Kosky

What Happens When You Say Yes to Eloping on a Whim

By

Rachel Kosky

Cori reached out just three weeks before she and Jay were saying “I do.” On a whim she messaged me:

“Hey, I know this is a long shot, but any chance you’re available to plan and photograph an elopement in three weeks?”

My first reaction? HELL YES, let’s do it.

My second reaction? Oh wait… let me check with my vendor team. 😂

So… How Much Time Do You Really Need to Plan an Elopement?

These are the most common questions I get: “How much time do we need to plan an elopement?” “Is it too late for us to elope?” “When should we book our dream vendors?”

And here’s my short answer: It is NEVER too late to elope.

As Cori shared later:

“Before going through it myself, I would’ve said planning a wedding in just 19 days was impossible. But with the right team in place, it’s totally doable.”

One of my favorite podcasters—The Vendor Table Podcast (hosted by Mike Cassara and Lauren O’Brien)—talk about this all the time: All you really need to get married is you, your partner, and an officiant. Everything else is just extra.

(If you’re a wedding vendor or just love funny wedding stories, definitely give them a listen. They just hit their 100th episode with a round-up of wedding horror stories. It’s so good, check em’ out.)

Back to the story: in many states (Tennessee included), you can even get a same-day marriage license. So when Cori reached out worried it was too late—I was more than happy to jump in.

The Vision

After our initial call, Cori shared that she and Jay didn’t want anything fancy.

No big venue. No long guest list. No horseback ceremony or sweeping mountaintop vows.

What they did want? A handful of guests, a meaningful location, and a waterfall they’ve made a tradition of jumping off any chance they get.

“My biggest piece of advice is to sit down with your partner and decide what truly matters to both of you—not what’s ‘normal,’ not what your friends did, not what your family expects. Just the two of you. Let that guide every decision!” – Cori

For Jay, the most important things were simple:

“Jay didn’t care about anything other than the end result (being married) and having his closest people there to celebrate.”

And for Cori?

“Both of those things were important to me, but my list was a little longer: hair and make-up, dress, flowers, cake, and pictures!”

I went to the drawing board, created a custom package, and once they booked, I dove into planning a full waterfall elopement in just three weeks.

Vendor Team

With Cori’s inspo gathered—bouquet, cake, and photo ideas—I reached out to my dream team:

“Finding the right flowers and cake was simple with your elopement package. I spent maybe 30 minutes browsing your vendor’s IG pages and simply picked the things I liked, and you and your team handled the rest. It was so nice to show up to the location and have the flowers and cake ready to go! They were both perfect by the way!” – Cori

Elopement Day

Andrew and I kicked off the day with our usual elopement pickups:

  • The bouquet and boutonnière from Savanna at the farm
  • The special-order 8-inch cake (Cori’s request!) from Art of Cakes
  • Meeting up with Alan before making the trek down the rocky drive to the waterfall

Oh—and it started raining. ☔

But that didn’t stop a thing.

As we stepped out of Alan’s Tahoe, we saw Cori RUNNING down the muddy path in her white dress, laughing and smiling, totally unfazed.

She was just so excited to have her favorite people there to celebrate her and Jay.

No chairs. No aisle. Just a ton of heart and a spirit of adventure.

I placed Cori and Jay near the waterfall, Alan stepped into place, and just like that—they were married. Guests gathered close, surrounded by rushing water and love.

After the ceremony, we took photos, cut the cake, and gave Cori and Jay plenty of time to soak up time with family and friends—which was their #1 priority.

The Dress + Details

“Of course I wanted to feel beautiful, so my second largest expense was hair and make-up. Finding a stylist with availability two weeks out was a challenge and as a result, her services came at a premium.” – Cori

And then came the dress.

“This was the most stressful part of the entire process. Mostly because I knew I would be jumping off a waterfall at the end of the ceremony, and I refused to spend a lot of money on a dress that would likely be ruined. I ended up ordering several dresses from Lulus in multiple sizes and had my own private fitting at home. Their return policy is amazing, and I found a dress that I love for only $118!” – Cori

The #2 Priority? Jumping Off the Waterfall

That’s right. After all the hugging and cake-cutting, we made our way across the muddy trail to the top of the falls.

Jay went first. One, two, three—SPLASH.

Then Cori followed, leaping off the edge in her wedding dress, into the rushing pool below.

It was electric. Unforgettable. And so them.

So… What’s the Secret?

If you’re thinking, “Okay, I want to do this too,” here’s the real magic:

Cori and Jay were along for the ride.
Happy to get married. Happy to have good people around them.
It wasn’t about the flowers, the linens, or even the rain.

“The elopement package was the greatest expense and it was worth every penny to have all the details handled for me and for photos to be included in the package. We didn’t want staged photos or a long photoshoot—we just wanted the day captured as it unfolded. And you did exactly that.” – Cori

“Looking back at the photos now, I see a day that reflects who we are: the love, the joy, and the little in-between moments we would’ve missed. They’ve become some of our favorite memories!” – Cori

When you decide to elope—whether you do it a year in advance or with three weeks’ notice—you just need to ask:

What matters most to us? What do we want to walk away with?

For Cori and Jay, it was simple:

“In less than three weeks, and for around $3,000, we planned a wedding that felt beautiful, meaningful, and completely us.”

“I would absolutely recommend other couples let go of the pressure to create a big production and instead focus on what really matters to them.” – Cori

The only downside?

“Not being able to invite everyone. That part was tough, and a few people felt hurt. We explained that it wasn’t about excluding anyone—we just wanted to keep it small and simple.” – Cori

Ready to Plan Your Own Wild & Wonderful Elopement?

Whether you’re dreaming up a year-long plan or pulling it together in just a few weeks like Cori and Jay, your elopement can be exactly what you want it to be—laid-back, meaningful, and totally you.

If you’re ready to skip the stress and dive into something beautiful (maybe even literally 😉), I’d love to help you plan and preserve it.

👉 Reach out here to start dreaming up your day
📍 Based in the Smoky Mountains | Traveling wherever love takes me
💌 Let’s make some magic.

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