Whether it’s to save money on the wedding, to avoid complicated family dynamics, or simply to have a more personal wedding experience, it seems more and more people are favoring the idea of eloping over a traditional wedding ceremony than ever before.

People are getting married later , caring less about tradition, and more about what they want as a couple. Don’t feel like wearing a white dress in front of all your friends and family? You don’t have to. Passing on a ceremony, but still want gorgeous photos to remember the day? Splurge on a photographer. Elopements have gone from being thought of as exclusively late-night, spontaneous rendezvous in Vegas to being seen as unique, intimate memories just as special as any big wedding.