in Hawaii. We are also inviting only parents and siblings to that since it is still a wedding - even though for us - that one is just a renewal... but it's the whole experience.
Do what is best for you - my whole opinion on it is - if you don't think someone should have technically 2 weddings then you make the decision not to attend. No one else should care. It's all about wording too - for you guys since you are legally getting married in Hawaii I would still send out invites for the renewal/reception you will have at home and just kind of say "As you all know we eloped in Hawaii in a private, intimate ceremony BUT we couldn't go on not celebrating with our favourite people".. People will understand not being invited to Hawaii and the important ones will jump at the chance to come and celebrate with you.

And then like us you guys get to say you love each other so much you got married twice!