Romantic places to elope are easier to find than ever!

Elopement is an honored romantic tradition: running away together to get married. Historically, people eloped in order to avoid the objections of family to their marrying; today, people elope for a variety of reasons.

Often, choosing to elope is as simple as wanting to avoid the fuss surrounding a big wedding. If your wedding seems to be more for your family than for you, it might be wiser to elope. If it's your second wedding and family members are unhappy about it - elope. It's easier than arguing with them.

Elopement is also a way to spend all your wedding money on yourselves, rather than on a big wedding, or to get married much more cheaply while still having a really romantic wedding. You can run away to get married in a romantic spot, and then just stay there for your honeymoon.

Most people who've heard of eloping think immediately of Las Vegas or of running away to Tijuana, Mexico. You can do that, but those are far from your only options. If you plan well, you can elope to just about any destination. The key is preparation: make sure you understand how to get a marriage license where you're headed, and pre-arrange for an officiant to marry you in a place of your choosing. Otherwise, treat it like a very special vacation.

Hawaii is a fantastic destination. Don't go to Oahu if you're getting married; instead, opt for Maui or Kauai, both islands that are much more lightly populated and enjoyable for newlyweds (Kauai in particular). There are incredible beaches, wonderful waterfalls, and lush green jungle; you'll also find a large number of bed-and-breakfasts, so you're assured a relaxing, uncrowded honeymoon.

The Carolina coast is growing increasingly popular as a wedding destination, and that goes double for elopements. Convenient to a large percentage of America's population, you may find that driving out to North or South Carolina and marrying on the beach of one of the barrier islands, or in front of one of the antebellum homes in Charleston, is your ideal wedding. In addition, you'll find that prices are reasonable there, making for a very cost-effective yet romantic honeymoon.

Key West, Florida, is as far south as you can get on the U.S. mainland, and it is just beautiful. The Caribbean influences here have led to a very laid-back population, and your options include getting married on a boat, and then cruising around the keys for a while.

Cape Cod, Massachusetts, is anything but tropical, but it has a charm of its own. With sailing boats moving in and out, a choice of sandy or rocky beach, and convenient access to cities, historical locations, and charming bed-and breakfasts, you'll find that this haven for the wealthy makes for a remarkable runaway wedding.

Cabo, in Baja California, is a perfect elopement location that is also close to the United States. You'll find remarkable geography, great snorkeling and kayaking, and a friendly population who are used to working with American tourists. If you elope to Cabo, you may want to get married on paper at your local courthouse and just have the ceremony in Mexico, for legal reasons.

There are dozens of other great places to elope to: Niagara Falls, New Orleans, Vancouver, or overseas in Tahiti, Ireland, or Greece - it's really up to your personal preferences. What do the two of you love? Think about that before choosing where to elope to.