Eloping questions

Can you officiant do it? or a neighbour? or someone from your church or wherever

We are having the photographer and the helicopter pilot be our witnesses. You won't be able to have the officiant be a witness, but some photographers shoot with an assistant or a second photographer, and in that case you would have your two.

Ask your siblings if they will sign as witnesses or friends since you need 2 people other than yourselves. Your reception next year can also be a renewal so you have a wedding party to walk down as formal tradition. It will be nice as guests see you having this ceremony.

Who's your officiant? You can offer him or her to pay two people as witnesses. Some civic centres do that for government building weddings.

View quoted message I can undesirables that and people will probably complain regardless. At the end of the day it’s your day. Plus they would’ve been the ones signing it regardless. What you can do is have your immediate family only (so parents) watching from further? But honestly do what you feel is best. At the end of the day you want someone’s signatures that matter to you. I personally wouldn’t do my photographer as a witness but that’s me. Whatever you choose it’s YOUR choice be happy and stand your ground.

View quoted message This is my exact concern as well, is offending family. Ultimately we have to do what’s right for us though!

View quoted message This is what I was thinking as well. My only concern is I don’t want family to get upset that we had our “friends” and not them. It’s the best option though ?

Honestly I’m not eloping but you could always choose only your best man and maid of honour. Given that they were probably most likely to be your witnesses it makes sense

I would check the requirements for your province. Some places you need to know the person for so many months before, just in case.


We were thinking about using our photographer as well, but we might ask the two friends who would have been our witnesses before. The spot I'd like to use has a local coffee shop nearby and I joked with FH that we could use our photographer and the coffee shop owner as witnesses! My only concern with asking friends is that the people who don't witness might be upset. My fiance's family is in Wisconsin and if they can't come I feel it's only fair that my family doesn't either, but I imagine mom would be hurt if she found out I had friends there instead.
I've got 4 months to decide, so I might put it off for a while!

View quoted message That is a fun story!!!
We were thinking of doing it locally in a forest or on a lake (we live in cottage country)

Where are you eloping to, like will it be easy enough to grab someone off the street? One of my friends actually did this when they were getting married in Aruba. It made the strangers day and made for a fun story lol