How The Elopement Boom Emerged 

Las Vegas is often the first place that people think of when you mention eloping. This could be thanks to an abundance of express wedding chapels and lack of waiting period for a marriage license! I saw a recent news item talking about the elopement boom in Las Vegas during the pandemic, but data suggests that this is certainly not contained to just Las Vegas! In fact, there has been an elopement boom all over the United States during 2020 and 2021.

Why Are We Seeing An Elopement Boom?

Before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, elopement was already seeing a rise in popularity. An increasing number of millennials are unwilling to get into debt in order to tie the knot. Financial priority is being given to other things like education, buying a home, or investing in the future. With elopements typically costing 90% less than a traditional wedding, it is easy to see why money-savvy couples were making that choice. I was predicting that this trend would continue to grow not just for financial reasons, but also for the many other reasons couples gave for choosing to elope such as family politics, a sense of adventure, or a lack of time!

However, in 2020 the wedding industry changed completely and the elopement boom was kicked into overdrive! As states began to introduce social distancing and mandatory shutdowns, couples saw their dream weddings disappear in front of their eyes. Venues were either closing or had to restrict guest numbers throughout 2020 and into the start of 2021. Even now, certain states are still limiting how many people can safely gather for weddings and other celebrations. Those who did not want to wait looked for alternative ways to tie the knot. 

Will the Trend for Elopements Continue?

Now that so many couples who would ordinarily have chosen a traditional wedding are eloping instead, elopement has gone mainstream. More couples are seeing the benefits of choosing to elope rather than the outdated misconceptions. This means that elopements could very well become the norm even as we begin to recover from the pandemic. Couples are beginning to see that they don’t have to spend a small fortune to exchange their vows  They are also learning that having a smaller wedding doesn’t somehow mean it isn’t special. As we look towards 2022, wedding vendors who offer elopements are already seeing increased bookings.