History Main / Elopement

* The second half of season two of ''{{Series/Hannibal}}'' has the titular cannibal psychiatrist and his [[MadDoctor patient]]/[[FoeYay frienemy]]/[[OneTrueLove soulmate]] Will Graham planning on leaving their old lives behind together, complete with plans to go to Italy and to have [[spoiler: their surrogate daughter, whose survival Hannibal had been keeping secret to surprise Will.]] [[GoneHorriblyWrong It doesn't work out according to plan]] [[ConflictingLoyalty since Will's loyalties were deeply conflicted.]]

** Later seasons confirm a long-standing fan theory that was almost as old as the books: [[spoiler:that Robert's Rebellion was not sparked by Rhaegar Targaryen kidnapping Lyanna Stark, but instead by his elopement with her. Just like Lyanna's niece Robb, this move cost them dearly; the anger of the families Rhaegar and Lyanna were [[ArrangedMarriage betrothed or already married to]] sparked a bloody civil war, support for which was incited by rumors that Rhaegar kidnapped and raped Lyanna, that upended the Targaryen dynasty which was as old as the Seven Kingdoms themselves. Their child Aegon - better known as Jon Snow - was raised without knowledge of his true heritage for his own safety.]]

* Heathcliff and Isabella run away together in ''Literature/WutheringHeights'' to get married, likely to Gretna Green.

* In ''Manga/CardCaptorSakura'', Nadeshiko and Fujitaka (the parents of TheProtagonist) did this, because Nadeshiko's [[ParentalMarriageVeto parents did not approve]] of her relationship with Fujitaka at all. Partly because he was in his 20's and she was only a teenager (still in high school), and partly because he was a poor schoolteacher, while Nadeshiko's family was very wealthy. According to Sonomi, she was still in her {{Seifuku}} when they married.
* It's invoked and subverted in ''{{LightNovel/Toradora}}'', where [[spoiler:Ryuuji and Taiga find themselves finally in love with each other, but in dire circumstances; Ryuuji has left behind his mother and the scarce resources he had; Taiga has practically disowned herself from her mother's family after her absentee dad (her monetary sustenance thus far) skipped town following the failure of his business. As such, they only have each other. They decide to wait out the few months left for Ryuuji to turn eighteen so that they can marry unimpeded while living in manga cafés and odd places. Their friends Minori, Ami and Kitamura decide to help them by providing them with food vouchers, money and a roof to sleep; however, in her dejection and after leaving him behind, Ryuuji's mother provides him with a means not to elope by telling him to go to her parents' home. They resort to use this resource, preventing the elopement]].

* Attempted by Haru and Tsurezure near the end of ''Manga/{{Ojojojo}}'' [[spoiler:after the latter's status as a former child assassin is leaked to the public]], though Tsurezure decides that it's a bad idea and they both head home. It also comes up again in the final bonus chapter when Haru has to beat her father in a golf game to earn his blessing for her marriage and he quietly mentions to Gramps that he's planning on giving it to her regardless of the outcome of the match because he knows she'd just elope again.

* In ''VideoGame/SpyroYearOfTheDragon'', at the end of the level, Charmed Ridge, it's revealed that Princess Ami and Prince Azrael plan to elope because the fairies and wizards won't let them get married.

* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'':
** In the episode "Fusion Cuisine", Steven and Connie thought they might never hang out again after a dinner between their families goes wrong, so they get on a bus to live somewhere else. An angry Alexandrite [[BringingRunningShoesToACarChase chases down the bus]] and lifts it off the ground to stop them.
** The episode "The Answer" tell Garnet's origins, in which [[RedShirt Ruby]] and [[BlueBlood Sapphire]] ran away from the Homeworld's wrath after the two accidentally fused for the first time into Garnet, which was [[MalignedMixedMarriage a breach]] of their rigid caste system. In this case, the running came first (Ruby was going to be executed, and Sapphire wasn't going to stand for that), then they decided to stay together romantically later.

* On ''Series/HaltAndCatchFire'', Cameron and her ex-boyfriend Tom Rendon decide to do this off-screen while she returns to Texas for the Fourth of July weekend.

** Attempted in the episode "Fusion Cuisine" by Steven and Connie, when they thought they might never hang out again, got on a bus to live somewhere else, however an angry Alexandrite catches up with them.

* Attempted in ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' episode "Fusion Cuisine" by Steven and Connie, when they thought they might never hang out again, got on a bus to live somewhere else, however an angry Alexandrite catches up with them.
** Also happens during the episode "The Answer" in which tells about Garnet's origins, in which [[RedShirt Ruby]] and [[BlueBlood Sapphire]] ran away from the Homeworld's wrath after the two accidentally fused for the first time into Garnet, in which was a breach of their rigid caste system. Since fusion is equivalent of 'gem marriage' (at least for Garnet and the viewer's eyes, since the Homeworld frowns [[MalignedMixedMarriage any kind of fusion between components of different types]]), the trope was played straight.

* Heathcliff and Isabella run away together in ''Literature/WutheringHeights'', likely to Gretna Green.

* In Creator/JaneAusten's ''Literature/LoveAndFreindship'', Janetta, at Sophia and Laura's persuasion.

Contrast RunawayBride, although if the eloping occurs close enough to an ArrangedMarriage, the two can overlap. Sister trope to MyOwnPrivateIDo, where a couple about to be wed with fanfare runs off to get married quietly. Compare and contrast ShotgunWedding, which takes place similarly on the fly, but almost always has one of the parties unwilling to go through with it. Sometimes overlaps with FourthDateMarriage, but this is not required, nor are all early-in-the-relationship-marriages elopements.

* ''Literature/{{waltharius}}'': Living as hostages at Attila's court, Walther and Hiltgunt are taken with each other but know that Attila will not allow them to marry or to leave (as he has already expressed his will to find a Hunnish wife for Walther). Walther reveals to Hiltgunt that he has long planned to flee back to Aquitaine, but has been delaying his plan because he wants her to come with him. After the next royal feast, while Attila and his nobles are sleeping, the lovers depart in the night and, after weeks of travelling in the wilderness, eventually make it to Aquitaine.

* On ''Series/GameOfThrones'', Robb Stark marries Talissa in secret, because he was [[ArrangedMarriage already engaged]] to one of Lord Frey's daughters [[AltarDiplomacy in order to seal a political alliance]], but Robb wanted to MarryForLove instead. This move cost him ''dearly''.

* Sara Evans's hit ''Suds in the Bucket''.

The last resort of a couple that wants to get around a troublesome ArrangedMarriage or are DatingWhatDaddyHates. Run away and get married!

Contrast RunawayBride, although if the eloping occurs close enough to an ArrangedMarriage, the two can overlap. Sister trope to MyOwnPrivateIDo, where a couple about to be married with fanfare runs off to be married quietly. Compare and contrast ShotgunWedding, which takes place similarly on the fly, but almost always has one of the parties unwilling to go through with it. Sometimes overlaps with FourthDateMarriage, but this is not required, nor are all early-in-the-relationship-marriages elopements.

* In ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'', you can find a journal at a campsite near an inn on the road to Markarth. The journal belonged to the daughter of the head of a rich mining family who fell in love with one of the workers in her father's mine. She noted her father would never approve of her relationship, not only because of the [[UptownGirl class difference]], but because her lover was a [[MalignedMixedMarriage Dark]] [[ScrewYouElves Elf]]. They decided to save up some money and run away together after meeting up at the campsite. [[DownerEnding Unfortunately, they were both killed by a saber cat at the campsite]].
** In a CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming, if you come back to the campsite later, you'll find a Shrine of [[LoveGoddess Dibella]] there with various tributes strewn around it.