How Much Does it Cost to Elope?
Eloping is fast becoming a popular option for many couples who want to get married, but they want the day to be relaxed, pared back and all about them rather than catering to a large number of guests. With elopements the whole world is your oyster and you can get married in some truly stunning locations, all over the world.
Although a big wedding filled to the brim with family and friends is something that many couples do dream about, a lot of couples are choosing to have a wedding day that is all about them and their vows, spending a whole day together and having quality time together. Plus, you can still have guests if you so wish at an elopement, but it’s a much smaller guest number - usually a maximum of 10 people. After this, you’re heading into micro-wedding territory.
The cost of elopements is also an enticing factor as to why many couples are choosing to have more pared back ceremonies. The average cost of a wedding in the UK in 2021 costs around 27k, compare this to the cost of an elopement which could reach a maximum of £14,000 if you’re having all the bells and whistles…
You can see why more couples are choosing to elope, you’re saving over 12k and still having an incredibly special day. We’re here to break down the things that you need and might want to include at your elopement ceremony, and a scale of the potential costs for each category. Remember things can be as cheap or as expensive as you like - but everything will be special for you two.
What is an Adventure Elopement and How Much Does It Really Cost?
Let’s dive straight down to the costs. Everyone values things differently and therefore the budget they set may vary. You can spend between £200 - £500 and get legally married but also £20k to have your elopement or wedding. Whatever you decide to spend on your big day doesn’t say anything about who you are or what your values are, but rather, it’s about how you want to invest in your big day.
In this blog-post, we aim to breakdown the average cost of an elopement and what you can get with such experience so you can decide whether this is the right thing to do.
Average Cost of A Wedding: £27,650
What you’re paying for:
Photographer + Videographer ~ £4000
Wedding dress / attire ~ £3000
Venue ~ £5000
DJ / Band ~ £1,500
Officiant ~ £450
Flowers ~ £2000
Hair and Make Up ~ £400
Caterers / Food for Guests ~ £7500
Cake ~ £500
Event Planner ~ £2500
Travel and Accommodation ~ £800
Average Cost of An Elopement - £13,220
What you’re paying for:
Photographer + Videographer ~ £4000
Wedding dress / attire ~ £3000
Not really a venue, just a wedding permit ~ £70
Officiant ~ £450
Flowers ~ £500
Hair and Make Up ~ £400
Caterers / Food for Guests (if you decide to have some) ~ £500
Cake ~ £300
Event Planner (some elopements with guests might need an elopement planner) ~ £2000
Travel and Accommodation ~ £2000
An epic, yet intimate adventure with long lasting memories for you and your partner ~ £Priceless
A bespoke and authentic experience crafted for you ~ £Priceless
What are you really paying for and how much are you saving?
Location:
Rather than paying for a wedding venue which can be anywhere shy of £5000, with elopements you can pick to get married wherever you wish! You’ll rarely have to pay for the location unless you need a permit or a pass to access your elopement spot (be sure to do some research around this) so the only things you’ll need to consider are how you’re going to get there.
Consider petrol money or travel costs and then your accommodation once you’re there. But without the big venue fees, you can afford to stay somewhere nice and luxurious with your partner. Your accommodation could be anywhere within the region of £200 - £1,500.
Celebrants:
One thing you will most certainly need at your wedding is a celebrant. In the UK you can expect to pay around £350-650 for a celebrant. All fees will vary depending on the type of elopement you have and where you choose to elope so make sure you do some research and ask around to get a true idea of celebrant costs.
Decorations:
Some couples choose not to have any decorations at their elopement and just opt for a simple bouquet of flowers that costs around £40. But as with elopements you can focus more on the individual touches you can get some really gorgeous decorations such as bridal bouquets, ribbons, dried flower wreath keepsakes to take away with you from various vendors. If these are all custom made you could be looking at around £500 for for bespoke, boutique flower arrangements.
Outfits:
Decide with your partner how you both want to dress for your elopement, you might want to dress in more casual clothing or you might want to dress exactly as if you’re getting married at a fairytale wedding venue, or perhaps a nice suit and cocktail dress. The beauty of elopements is that it’s exactly your choice. It’s so fun seeing couples choose their elopement outfits as their true styles and personality really is reflected in their outfit choice, so both choose something you love and that is suitable for the type of elopement you’re having.
If you’re planning on getting suited and booted it can be anywhere from £50 - £2000 for elopement dresses and a suit and tie and shoes and accessories. It all depends on how extravagant you want to go!
Hair & Makeup Artists:
If there’s one day you’ll want to be looking your best, it’s most definitely the day you vow to spend the rest of your life with your significant other! If you want to have a hair and makeup artist for your elopement the prices can vary depending on the packages. Many vendors offer half day or full day service.
With half day services you’ll get your full hair and makeup done and a bit of additional time with the artists for touch ups and with full day services the vendors will stay with you throughout the whole day for touch ups and any different styles you want for photographs and different settings or locations!
Prices can vary with half days starting at £750 and a full day potentially costing up to £1150.
Other Costs:
After your elopement you and your partner are going to want to celebrate! You might want to go out and treat yourselves to a nice fancy meal and then if you’re making the celebration a couple of days and turning your elopement into a mini moon/honeymoon you’ll need money for activities. If you factor in a nice dinner, some celebratory drinks and a couple of activities it might set you back around £600 depending on where you go and what you do.
If you are having a small number of guests you might think about hiring somewhere for a small reception or having a large meal somewhere so this could end up adding an extra £1000 onto your budget sheet if you do end up having a small reception with food and drinks.
Photography & Film:
This is probably one of the most important aspects to consider alongside your celebrant, your location and your outfit… you want to be able to relieve your special day over and over and show all your family and friends just how amazing the celebration was. Prices can vary a lot with elopement photography and it’s important to remember that elopement ceremonies can be a lot longer than wedding ceremonies as they often include all aspects of the day from getting ready to capturing all the fun and adventure of the day which can be up to 6 hours!
As you can see in the table above, the cost of a wedding photographer and elopement photographer is exactly the same. In fact, our elopement and wedding packages are exactly the same. If you book us for 10hrs to cover your elopement from preparations to the end, you’ll pay exactly the same as another couple who opts in for a traditional wedding and books us for 10hrs. Yet your elopement photographer will be more than your photographer, they’ll be your planner, co-ordinator and main point of contact for all of your questions or concerns.
A bespoke photography service will focus on tailoring the service to your day by spending quality time understanding your personality and what your envision is, countless hours to find beautiful locations for your elopement photography, help you find the best place to stay at for a unique experience, research best times for light and photos as well as other wedding vendors around the area to bring your vision to life, so your memorabilia for the day is everything that you want it to be!
If you want to chat about all things weddings, elopement, love stories and planning your ceremony please get into contact with us right here. It’s so important to have a photographer who you bond with as you’ll spend so much time together on the actual day of your elopement and we pride ourselves on capturing couples' special days that they can look back on forever.
