Elope With Kids — Family Elopement Packages
Children Welcome · Dogs Welcome · Blended Families Welcome · Chaos Welcome · From $400
Kids should be there when their parents get married. Not parked somewhere else, not left at home, not told to sit still in a pew for forty minutes while adults do adult things. At your elopement, your children are part of it — ring bearers, vow-holders, chaos agents, and the reason the whole ceremony needs to be done before anyone needs a snack. Our celebrants are professionals and expert kid-wranglers. The more involved the kids are, the better the day gets.
Australia-wide · All ages welcome · Dogs welcome · Blended families · From $400
The Playground Strategy — and Why It Works.
Here is one of the best-kept secrets of family elopements — get married next to the playground. Kids play. Parents get married. Everyone is relaxed. Nobody is sitting still in the sun getting fidgety. The ceremony takes 2 to 7 minutes and by the time it is done the kids are already on the swings and nobody had to ask them to be quiet once.
More words will not make the parents any more married. But a shorter ceremony means happier kids, more relaxed parents, and photographs where everybody is genuinely smiling rather than wilting.
This is one of the things we genuinely love about what we do — getting families married in a way that actually works for everyone who is there.
Ways Kids Can Be Part of Your Ceremony
From the purely practical to the genuinely beautiful — here is how families make their ceremony their own.
💍 Blended Families — A Few Short Words Go a Long Way.
When two families come together, the ceremony can acknowledge that. A short inclusion for the children — a sentence or two from the celebrant that welcomes them into the new family — is one of the most quietly powerful things we do. It does not need to be long. It does not need to be formal. It just needs to say: you matter, you are part of this, and we are glad you are here.
Talk to your celebrant about including the children. It takes thirty seconds and it is something they will remember forever.
Adult Children — Finally Making It Official.
Some of our most beautiful family elopements happen when couples who have been together for years — decades, sometimes — finally get married. The children are grown. They are standing there watching their parents make it official. There is something profoundly relaxed and joyful about these ceremonies. Nobody is anxious, nobody is performing, and the photographs are extraordinary. If this is you — we are so happy for you and we are very good at this.
Three Family-Friendly Packages.
Done before anyone needs a snack. That is the goal.
You, your kids, a few close people. Beach, backyard, park next to the playground. 2 to 5 minutes. Done before anyone gets bored. Perfect.
See Details →Up to 25 guests with a personalised ceremony. Include the children in the words. Walk down the aisle with your kids. A proper family celebration in 5 to 7 minutes.
See Details →The whole extended family. All the kids, all the cousins, Nanna absolutely included. Fully personalised 10 minute ceremony with PA. Get everyone there and get it done properly.
See Details →📸 Family Portrait Session — From $400
After the ceremony your photographer stays for a family portrait session. The whole family — kids, dogs, everyone — photographed together on the day you officially became one. These are genuinely some of the most beautiful images we take. 15 edited images delivered within 7 days. Honestly one of the best investments you will make on this day.
See Photography Packages →
How a Family Elopement Works
How many kids, their ages, any pets, your preferred location. The more we know the better your celebrant can prepare. If you want the children included in the ceremony words just let us know — your celebrant will write something beautiful.
We send you the Notice of Intended Marriage form and lodge it on your behalf. Must be lodged at least one month before the ceremony. NOIM lodgement included in every package.
Your celebrant will specifically ask about the children — their ages, their personalities, their role in the ceremony. They will plan around the kids, not just tolerate them. If the plan is playground-adjacent, they will know where to stand and what to do.
2 to 7 minutes. Certificate on the day. Family portraits immediately after. Then lunch, ice cream, or wherever the day takes you. The kids were there. The photos prove it. The certificate is yours.
Best Locations for a Family Elopement
The best family elopement location in Australia. Kids play. Parents get married. Nobody asks anyone to sit still. The ceremony happens beside the playground and the kids are free to join in or stay on the swings. Our top recommendation for any couple with young children.
The kids are on home turf — comfortable, familiar, free to roam. The family dog is there. The ceremony happens in the backyard. After the photos everyone goes inside and the rest of the day is entirely yours. Very popular for families who just renovated.
Kids love the beach. Ceremony done in 5 minutes, then everyone is in the water. Early morning before it heats up. Dogs are welcome at most beaches. Some of our most joyful family ceremony photographs have happened on Australian beaches with kids running through the waves behind their parents.
Get married at the table and order immediately after. For older children and adult kids this is a wonderfully relaxed format — the ceremony happens, someone orders the wine, and the celebration begins with no gap in between.
Every Family Looks Different. All of Them Belong Here.
Toddlers who will sit on laps. Teenagers who will stand awkwardly at the back and secretly love it. Adult children who will cry. Dogs who will steal the show. Cats who will knock something over. Blended families becoming one family. Couples who have been together for twenty years finally making it official with the grown-up kids watching. LGBTQ+ families. Every kind of family. No judgements. Ever.
All love. All families. All of Australia. From $400.
🗺️ Family Elopements Across Australia
We have kid-friendly celebrants based in every major Australian city. Click your location for local details.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes — absolutely, and we encourage it. Children can be ring bearers, stand up front with their parents, have a short acknowledgement written into the ceremony, hold the dog, or simply be present. Your celebrant will plan the ceremony around the children rather than asking them to accommodate the adults. Kids being at their parents' wedding is genuinely important and we treat it that way.
This is why the ceremony takes 2 to 7 minutes. Our celebrants are trained professionals and experienced kid-wranglers — they have seen everything and nothing rattles them. If a toddler wanders off, a dog barks, or someone cries at the wrong moment, your celebrant will handle it with warmth and humour. The chaos is part of it and the photographs are always better for it.
Yes — and it is one of our favourite things to do. A few short words from your celebrant acknowledging the children and welcoming them into the new family takes thirty seconds and means everything. It does not need to be formal or elaborate. Talk to your celebrant about what you want included and they will write it beautifully.
A park with a playground nearby is our number one recommendation. Kids play on the equipment while the ceremony happens. Everyone is relaxed, nobody has to sit still, and the ceremony is done before anyone gets restless. Your own backyard is also excellent — familiar, private, and the kids can run around freely. The beach works well for slightly older children who understand the situation.
Absolutely. Dogs, cats, and any other beloved animals are completely welcome. Pets are family. Getting married at home or in a park means your animals can be right there beside you. Our photographers know exactly how to photograph animals in a ceremony — some of our best images include the family dog.
I Do Drive Thru family elopements from $400 on Tight Ass Tuesday. Weekday celebrant from $550. Weekend from $650. Add a photographer from $400 for ceremony coverage and a family portrait session. NOIM lodgement included. No travel fees for most metro locations. The family portrait session is one of the best investments on this day — 15 edited images within 7 days.
On the beach while the kids run through the waves. In the backyard with the dog in every photo. Next to the playground so nobody has to sit still. However your family looks — from $400, any day, we will be there.
Book Your Family Elopement →