Today, I’d like to share with you a most darling Positano Elopement. Allison and Jeff recently eloped along the Amalfi Coast and had a civil wedding along at Positano City Had. It was just the two of them. Simple and Sweet.
Let’s here Allison’s story and a few suggestions about her Positano Elopement:
Tell us a little about yourselves:
1. What inspired you to choose to do a destination Positano Elopement?
It wasn’t our initial plan! After Jeff and I were engaged, we started out planning a traditional ceremony and reception in the U.S. However, after looking at a few venues, seeing spreadsheets with costs, and lists upon lists of options (read: decisions to be made), we realized that particular path wasn’t exciting us; we weren’t feeling that spark of happiness that we believed you should feel when planning such an important and meaningful day. The benefit wasn’t outweighing the cost in our minds. That’s when we started to consider other options. We both wanted something romantic and relaxing. I had seen pictures of destination elopements on Pinterest and elsewhere, and so I ran it by Jeff. He was immediately on board! We both love to travel, and although a destination elopement still takes planning and thought, it seemed much more relaxed than a traditional, at-home wedding. We talked to our parents about their thoughts and feelings on the idea of just Jeff and me going to get married abroad, and fortunately they were extremely supportive. After that conversation, our minds went wild with considering the possibilities for where we could go, and just like that we were excited again! The rest is history.
2. In what ways did you personalize your wedding day?
Rather than spend the day apart getting ready separately, we spent most of the whole day together. We went down to the beach and had breakfast together and we mostly got ready together in our hotel room. I waited to put on my dress and accessories until Jeff left for the town hall, but really we just wanted to hang out and enjoy each other’s company before officially becoming family. We also wrote our own vows, which were so sweet.
3. What were your favorite wedding day details?
My dress was super special to me. I work in the immigration department at a refugee resettlement agency, and when I wasn’t having much luck with finding a wedding gown that I loved, many of my coworkers were suggesting I contact one of our previous clients about having my dress made. That’s when I met Ibtisam G. Younis. She’s an Iraqi refugee who was resettled by the agency I work for before I started working there, but she continues to stay close with many of my colleagues and our organization. Her story is incredible, as many immigrant stories are. She has her own sewing company and is going to fashion school where she receives so many cool honors and awards. She was amazing to work with in creating my dress, and I was beyond ecstatic about the end result. My dress was classic, simple, and elegantly beautiful, which was all I wanted. I’m passionate about immigrant and refugee rights and about their important role in our country and in our lives, so I was extremely happy to get to work with such a strong, successful refugee woman on such an important piece of my big day – my dress!
4. Inspiration/theme behind your Positano elopement?
Neither of us have ever been to Italy before our elopement, but Italy just oozes romance! We wanted our own little fairytale moment, and an intimate ceremony overlooking the sea in a beautiful Italian coastal town was more than we could ever have dreamed of.
5. Did you have any DIY (do it yourself) details?
If so please, explain below. I did my own hair and my own makeup. Simple and not overdone is when I feel the most beautiful and confident.
6. Tell us a little bit about how you chose your invitations, flowers, venue, and dress:
I used Pinterest inspo for the flowers and for ideas for what style of dress I wanted.
7. Overall, do you have any special advice you would like to share with other brides to help prepare them for their destination elopement?
Definitely get a planner who is in the destination country to help with all the legal documents and preparations and who can give you experienced advice. But also do your own research regarding what legal documents are needed just to be double sure!
8. We would love to hear how you met? Or, How did you get engaged?
We were set up by some of our best friends. Jeff proposed while we were camping at one of my favorite state parks. We were hiking a trail when he asked to stop for water. When he got into the backpack, he pulled out a jewelry box. Then he told me that he wanted to get me something to remember this day by, he opened the box and there were two beautiful customized bracelets, one gold and the other silver, with the coordinates of where we were in that very moment, as well as the name of the park and the date on the inside. I thought that was surprise! But then I looked up from admiring the bracelets and saw he was holding a ring! He got down on one knee and said the most heart-felt things. Even though the park was pretty full that day, the whole time the proposal went on there was no one around. It was such an amazing thing that we literally had this beautiful part of the park all to ourselves for that moment. Couldn’t have planned it better!
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