How to Choose an Adventure Elopement Dress

Are you wondering how to choose an adventure elopement dress? Unlike traditional weddings, you have to be a little bit more conscious of what you wear, depending on the activities that your elopement day will consist of. To help guide you in the right direction, I put together some tips on what to look for, as well as some of my favorite adventure elopement dress designers.

What to Look For When Searching for an Adventure Elopement Dress

Even if you’re not planning on hiking, there’s almost always some movement involved if you’re eloping at an adventurous location. With that in mind, it might be a good idea to avoid dresses with boning or tight corsets for the most movement and flexibility. Plus, flowy dresses always look so amazing in adventure sessions when the wind catches! (Just imagine you and your boo posing with sun flares peeking through, and your hair blowing in the wind while your dress isn’t far behind. How beautiful would that be?)

Another aspect to consider is what time of year you’re getting married. This will greatly affect what adventure elopement dress you choose, because you want to make sure you don’t freeze to death or end up sweating buckets. If you’re eloping outdoors in the summer, consider choosing a lightweight dress that won’t weigh you down. And you’re eloping in the winter, you’ll want to dress in lots of layers to keep warm (P.S. my favorite cool-weather elopement trick is to wear nude colored leggings under your dress. Here’s a link for a fleece-lined pair from Amazon.)

Nontraditional Elopement Dresses

If you’re thinking you want to go the non traditional route, I already love your energy. Nowadays, there are so many different options when it comes to elopement attire, your choices are virtually endless! You could skip the dress altogether and wear something like this wedding jumpsuit from BHLDN (it even comes in different colors if you want to make it more unique).

If you want the flexibility of a two-piece wedding outfit but still want something with a skirt, I’m in love with the Loyola Set from Grace Loves Lace! You could also play around with super fun colors and patterns, like this stunning floral gown from Rue De Seine.

If you already have a dress in mind that you love, but you’re concerned about the flexibility of it, don’t worry. For the adventurous part of your elopement, you can always be in more comfortable wedding attire (or just comfy clothes in general!) that would be more suited for adventures. And then once you get to your ceremony site, you can change into your wedding outfit and we’ll be ready to rock and roll!

Designer Elopement Dresses

NORDEEN
Nordeen Bridal was founded in 2020 and designed gowns with the intent of them being worn outdoors. They take inspiration from nature with each collection they release, and all of their pieces are effortlessly luxurious with subtle yet unexpected details. They have gowns, attachments, layers, and separates so you can customize the elopement outfit of your dreams.

BHLDN
BHLDN has become a popular wedding & elopement outfit destination for couples getting married and guests alike. They have an array of nontraditional dresses, jumpsuits, two-pieces, shoes, accessories, and anything else you can imagine you’d need. They even have a section for last minute wedding dresses for the couples who decide to spontaneously elope!

DACI GOWNS
Daci Gowns are another incredibly one-of-a-kind design look. Daci has beautiful designs that give the effortless, relaxed and whimsical wedding vibes. Each and every one of them look like they could be from a fairytale, and there are rental options as well if you’re looking for something more budget-friendly. 

RUE DE SEINE
The go-to shop for modern bohemian gowns, Rue de Seine has taken the wedding dress market by storm. Their dresses are so unique when it comes to patterns, colors, and styles, but they’ve also mastered the art of designing staple gowns that aren’t too out of the box for the more conservative bride.

GRACE LOVES LACE
Grace Loves Lace was founded in 2010 when founder Megan Ziems decided that she was going to change the bridal industry. And guess what? She did exactly that. The mission behind her and her team was to create dresses that women felt confident and empowered in, with soul, originality, and authenticity. The company really gained traction when one of their gowns hit over 2.5 million repins on Pinterest – making it the most pinned gown in the world!

(Ady– the bride below– was in Grace Loves Lace, and she raved about how lightweight and comfortable her dress was throughout her two-day summer adventure wedding!)

Looking for more affordable elopement options?

Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered! If you’re looking for budget-friendly elopement dresses, there are still plenty of options to choose from. You could still check out the designers I mentioned above, they almost always have sale or sample gowns that are majorly discounted! If you still don’t have any luck, I recommend looking to online shops like Lulu’s, Baltic Born, and Ever Pretty. But if you’re ordering online, ALWAYS READ REVIEWS – sometimes the quality can be hit or miss, and I would never want you to be disappointed and scrambling for a wedding outfit that you love.

Renting is another way to work with a budget. Online rental shops like Taylar Made Rentals and Daci Gowns have stunning designer dresses you can rent for a fraction of the purchase prices.

Choosing the Perfect Elopement Dress

The goal is to find a wedding outfit that you’re absolutely in love with – no matter what that looks like. Elopement dresses can come in all shapes and sizes, and you want to find one that makes you feel confident and beautiful as you set off on this adventure to marriage. And if you happen to still be looking for an elopement photographer, guess what? I do that too! To get in touch with me, you can fill out my contact form and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.