Attending an Elopement at Avonlea Farms? Here’s What to Expect
If someone you love has invited you to their Elopement Experience at Avonlea Farms, you may be wondering exactly what an “elopement” looks like here.
Spoiler: it probably isn't what you're picturing.
Our Elopement Experience isn't a courthouse ceremony followed by a few pictures, and it isn't simply a miniature version of a traditional wedding day. It's an intentionally condensed celebration designed to fit the big wedding moments into four really fun hours.
There can still be a ceremony, cocktails, great food, beautiful photos, first dances, parent dances, toasts, cake, a packed dance floor, a grand exit and all of the moments in between. The couple simply gets to choose which traditions matter to them—and skip the ones that don't.
So, what do four hours actually look like?
Every Elopement Experience is different because every couple prioritizes different things, but here's an example of how the celebration might flow:
See Our Sample Timeline
3:00 PM | Couple + Wedding Party Arrive: The wedding party gets settled, final getting-ready moments happen, personal décor is placed and photography begins.
3:30 PM | Guests Begin Arriving
4:00 PM | Ceremony
4:15 PM | Cocktail Hour: The bar opens, food is served, and the couple takes family, wedding-party and newlywed photos around the property.
5:30 PM | Reception Moments: The newlyweds might make an entrance, ring the bell, share their first dance, dance with their parents, cut the cake or hear toasts from the people they love.
6:00 PM | Dancing + Celebrating: This is the fun part. Grab another plate, hit the dance floor, visit with the newlyweds and enjoy the evening.
7:40 PM | Last Dance + Exit
8:00 PM | Celebration End
That's just one example. Some couples do private vows before the ceremony. Some add an anniversary dance. Some want lots of dancing; others prioritize photographs and time with their guests. That's part of the beauty of the experience—the four hours are built around their priorities.
What about dinner?
Rather than stopping the celebration for a traditional plated or buffet dinner, food is served cocktail-style.
And don't let the word appetizers fool you.
Depending on the couple, we've served everything from large charcuterie displays and nacho bars to brunch spreads with bagels and chicken & waffles. The food is substantial, guests can go back for more, and we've never run out!
The difference is the format, not whether you'll be fed. Guests can grab a plate, mingle, find a seat, listen to a toast, head back for seconds and jump onto the dance floor without setting aside an hour of a four-hour celebration for formal dinner service.
If you're in the wedding party or immediate family, you may have a small job.
One of the ways we're able to fit so much into four hours is by keeping personal décor intentionally simple.
Avonlea handles the venue itself and everything included in the couple's package. If the couple has chosen to bring personal touches—perhaps a guest book, framed photos, candles, signage, favors or a few floral arrangements—they may ask a handful of family members or wedding-party members to help put those items out when they arrive.
Our golden rule? PLACE, DON'T PREP.
If you're helping with décor, everything should arrive ready to put in its final location.
Florals should already be arranged in their vases. Candles should have batteries installed. Frames should have photos inside them. Stickers and packaging should already be removed. Signs should already be assembled.
If you need scissors, floral shears, buckets, glue guns or a crafting station, it's probably more than should be happening during that arrival window.
We'd much rather have you spend those precious minutes helping the bride into her dress, taking photos with your best friend or sharing a quiet moment with your son before he gets married.
A little organization goes a LONG way.
If you're helping the couple bring personal items, a few tricks make setup incredibly easy:
See what we recommend you prep:
Pack items by location rather than by type. A box labeled "Guest Book Table" is much more useful than one labeled "Décor."
Remove all packaging, price tags and stickers before the wedding day.
Arrange florals ahead of time so you're simply placing vases.
Test battery-operated candles and install batteries beforehand.
If placement matters, include a quick photo showing what the finished setup should look like.
Keep it simple. A four-hour wedding does not need two hours' worth of décor setup.
The goal is for personal décor to take minutes, not an hour. And then? You're off duty.
Once those few personal touches are in place, we want family and the wedding party to stop working.
Have a drink. Eat the nachos. Take pictures. Cry during the father-daughter dance. Go back for another piece of cake. Dance with Grandma.
Your job for most of the Elopement Experience is simply to experience it. The last 30 minutes matter, too
Toward the end of the night, the people closest to the couple have one more opportunity to give them an incredible gift: let them enjoy the ending.
While the newlyweds are having their last dance, making their exit or taking those final photographs around the property, designated family members can begin gathering their personal belongings.
Before the wedding, we recommend assigning specific people to take responsibility for things like cards and gifts, personal décor, leftover food or cake, florals and belongings from the getting-ready spaces.
That way, the newlyweds don't spend their final minutes at Avonlea figuring out who has the guest book or packing bud vases into a box.
Let them have their ending.
Let them dance. Let them hug everyone goodbye. Let them take the nighttime photos. Let them walk away together.
The most important thing you can bring. With an intimate wedding, every guest matters.
There may not be 150 people filling the dance floor or cheering when the newlyweds make their entrance. The people they've invited are the atmosphere.
So clap loudly.
Get on the dance floor.
Participate in the exit.
Listen during the toasts.
Put your phone away during the ceremony.
And if one candle isn't lit or a flower is facing the wrong direction? We promise the newlyweds don't need to know.
An Avonlea Elopement Experience may only last four hours, but it contains a whole lot of wedding.
Come ready to celebrate.
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