Planning a wedding—even a simple elopement or intimate ceremony—can be stressful. But, it doesn’t have to be.

When you and your partner plan ahead and know exactly which mistakes to avoid—straight from the minds of wedding professionals themselves—the process really can be quite enjoyable and can result in the wedding day of your dreams, no matter what your vision is.

To give you a leg up, specifically on planning for your Santa Barbara elopement, check out these five mistakes to avoid, presented by Weddings by the Sea—a provider of all inclusive wedding packages all throughout the Santa Barbara area.

Waiting Until the Wedding Day to Get Your Marriage License

A valid marriage license is required before the ceremony in order for your marriage to be considered legal. Don't wait until the day of and assume that you can breeze into a county clerk office to get your license. County offices throughout California have different hours and procedures for obtaining a license. Catherine Forester, owner of Weddings by the Sea is the only Notary Public in Santa Barbara County who can issue licenses outside of the County office. This is super convenient for busy couples or people traveling from outside of the area. Weddings by the Sea takes care of all the paperwork and filing fees.

Not Being Aware of the Community Calendar

Santa Barbara has numerous festivals and events throughout the year. These can add a fun and interesting element to your stay in Santa Barbara. However, it takes a local to understand which locations will work best for your elopement ceremony. We wouldn't want to schedule your wedding at the Courthouse during Fiesta or 4th of July Weekend at East Beach.

Thinking Because It’s an Elopement or Smaller Guest Count It Will Be ‘Easy to Plan’

Although elopements are smaller, there is still planning involved to ensure that everything goes smoothly. A wedding planner will make sure that everything flows smoothly. Including: photographer and officiant show up on time and at the correct location. Ensures that your marriage license gets filed in a timely manner. Is on hand to troubleshoot any surprises that might spring up. We've had to run back to hotel rooms to retrieve wedding rings that were forgotten in the flurry of activity.

Trying to ‘Personalize’ Your Own Wedding

Oftentimes two things are overlooked when couples want to personalize their wedding. They are either not budgeting for custom items or thinking that friends and family will help with the items. The reality is that personalizing a wedding can be expensive, so budgeting appropriately for any custom items they may need. Also, although families should help with these details, it is often found that they really want to enjoy the wedding as guests, and couples feel bad asking, so it becomes an awkward conversation—or an afterthought where personal items are not properly executed.

Underestimating Logistics and the City’s Unique Climate

Santa Barbara known for a mild climate and gorgeous sunny weather. But, it does rain in California. It's important to understand which locations work best at different times of the year. For example, if you have your heart set on a beach ceremony and your wedding date is in February, it's important to have a back up plan that includes a covered venue. The beach provides a stunning backdrop and romantic ambiance. But some beaches can only be used at low tide. For example at Butterfly Beach, during high tide, there sometimes is no beach to be had!

Weddings by the Sea has expertise with many wonderful elopement locations in the Santa Barbara area and understands the specifics of each area that will create a memorable ceremony.