Thoughts on Eloping

Recently I've had several unique comments and questions about eloping. They've ranged from "I would have killed my daughter" to "What? Why would you deny yourselves of such a happy day?" to "Why? Were you pregnant?"

Here are some of my thoughts on marriage:

1) It's a personal thing.

What makes one person of couple happy clearly wouldn't make another happy. I've often found that the best relationships are the ones who do the right thing, for the right reason, at the right time. For many personal and sacred reasons, that is why eloping was the right thing as the right time, for the right reasons.  

2) Life is about sacrifices.

Every situation has an opportunity cost. While we did give up some traditional things (bridal showers, 'bachelor party', a sit down dinner receptions, etc), we also gave up some traditional things (family drama, awkward situations, expenses, hassles, long distance planning, etc). Forrest and I sacrificed a lot of traditional things to have something special for us. Every time I think of our private ceremony, the understated - yet gorgeous - photo shoot in the rain, sending Forrest into Chipotle in his Tux and then being able to slip off to our romantic weekend - I smile and again bless the heavens for such a wonderful opportunity.
Also, we set a precedent in our marriage - that we would do what we knew to be right, regardless of the costs or consequences. While it's sad that our parents couldn't be there, we're able to celebrate with them in more meaningful ways for them and us.
Yes, we sacrificed some things that most people think unbearable, but we experiences some blessings that perhaps others might thing unimaginable. 

3) No, I won't regret it.

Some people, out of love and concern, are worried I would/do regret it. At this point, I need to thank a very wise mother for something she said. Before deciding to elope, and in a moment of anger, I assumed aloud that someone we both know had probably gone on to regret her decisions for doing a small and simple wedding. My mom said something to the effect of "That would hurt her (the girl I was talking about) in a way you can't imagine."
People who said "You'll regret it."couldn't have been more wrong. Marrying Forrest was one of the best decisions of my life. That fact that we did it on our terms and in our way made it even more special. We had a plan, we stuck with it, and we loved it. 

In summary, it's not for everyone, but it was for us. The sacrifices were small compared to the blessings, and the only regret it that I didn't eat more for breakfast that day.