Runaway Brides… and Grooms

You may have heard of babymoons and mancations, but there’s a new trend poking up involving engaged couples who want to bypass all the bother and extravagance of a typical wedding:

The Elopecation.  Or Elopement Vacation.  Or Elope-a-Moon.

No matter what it’s called, here are a few places with packages for couples who want to cut to the chase:

• In Brownwood, Texas, The Star of Texas B&B offers The Ultimate Texas Elopement Honeymoon Getaway.  Innkeepers Don and Debbie Morelock take care of everything, even the ceremony, since Don is a chaplain who has married many a couple.  The three-day two-night package includes the room of your choice, which may be a bit difficult, since you can select from a Tuscany Treehouse to the Wildrose Cottage or — my favorite — the 1955 Spartan trailer decked out in 50s decor.  Also included are a photo CD, couples massage in your room, and a $50 Dinner Certificate for the Turtle Restaurant in Brownwood, a groundbreaking Slow Food establishment complete with gelateria and extensive wine selection.

• In Santa Fe, The Inn of the Five Graces, provides couples with an Elopement Menu, with four different ceremonies to choose from.
  

  The Inn of the Five Graces

  The Native American Tradition drapes the couple with a single large white blanket to signify their happy union.  The Rituals of Buddhist Traditions package includes the symbolic ringing of a hand hammered Tibetan singing bowl and the exchange of silk ceremonial scarves.  With New Beginnings: Let There Be Light, the couple lights a flame in the middle of a stone-lined circle which is sanctified with sprinkles of tobacco, sweet grass and corn.  The Keepers of the Flame package allows the bride and groom to light their own small candles, and then together, the couple lights a large single candle symbolizing the union of their lives.

• And the Elopement Experience Lake Placid Lodge in upstate New York offers a deluxe package of extravagance.  It includes three nights in a luxury room, with an upgrade if available, chilled champagne upon arrival, fresh in-room flowers, monogrammed robes (okay, so you have to give them a little bit of notice), an in-room couple’s massage, a private, post-ceremony cruise on Lake Placid on a custom-built Hacker-Craft,  a private dinner with a fully customized menu, and a wedding cake for two.

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