Reviews for Let's Elope: Definitive Guide to Eloping, Destination Weddings and Other Creative Wedding Options

The average rating for Let's Elope: Definitive Guide to Eloping, Destination Weddings and Other Creative Wedding Options based on 2 reviews is 2.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2008-07-16 00:00:00 Jim Curry first of all, this book is small. a scant 200 pages in 4.5"x6.5" format, the book has awfully lofty ambitions and barely adequate room to even outline the ideas the authors wish they could cover. many subjects are provided only a third or half-page treatment, and it's a little difficult to imagine that the etiquette of eloping, for example, could be given a sufficient treatment in six pages, especially when four are focused on announcing the engagement and the wedding. i picked it up because it's one of only like 3 books on the market right now that actually claim to be about elopement. the authors work with a generous definition of elopement: "anything other than a large, traditional, structured wedding." it's a classic case of trying to do too much with too little. part two of the book serves as a resource for planners, hotels, and destinations to help jumpstart your elopement plans. fortunately for us, that shit has nothing to do with our elopement, so i only had to read 82 pages of this book. if i were undecided about eloping (i'm not!) then this might be a good book to read -- there are Cosmo-style quizzes to help you determine if you & your mate are good candidates for eloping or a destination wedding. there are quick responses to all the objections you may hear - from your future spouse, your family, your friends, etc. there's a quick chapter on the history of elopement, which was interesting to me, but actually i wish that it had more sordid details of historical elopement sites, customs, laws, etc. i wonder if there is a book specifically on historical context of eloping? it would probably provide more meaningful ideas than these mind-numbing modern destination wedding books. mention of gays? nope. mention of including children from a previous relationship? nope. theme weddings, off-beat weddings, vegas, cruise ships, yachts, beaches, country weekend weddings, sure. there's a little advice for all that crap. they do, however, address the "courthouse with friends or family elopement," which is sort of what we're doing right, with dinner or lunch afterwards. they provide about 3 sentences on this subject. fortunately, the authors don't even pretend to take themselves too seriously, nor do they present themselves as the definitive all-enclusive source of elopement information. the authors seem to promote an agenda of empowerment through elopement, taking the wedding back and giving yourself permission to celebrate your love & your marriage. unfortunately, they forget to explore this concept throughly enough. (see: too much info in too few pages) one good thing i got from this book? the concept of progressive elopement, named because of its similarity to a progressive dinner party (1950s pastime). i think it sounds pretty awesome, even if it wont work for us. "here's how these work: you sneak off for the actual vows, and then organize (or let others organize) a series of parties afterward. this is a particularly nifty idea if you and your fiance are the product of nomadic households, for example, if both sets of parents have moved from where you grew up and you and your fiance have migrated to a big city since college. with a progressive wedding, you can have parties in five cities! the airlines won't like this because you are the only ones doing any traveling, but your guess will shower you with gratitude and presents because you're saving them a fortune."

Review # 2 was written on 2009-10-10 00:00:00 Sean Seansin This book really does cover everything you need to consider before running off and getting married.