Chase & Bella Livesay’s Elopement Story

Sometimes a big, elaborate wedding can be overwhelming and not be the path some couples want to take. A good alternative to a big wedding is eloping. When you hear the word elope, the first thing that might come to mind is getting hitched in Vegas at one of the drive-thru chapels or going to a courthouse. But it does not have to be like that. Elopements can be beautiful and intimate for the two getting married. For Chase and Bella Livesay, they were both drawn to the idea of having a simple, intimate elopement. 

Bella and Chase met in high school as teenagers. When Bella was seventeen, they found out she was pregnant with their now five-year-old son, Avery. The two have been together ever since and wouldn’t change a thing. When it came time to start planning for a wedding, Bella felt overwhelmed with the little things and told Chase about the idea of eloping, which he agreed to almost immediately. Bella said both of their families were understanding of her and Chase’s decision to elope.  

They chose Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada as the location of their one-of-a-kind  wedding day.  Bella came across the state park while searching on social media. “There were so many beautiful options, but it was difficult because everywhere we were looking, neither of us had ever been to,” Bella said. “I stumbled across an Instagram page called Elopement Las Vegas, and I immediately fell in love with their pictures, locations and packages.”  

The couple had an amazing experience with eloping and wouldn’t change anything about their special day. The company they used took care of permits, photography and even the decorations. Bella’s favorite memory was her and Chase’s first dance in the middle of the beautiful red rocks of the Nevada — just the two of them.  

Bella’s advice to couples thinking of eloping is to just do it. “Ultimately, your day is about you and your fiancé,” Bella said. “So, if that means a big wedding with all your friends and family, then do it, but if it means an amazing, intimate trip to somewhere beautiful and new, then do that. I would also really recommend using a planner or company located in the city you’re eloping. It definitely lessened the stress of planning from across the country.”  

Bella jokes that all she and Chase had to do was just show up, and that’s precisely how it went. The planner took Bella’s vision and turned it into reality. “Do what is going to make your day the most enjoyable and memorable for you and your partner,” Bella said.