The Pros And Cons - Elopements Versus Weddings

With Picture Perfect Wedding, my second novel in my Wedding Fever series about to hit the shelf, I've been thinking about weddings!

Way, way, back in the day, people eloped because they wanted to marry but their relatives opposed the relationship. Today, many people live together for years so why would they then choose to elope rather than have a full on wedding? Why do some couples people want the full on wedding instead of eloping?

Lots of reasons!

*A full on wedding takes a year or more of preparation. Some people are overwhelmed by the thought and a quick trip to the registry office is so much easier.  Of course, Erin, the heroine and wedding photographer in Picture Perfect Wedding wants brides to who are addicted to the planning and get a buzz out of making the million and one decisions that a wedding demands. Although as Erin discovers, some brides are more focussed on the wedding than the groom!

*Money. Rumour on the street is that the average cost of a wedding in 2013 is $27,000. Holey moley! That is a good chunk of a deposit on a house! Practical couples may well choose to elope and save the cash.

*Family. Not all families get along and sometimes getting them all together in the same room and serving alcohol is a recipe for a restraining order. Those couples *should* elope!

*Party, Party, Party! My husband and I had a ball at our wedding. In fact our biggest complaint was that it was over way to fast. We should have had an after party instead of running off to catch a plane and starting our honeymoon. I've now been to weddings where the bride and groom come back the next day for an extended family and out-of-state guest BBQ and extend the fun.

*Surprise!  I've been invited to a 30^th birthday, rocked up and had a wedding sprung on me. The couple figured all their friends and family were there for the birthday, why not get married! In fact, I read in the paper just the other day that one couple got married at a family funeral. That may be taking advantage of everyone being together just a bit too far.....

*Vegas. That one goes without saying ;-)

*The vacation wedding. I've had friends decide to get married in Thailand/Hawaii/tropical beach destination and invite friends and family, fully expecting most to say, “no” and then been put in a tail spin when most decide to combine attending the wedding with a vacation. Word to the wise; if you really want to elope, don’t tell anyone.

Of course, the residents in Whitetail, Wisconsin where Picture Perfect Wedding is set are hoping that people want to have the full catastrophe wedding because the economy of Whitetail is dependent on that cash injection.

What would you do if you had your time over? Or if you’re considering getting married in the next little while? Where do you come down on the argument. Would it be an elopement or a wedding?

Picture Perfect Wedding is out on August 12th but up for pre-order now! There is a fabulous $1.99 deal at All Romance Books, a saving of $2 or you can grab it at Kindle, Carina Press, Nook, iBooks, Kobo, Sony and where all eBooks are sold!

Here's the blurb...

Erin Davis will do whatever it takes to be the photographer for high-end brides. So what if capturing the moments of people’s lives means she has no time for her own. Nothing will get between her and the security she craves, not even the gorgeous farmer refusing to let her shoot in his sunflowers.

His family has always been tied to the land, but lately Luke Anderson feels more like he’s chained. While he ponders his future, he still has cows to milk and no time to deal with Erin or Bridezillas in his fields. Yet there’s something about the sexy city girl he can’t say no to. So he says yes: just this once.
With the town in need of a photographer, Erin agrees to spend wedding season in Whitetail. The sparks flying between her and Luke quickly ignite, but just as Erin starts to picture her own happy ending, Luke takes a gamble that could risk it all…

For more weddings in Whitetail, check out Saved by the Bride, available now!

100,000 words.

Fiona Lowe is a RITA^® and R*BY award-winning, multi-published author with Harlequin and Carina Press. Whether her books are set in outback Australia or in the mid-west of the USA, they feature small towns with big hearts, and warm, likeable characters that make you fall in love. When she's not writing stories, she's a weekend wife, mother of two 'ginger' teenage boys, guardian of 80 rose bushes and often found collapsed on the couch with wine. You can find her at her website, facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.