The BEST Places to Elope
So you’ve decided to throw out the whole big wedding idea, and you’ve decided to elope instead, huh? Well now here comes the fun part: dreaming and brainstorming about where you want to tie the knot together. You can stay close to home of course, or you can make a whole trip out of it and visit someplace you’ve never been before to commemorate the day. Well, I’ve been all over, and I’ve got some opinions on my favorite places in the world to elope.
Directory:
How to choose where to elope
Environment
Climate
Time of Year
Cost
The Best places to elope
Iceland
Peru
Patagonia
Amalfi Coast
Dolomites
Swiss Alps
Lofoten Islands
Faroe Islands
Greece
Yosemite National Park
Alaska
San Juan Mountains
Scotland
Ireland
Glacier National Park
Banff
How to choose where to elope
Environment
The environment where you say “I do” is obviously the most important part of deciding where to elope. Do you envision yourself eloping in the mountains? What about the desert? The beach? Is the natural environment even that important to you, or are you more interested in eloping in a big city? What about a quaint fishing village on the coast? When you envision your perfect day, where does that take place? Do you care what kind of food is available in the area? What kind of accommodation do you want to stay in? Think about what feels like you, what would be your ideal getaway or travel destination, and what you’d like to include in your photos. Be sure to think about what kind of activities you want to include in your day as well, because the environment will affect this. For example, do you want to hike to the destination where you say your vows? If not, places like Colorado or Utah might not be the best option for you. Do you care if there are other people around? If so, a national park or other popular tourist spots might not be the best option. Think about what your ideal situation is and narrow down the possibilities based on what’s absolutely necessary for your ideal day and what’s not.
Climate
One thing that influences the environment a lot is the climate of an area, and it can surprise a lot of people or change the experience quite a bit if you don’t do any prior research on what the climate is like. Would it ruin your elopement if it was raining all day? Does the humidity affect what kind of hairstyles you can have? Maybe the daytime temperatures in the mountains are nice, but does it get cold at night? For example, Colorado’s climate is extremely dry, however, one thing that surprising people, is that it rains briefly almost EVERY DAY in the summer. Saying your vows in the mountains above treelike isn’t always an option in the afternoon due to the risk of lightning. Be sure you understand what the weather is like at different times of year, because that will influence where you can go and what you can do and when. Think about what kind of clothing or other things you need to bring to be prepared for the day: leggings, hand warmers, coats, sunscreen, bug spray, umbrellas, accommodation with AC, extra moisturizers and lip balm, etc.
Time of Year
This one kind of goes hand in hand with climate, but the time of year you decide to get married will affect your experience. I can’t tell you how many people have reached out to me about eloping in Colorado in spring because they read somewhere that there’s less people around in the spring. Well, yes, there’s significantly less people visiting Colorado in spring, because the weather is bad, everything is closed, nothing is green or blooming, and there’s mud everywhere from the melting snow. The same is true for anywhere in the mountains- roads and trails are opened seasonally, and you can’t get those epic views you’ve seen on Instagram all year round. Most destinations will have ideal and not so ideal times to visit- monsoon seasons with regular flooding, wildfire seasons where mountain views disappear, winters where it rains every single day, etc. It’s best to ask your photographer when is the best time to visit an area and go with their suggestion- they know best!
Cost
Eloping is already going to save you thousands compared to a wedding- even if you’re having what would be considered a very expensive elopement far from home, it likely won’t even come close to touching the cost of a low-budget wedding. But how much is ideal for you to spend? Do you want an all out boujee experience in a mountain chalet with a spa? Would you like to leave the country and elope somewhere internationally? Maybe you don’t want a luxurious experience, but you DO want to spend extra money on once in a lifetime experiences like riding in a helicopter or hiring a private chef. Different destinations will have different price points- Aspen, Colorado might be out of the question, but maybe Ouray isn’t. An international trip to the French alps might be too much, but an international trip to Mexico might work just fine. Think about what’s most important for you and what you’d like to be included in the story of your day and prioritize that when choosing your destination.
The Best Places to Elope
Iceland
Peru
Patagonia
Amalfi Coast
Dolomites
Swiss Alps
Lofoten Islands
Faroe Islands
Greece
Yosemite National Park
Alaska
San Juan Mountains
Scotland
Ireland
Glacier National Park
Banff National Park
Still need some help choosing where to elope?
Ask me! I’ve been all over, and I’d LOVE to tell you all about my favorite places. Planning trips in bucket list destinations is, no exaggeration, my passion. Even if I haven’t been somewhere, chances are, I’ve already done extensive research on that place and have a trip itinerary planned out in the notes app on my phone (no, this isn’t a joke, lol). Talk to me, and we’ll figure out the best place for you.
