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How do I tell my family that my fiancee and I eloped?

We are flying to California for vacation, and while we are there taking a road trip to Reno to tie the knot. Most of my family wants a traditional wedding for me, but we know that none of us will be able to afford it. So we're doing a quick ceremony in a little chapel in Reno. I want to tell them when I get back, but how in the world do I do it? And how do I let the rest of the family know? Most of them live several hours away and it's not practical to drive over and show them the rings. But I don't want to just call. Any in-between ideas? Thanks!

Public Comments

1. Thing about eloping is you dun need to tell.

2. Send simple but nice announcement cards to out of town people, and invite your parents and hopefully his, over for a nice dinner and tell them then. Phones are so impersonal.

3. This article has some good ideas, like calling close family on the way to the chapel or right after, and getting pictures to mail out to everyone:

http://www.utterlyfabulousnetwork.com/elopement-etiquette.html

Also here:

http://www.digsmagazine.com/host/host_etiquette_04-22-04.htm

brief advice on handling a reception post-elope.

4. You can tell your family the same way you told us.
Come back and invite some of your close friends and family to a warm reception.
Then we lived happily ever after.

5. Is the marriage for you two, or is it for your families? When you have a child, will you two need their permission then? Listen Mr. and Miss don't have a clue about a marriage committment. If you are not grown enough to make a mature decision then why are you are getting married?.

And we wonder why marriages do not last?

6. Send out A wedding notice like Scott and Carrie are happy to announce that they got married on & where inc a pic of you 2 or The day you leave on your road trip mail all your friends and family Like That by the time you next see us we will be married!

7. Sorry about Georges d's answer it was crude and uncalled for. He needs to get his butt kicked. Someone like that will always hide when making stupid comments. He was probably abused.
Anyway, as much as it'll hurt them, tell them as soon as u can In Person.....good luck

8. Link them to this question!

9. I would send announcement cards to the out of town family members and then I would set a date for our parents to meet and then explain your reasoning and tell them then.

10. I just wanted to tell you best wishes for eloping and this new chapter in your lives!

I wanted to elope, but my fiance (he´s now my husband) wanted to see me walk up the aisle with my Dad, and so we had a small, intimate wedding. I´m not saying it was bad-it was a wonderful wedding-but I would have preferred just God, the minister, one witness, and my husband and I at our wedding.

11. You don't need to tell anyone anything ; but if you must send them all nice postcards from Reno saying ," Just Married ". Many fathers would be so relieved not to have the expence of even a costly simple wedding .
The father of a onetime fiancee of my son said to him .
" Why don't you both go off to Rome or somewhere and get married ; I could give you a deposit on a house instead of wasting all that money on a wedding reception ".

12. I hope you have prepared yourself for the heartache your family will experience for the rest of their lives. My Uncle did this in the early 1970's and my grandmother never got over it. Your wedding day isn't just about you. It's about your family as well, despite what some selfish bridezillas on here might tell you. Please don't do it.