5 Last Minute Wedding Ideas From Courtney Stodden & Jared Safier’s Elopement

Courtney Stodden & Jared Safier planned their elopement in just 3 weeks! Read 5 things that inspired us about their big day.

 

Courtney Stodden and Jared Safier are married! The celebrity couple got hitched in a small "last minute" ceremony on December 3rd, in the company of about 20 close friends and family members. 

 

Stodden and Safier had only been engaged for six months and hadn’t even set a wedding date when they decided to elope over the Thanksgiving holiday while their loved ones were visiting. 

 

“We just kind of looked at each other, and we’re the same kind of crazy. We just looked at each other and we’re just like, ‘This is the perfect time to do it,'" Stodden told US Weekly in an exclusive interview (linked below).

 

The catch? They only had 3 weeks to plan a wedding and make it happen!

 

The couple put their wedding plans into overdrive and made it to the altar in time to celebrate with their favorite people. They said ‘I do’ on December 3rd, at Casa de Monte Vista in Palm Springs, California, surrounded by only 20 special guests.

 

Below are 5 things that inspired us about Stodden and Safier’s last-minute wedding, but first, here are a few more details about this head-turning celebrity couple. 

 

Celebrity Catch Up: Who is Courtney Stodden? Who is Jared Safier?

 

You might know Courtney Stodden for her work as a model and former beauty pageant queen, or from her 2011 pop hit “Don’t Put it On Me.” The nonbinary media personality (who uses they/she pronouns) has also appeared in several popular reality television shows (including Celebrity Big Brother) and has her own cosmetics line, but is in some ways best known for marrying actor Doug Hutchison in 2011 when Stodden was only 16 years old and Hutchison was 50.

 

Related: Tips on Gender & Pronouns for Inclusive Wedding Officiants

 

Jared Safier is also well-known in the entertainment industry as an American media executive and award-winning director and producer. Safier has won four Emmys over the course of his career and currently operates Lux Angeles Studios production company and Safier Entertainment. 

 

Together, the celebrity couple have been turning heads since they began publicly dating in August of 2023. With a mutual love of tv, film, and philanthropy (they both actively support children’s charities), it’s easy to imagine why they fell in love so fast. The couple became engaged in June of 2024 and are now happy newlyweds.

 

Read exclusive details from the wedding & interview highlights in Erin Crabtree's article for US Weekly: Courtney Stodden and Fiance Jared Safier Are Married: ‘We’re the Same Kind of Crazy’ (Exclusive)

 

 

Above: Screenshot from Courtney Stodden's Instagram Story (12/4/2024) via @courtneyastodden, original photo by Bella Marie Adams

 

Last-Minute Wedding Inspiration from Courtney Stodden & Jared Safier

 

When the time is right, why wait? Stodden and Safier jumped into action to make their last minute elopement happen while friends and family were in town for the Thanksgiving holiday. 

 

Here are a few things that inspired us about their big day. We hope it inspires you when planning your own last minute wedding, or any small elopement ceremony. 

1. Shop Vintage for a Last Minute Wedding Dress

 

Stodden was married in a stunning $60,000 vintage wedding dress. Now, you’re not likely to find a dress like that in your local second-hand shop, but we love that they decided to go vintage! Shopping second hand is a great choice for a last-minute ceremony. 

 

Instead of spending weeks or months scouring boutique wedding shops, buying ‘blind’ from a ready-to-ship online dress shop, or trying to keep up with ever-changing wedding trends, shop vintage! 

 

Vintage wedding gowns and suits from a bridal consignment shop or second-hand store can be updated easily and affordably with a little help from a local tailor. 

 

And if you’re really short on time, consider a nontraditional wedding dress or suit in colors other than white or gray. You’re much more likely to find something quickly in your local consignment shop if you’re open to a unique look! 

 

 

2. Choose a Small Wedding Venue with Big Energy

 

Stodden and Safier eloped at Casa de Monte Vista, a lavish, private Spanish Revival estate in Palm Springs. The venue made its mark in Hollywood history as a popular retreat for the 1960s show biz stars ‘The Rat Pack’ (think Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and Joey Bishop, to name a few), and currently specializes in vacation rentals and microweddings.    

 

This venue has a lot going for it; it’s private, luxurious, and steeped in old Hollywood charm. We love it because it’s a small venue with big energy – the perfect choice for a last minute wedding! 

 

A gorgeous outdoor location like this can do a lot of the ‘heavy lifting’ when planning a last minute wedding. You don’t have to worry about expensive decor, because Mother Nature does most of the work – providing a beautiful backdrop for the big day and saving you both time and money. We recommend eloping on a beach, in a garden, at an arboretum or park, or anywhere else with a stunning view that’s meaningful to you. 

 

If you want to marry indoors, consider small venues that ‘go big’ aesthetically or sentimentally: an art gallery, library, cute farmhouse, family home, or walk-in wedding chapel. Even a city hall wedding can provide ‘big energy,’ just take a look at the epic architecture of San Francisco City Hall or Philadelphia City Hall! 

 

 

3. Keep the Guest List Small

 

Stodden and Safier decided to elope while friends and family were already in town for Thanksgiving, which meant that only their 20 closest friends and relatives made the guest list. 

 

Keeping the guest list small is key if you’re getting married on short notice! With a short guest list, you will have fewer people to coordinate, which can save you time, money, and energy. 

 

Just how small can the guest list be? In general, there are only a few people who must be at your wedding: you, your wedding officiant, and any necessary wedding witnesses. 

 

Ask a special friend or relative to be your wedding officiant to make the day even more intimate! Friends can get ordained online to officiate a wedding, and it only takes a minute – great for a short notice wedding or elopement. 

 

• Get ordained online to officiate a wedding 

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Jared Safier (@jaredsafier)

Above: Jared posted this photo of the couple's close friends and family gathered around the table just a couple days before the wedding. They kept the guest list small and the ceremony intimate and personal!

 

 

4. Include Family Heirlooms & Meaningful Items

 

Stodden wore a ring that her father once presented as a gift to her mother on their wedding day  – a sweet and sentimental choice! 

 

To make your wedding feel intentional and special – even if it’s a little rushed, incorporate family heirlooms or other meaningful items into the day. These items carry memories and personal histories with them that can lend a deep sincerity to your celebration. 

 

This item might be a family ring, like Stodden chose to wear. Other meaningful items might be a parent’s necklace, a hairpin, a watch, or a framed portrait placed near the wedding altar. You can also include meaningful items in a unity ceremony, such as a unity toast with an heirloom tea set. 

 

 

5. Get Married Your Way

 

This is Stodden’s second marriage, and given how public and controversial their first marriage was, she was understandably nervous. She told US Weekly that given her story, it was natural to feel that way “because I really do want my happy ending…I want this to be it, and it’s nerve-racking because a lot of PTSD and a lot of different things have been swirling around, but I know that I’m marrying a really amazing man… I just know that my gut is telling me this is where I belong right now, and I’m just going with it.” (See the interview linked above to read more.)

 

This hopeful, all-in energy is so important for a joyful elopement.

 

It means letting go of the expectations of others, worrying less about ‘tradition’ or how a wedding ‘should happen’ and trusting your instincts to plan a celebration that’s uniquely right for you and your story – right now. 

 

If you’re planning your own last minute wedding, this really is great advice. Consider which elements are most important to you and which people you want cheering you on. Then, listen your gut, trust your heart, plan the wedding that’s right for you and your budget, and go with it! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Courtney Alexis Stodden (@courtneyastodden)

Above: Courtney and Jared in a photo posted to Instagram shortly before the couple announced their engagement earlier this year. 
 

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