We Eloped Cards: Elopement Announcement Designs

Getting Your Elopement Cards Sorted Out

So you eloped and now you need to tell everyone without dealing with a million phone calls or that one aunt who’s gonna ask why she wasn’t invited. Smart move getting cards made because honestly it’s the easiest way to control the narrative and you get to share your news on your terms.

The whole “we eloped” card thing has gotten so much better in the past few years. Back in like 2019, your options were pretty limited to these weird formal announcements that felt stuffy or cutesy Pinterest-y things that didn’t really work for everyone. Now there’s actually good stuff out there that feels genuine.

What Actually Goes On These Cards

The basic formula is pretty straightforward but you can mess with it however you want. You need your names, the fact that you got married, the date, and maybe where. That’s literally it. Everything else is optional and I cannot stress this enough—you don’t owe anyone a detailed explanation about why you eloped.

Here’s what I usually see working well:

• A simple headline like “We Eloped!” or “We Got Hitched” or “Just Married”
• Your full names (or just first names if that’s your vibe)
• The wedding date
• The location or city where you got married
• Maybe a line about a future celebration if you’re planning one

Some couples get really worried about the wording and spend weeks agonizing over it. In spring 2023 I had this couple who literally rewrote their announcement fourteen times because they were stressed about how their families would react. We finally just went with “We eloped in Sedona on March 15th and we couldn’t be happier” and you know what? Everyone was fine with it. The worrying was worse than the actual response.

Design Styles That Don’t Look Cheesy

Okay so design-wise you’ve got options. The minimalist route is always safe—clean typography, lots of white space, maybe one good photo of you two. This works especially well if your elopement photos are stunning because the card doesn’t compete with the image.

Photo cards are probably the most popular and for good reason. You just got married in some gorgeous location (hopefully) and you’ve got professional photos that actually show your personality. Use them. A full-bleed photo with text overlay works, or you can do a postcard style with the photo on front and your announcement on the back.

What really annoys me though is when couples pick a photo where you can barely see their faces. Like yeah that mountain vista is beautiful but your grandmother wants to see YOU, not a tiny silhouette of two people standing on a cliff. Save the artsy landscape shots for your Instagram.

Typography Choices That Won’t Make You Cringe Later

Typography is where people either nail it or make it look like a 2010 Etsy page. Script fonts are fine but don’t use them for everything—mixing a script with a clean sans-serif usually looks more current. And please please please make sure the text is actually readable. I’ve seen cards where the font was so swirly and decorative that you literally couldn’t tell what it said without squinting.

Modern sans-serif fonts feel fresh and won’t look dated in five years. If you want something with more personality, try a bold serif or a hand-lettered style that’s not too cutesy. The goal is something that matches your actual vibe as a couple, not what you think a wedding announcement should look like.

Color Schemes That Work

You don’t have to stick with traditional wedding colors here. Actually you probably shouldn’t because elopements are kinda about breaking from tradition anyway right? I’ve seen really gorgeous announcements in terracotta and sage, navy and gold, even all black with white text.

If your elopement had a specific location vibe, pull colors from that. Desert elopement? Think warm ochres and dusty pinks. Mountain wedding? Deep greens and grays work great. Beach situation? You can go coastal blues or sandy neutrals without being too literal about it.

Neutral and earthy tones are having a moment and they photograph really well if you’re gonna post this on social media too. Cream, taupe, terracotta, olive—these all feel elevated without being too formal.

The Photo Selection Process

Choosing photos for your announcement is actually harder than it sounds. You want something that shows both of you clearly, captures the vibe of your day, and works with text overlay if you’re going that route. My cat jumped on my desk and walked across my keyboard while I was helping a client choose photos last month and somehow selected the perfect shot by stepping on the mousepad, so maybe that’s a selection strategy.

Look for images with good negative space where you can place text. Photos with a clear focal point work better than busy scenes. And make sure you’re both looking relatively at the camera or at each other—photos where you’re both looking off in different directions can feel disconnected.

If you’re using multiple photos, keep it to 2-3 max. More than that and it starts looking like a collage from 2005. A triptych layout can look really clean and modern if the photos are edited consistently.

What If Your Photos Aren’t Professional

Not everyone hires a photographer for their elopement and that’s totally fine. Phone photos can work if they’re good quality and well-lit. Just make sure they’re high resolution enough to print clearly. A blurry or pixelated photo is gonna make the whole card look cheap even if everything else is perfect.

If your photos are just okay, lean harder into design and typography. A beautifully designed card with a smaller photo or no photo at all is better than a mediocre photo taking up the whole space.

Wording Options For Different Situations

The standard announcement is simple but you might need to adjust based on your specific situation. If you’re planning a future party, definitely mention it. If you’re not, you don’t need to explain why or apologize.

For a basic announcement: “We eloped! [Your names] were married on [date] in [location]. We’re so excited to start this new chapter together.”

If you’re having a party later: “We got married! [Names] eloped on [date] and we’d love to celebrate with you. Reception details to follow.”

If you want to be more casual: “Surprise! We got hitched in [location] on [date] and couldn’t be happier. Thanks for all the love and support.”

You can also just… not explain anything. “We’re married! [Date and location]” is completely acceptable. You don’t owe anyone a story about how you decided to elope or why you didn’t have a traditional wedding or…

Practical Stuff About Printing and Mailing

Standard sizes are 5×7 or 4×6 for announcements. Postcards are cheaper to mail but feel less formal. Regular cards in envelopes feel more like an actual announcement. I usually recommend the envelope route unless you’re trying to save money or you’re going for a really casual vibe.

Order samples before you print a bunch. Colors look different on screen versus in print and you don’t wanna end up with 150 cards in a weird shade that doesn’t match your photos. Most online printers will send you a sample for like five bucks.

Print quality matters more than you think. Budget printers are fine for some stuff but for photos you want decent cardstock and good color reproduction. Minted, Artifact Uprising, and Moo all do good work. Shutterfly and Vistaprint are cheaper but sometimes the quality is hit or miss.

Timing Your Announcements

Send these within three months of your elopement. Longer than that and it starts feeling weird like why did you wait so long to tell people? Unless you literally just got the photos back or there was some reason for the delay, get them out relatively soon.

Address them properly with full names and correct addresses. This sounds obvious but I’ve seen people use outdated addresses or nickname-only addressing that confused recipients. If you’re gonna do this, do it right.

Digital Versions For Social Media

You probably want a digital version too for posting online. Most designers can create a version sized for Instagram or Facebook. Square format works well for social media—1080×1080 pixels is standard for Instagram.

The digital version can be simplified since people will be viewing it on small screens. Less text, bigger fonts, high contrast so it’s readable on a phone. What works on a printed card doesn’t always translate to screen.

Budget Considerations

You can spend anywhere from $50 to $500+ on elopement announcements depending on quantity and quality. For 100 cards you’re probably looking at $150-300 for decent quality printing including envelopes. Add another $60-80 for postage.

DIY design using Canva or similar tools can save you money if you’ve got an eye for design. There are templates available that you can customize. Just… be honest with yourself about whether your design skills are actually good or if you just think they are.

If you’re hiring a designer, expect to pay $200-500 for custom work. Worth it if you want something really specific or if design isn’t your thing.

Common Mistakes People Make

Using too many fonts is the biggest one. Stick to two, maybe three if one is just for a small detail. More than that looks messy and amateurish.

Making the text too small. People need to actually read this thing. If your grandmother needs a magnifying glass, your font is too small.

Overcrowding the design. White space is your friend. Not every inch needs to be filled with photos or text or decorative elements.

Forgetting to proofread. I’ve seen cards go out with typos in the date or misspelled names and you can’t really take that back once it’s in the mail. Have someone else read it before you print.

Choosing a photo where one person looks great and the other looks weird. Both of you should look good in the photo you choose—this represents both of you equally.

Alternative Formats Worth Considering

Magnets are kinda cool because people actually keep them on their fridge instead of throwing them away immediately. They cost more but they stick around literally.

Postcards are cheaper to mail and have a casual vibe that works well for elopements. The announcement is right there when someone pulls it out of the mailbox—no envelope opening required.

Video announcements are becoming more popular. A short 30-second clip of you two sharing your news can feel more personal than a card. You can text or email it to people which saves on printing and postage entirely.

Honestly the format matters less than the fact that you’re actually telling people in a thoughtful way. Whether it’s a fancy letterpress card or a simple postcard or a text with a photo attached, people mostly just care that you’re happy and that you included them in your news