Meet Elizabeth Raley

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Elizabeth Raley. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Elizabeth, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

I started out in this business just as a photographer, but when I became the owner of the business I saw that there was a true need for it in the world. My purpose became clearer and clearer over the years so that I was able to finally fine tune everything to one of my goals last year. My goal – have true elopement weddings with zero guests. This is what most of our couples wanted and like them, I was afraid to say no to guests. After seeing unhappy, stressed out couples being forced, guilted, or shamed into inviting unwanted people to what should be an intimate moment, I took the reins. I made the rule that the only guests present could be their children as it is important for some to blend their family with a ceremony.
I feel that my true purpose was to embolden people to set a boundary so they can have what they wanted – a wedding with no guests. And that is also what I wanted.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I started out with Elope to Savannah as a photographer and when the owner moved away in 2013, it was all mine! I got to streamline the packages that existed in more of my style. We are here to provide an all in one elopement experience so that couples can have a stress free wedding without worrying about any details.
Finally last year I made what I thought was going to be a huge leap and changed our guest policy. I changed it so that the couple ideally (it’s always been that way) comes by themselves to have a true elopement and not a micro wedding.
I thought it might scare people away but I can’t tell you how many people were so happy we had that rule. It allowed them to truly have the wedding they desired and gave them permission to say NO to family and friends who were trying to take over their day.
We allow couples to bring their children, so that a blended family can be celebrated, if they wish.
Just the other day, I launched another new thing… an add on to our packages that includes film photography in addition to the digital photos. It’s only been a day since that’s been up so no one has taken that up yet, so hopefully soon.
Throughout the years, we’ve been streamlining everything so much so our couples have the best experience that is just like what they truly want.
Our couples tell us that we stand out from the other businesses because we offer a dedicated package for Bonaventure Cemetery that includes the permit fees. They also like that we don’t charge extra fees for Tybee Island. We get praise for showing ALL of our elopements on social media and not just people who look a certain way or meet societal standards of beauty. Our business is to be as diverse, equal, and inclusive as possible.
It’s also a plus that we live in the same city as we work and so do all of our contractors. We know the area and this is home. We aren’t trying to operate from another location and can be as hands on as possible.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

For me, being able to handle all aspects of the business – whether it is photography, officiating a wedding, making all the bouquets and boutonnieres, plus all the behind the scenes things is essential. I can step into any role if necessary.
For my whole team, we excel at being able to adapt to any kind of scenario that can happen – is it raining? -we got this!, is the park extra busy? – no problem!, is the bride late? – we’ll make it work!, courthouse closed? – we can sign your marriage license on another day!
Being able to go with the flow, soothe anxious nerves, know how to deal with an unhappy child, fix a minor wardrobe malfunction on the spot, are all things we are ready to deal with.
The best and only way to learn how to do all of this is to experience it. We marry over 400 couples every year so we are ready to roll with the punches.

If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?

Right now, the political climate of the US has a lot of our couples and potential couples feeling a bit anxious. Many are rushing to get married because they are in a same sex relationship and fear that they won’t be able to soon. We also have a lot of people marrying their partners who are from other countries.
With this fear, we are also seeing an increase in last minute bookings instead of planning for far in the future.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

For the photo of me credit to Josh Stewart Photography

The rest of the photos are Elizabeth Raley – Elope to Savannah

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