How Much Does It Cost to Elope?
In the world prior to COVID-19, one of the main reasons that 67% of couples chose to elope was to save money. Now many couples are eloping out of necessity due to Covid restrictions and social distancing. However, the cost to elope is still a major selling point of a smaller, more intimate celebration.
I recently came across an article by Alyson Krueger at Brides.com which focuses on how much it will cost to elope. The article looks at how modern couples are choosing to elope rather than having a big traditional wedding. The key reasons cited were to save money and to have a more intimate experience between just you and your partner. So far so good. These are aligned with all of the research we have done over the last 10 years here at WhereToElope.com. However, in my opinion, once the article dives into the cost to elope, that’s when things go astray.
The Average Cost to Elope
According to the Brides.com article, you have 2 choices if you are going to elope. A basic courthouse ceremony, or an extravagant option ranging from $5000 to $15000! Both of those are valid options, after all, eloping is about doing things your way. However, it is certainly not the norm. In fact, the article seems unfairly biased towards large vendors offering more lavish elopements! Average costs mentioned jump from $200 for a basic courthouse wedding in the city, to $5000 for an elaborate resort elopement. The problem with that is it totally disregards the thousands of vendors who offer elopement packages in that mid-range between $500-2500! We’ve blogged about the elopement cost many times before.
Speaking from years of experience with elopements for over 1.5 million couples from all over the United States and beyond, the true average cost of an all-inclusive elopement is approximately 90% less than a big wedding or $2500. When I say all-inclusive I am talking about elopement packages that include the ceremony, photography, flowers, some type of meal and an overnight Minimoon. However, as you can see on our website, there are thousands of vendors offering elopement packages to suit every taste and every budget.