‘It’s so touching’
Wolfville woman offers new twist on old tradition with pop-up weddings
Looking to get hitched without hassle?
Sarah Anderson is the woman to call.
About a year ago, the Wolfville-based Justice of the Peace started East Coast Pop Up Weddings. The business offers one-stop planning for the new way to elope.
This is a growing trend for couples who want meaningful wedding ceremonies without the expense and planning of a large, formal wedding.
“More couples are looking for weddings that reflect their values and their lifestyles,” she said. “Pop up weddings are cost effective. Large weddings are not for everyone; some couples don’t want anything elaborate. Values have changed. Some would rather spend the money on a trip, or to buy a house.”
Pop up weddings allow the couple to choose the location first. Anderson said she once married a couple at the airport shortly before they boarded a plane for Europe. After the nofuss ceremony, the groom and bride flew away with the wedding dress packed in a suitcase. The couple splurged on a photographer in Greece.
“I had a formal wedding ceremony and enjoyed it,” she said. “I did dream about eloping.”
Other ceremonies have taken place at cottages beside a favourite lake, or in someone’s backyard; any site that is meaningful to the couple will do. It could be a favourite hiking spot, or the place where the couple got engaged.
“I love seeing how happy they are,” she said. “It’s so touching, at some point I cry.”
Anderson says she can arrange the finishing touches: the cake, the flowers, the photographer — maybe some champagne. Her weddings generally cost between $1,300 (before tax) to about $3,000 for an event including up to 20 guests.
“Getting married this way allows for the couple’s personality to shine through,” she said. “The focus is more on the vibe of the event, rather than the endless planning that often accompanies large, formal weddings.”
Anderson says she had been working as a Justice of the Peace for about a year when a couple visiting Nova Scotia decided to elope and contacted her to perform their marriage. She helped them arrange what they needed for their ceremony, and that’s when she got the idea that more couples could be interested in smaller, more personal ceremonies.
“In the past, weddings were usually simple events, just the couple, perhaps a few family members and close friends,” she said. “Somewhere between then and now weddings became elaborate, go big-or-go-home events costing $25-30,000. Not everyone wants to spend that kind of money on their wedding.”
Anderson has booked 20 weddings so far this year. To date, she has already performed about 70 pop-up weddings.
She cried at every single one. For more information visit https://www.eastcoastpopupweddings.com/