Elopement vs Wedding Cost | Real Detailed Breakdown
Welcome to wedding planning friend! If you’re reading this, I’m assuming you’re trying to figure out if you want to elope or have a larger wedding and are hoping to see elopement vs wedding cost. For the sake of this article, I’m keeping the topic to cost between the two of them! If you’re trying to decide what to do, check out my article on the pros and cons of elopements and big weddings to know which is right for you!
According to the 2024 Global Wedding Report from Wedding Wire, hometown weddings cost on average $33,300 and destination weddings cost $42,000. Even in a post-pandemic age, these prices will continue to be average or even increase in the coming years.
What you can expect in this article:
- Why eloping isn’t just a budget option & ideas to make it fun
- Photography should be one of your top spends
- Elopement vs Wedding Cost Comparison
Eloping isn’t just for the budget-conscious.
Many people assume eloping is a more cost-effective way to get married. While it can be cheaper, eloping is an alternative option for couples who don’t want to deal with the stressors of having a big wedding. The bonus from eloping is you’ll most likely spend way less than a traditional wedding, but that doesn’t have to be the number one reason you’re deciding to elope.
Eloping is meant to be special. It’s meant to celebrate your partnership, not a party for many guests. It’s an opportunity to do something completely different and is more than just a quick ceremony. For example, you can say your vows on the top of a mountain on a hike, on a sailboat at sea, or at a private dinner. It can be all day or more than one day! It’s a chance for the two of you, (and maybe a few guests) to celebrate yourselves in an intimate, meaningful, and less stressful way.
Elopement Adventure Ideas
Adding activities to your day can increase the price. But let me ask you this – we’re adults, right? If you’re like me, I’d rather pay for a memorable experience than fill my home with more “things.” It’s your wedding day, a special day for you. If you’re thinking about doing something amazing, let’s live your day to the fullest.
- Hiking
- Whale Tour through San Juan Safaris
- Helicopter Tour
- Private dinner at a winery
- Hot air balloon ride
- Private plane ride
- Kayaking
- …AND SO MANY MORE!
Check out my resource on unique Washington timeline options. You can see how you can celebrate for a full day!
Photography will be one of your biggest costs – it’s one of the only tangible things you can hold onto after your wedding day that will help you remember your day.
As a former bride, I planned a large wedding and I was stressed throughout the day. Unfortunately for me, my wedding day was a blur. Thanks to my photographer (and videographer) who had an amazing eye for capturing details and moments, I can look back and remember all the little things I forgot and remember the joy I did feel on that day! I never questioned paying several thousand of dollars for photography. That was going to be the one thing I got to take away after the wedding and keep for years to come. (well, that and my partner 🙂 )
As a photographer, my goal is to help you create a day where you can adventure, slow down, and really enjoy something beautiful for your day that comes alive in photographs. My pricing reflects all the adventure photography expertise I bring to the table! I adventure in the outdoors myself, and I help scout locations and make sure you have plenty of ideas on how to make your day special. After months of planning, I photograph it! Check out my pricing page here for more information!
If you value your partnership, and you’re putting effort into your day, don’t devalue your day by not investing in someone amazing to take those photographs for you!
Elopement vs Wedding Cost Comparison
Now let’s break down the cost between the two: Big Weddings and Small weddings. I’ve actually pulled the cost my husband and I used for our wedding! You can see a real wedding and how it can compare to an elopement!
My Big Wedding Actual Cost:
Guest Count: 120 guests
Location: Wisconsin
Year: 2019
Our goal: Have a party where we and the rest of our guests could have a good time! We value good documentation and prioritized vendors who would document our day well! We did DIY where we could to save money.
| VENDOR/ITEM | COST |
| Venue (we ended up getting this for an entire weekend, with the ability for 18 guests to stay on site!) | $4,900 |
| Photographer ***our must-haves – we value documentation! Please keep in mind, this amount will have risen since we got married in 2019. | $3,000 |
| Videographer ***our must-haves- we value documentation! Please keep in mind, this amount will have risen since we got married in 2019. | $4,300 |
| Wedding Day-of Coordinator | $1,500 |
| DJ | $1,300 |
| Catering + Reception + Dessert (~$35 a head) | $4,200 |
| Bartender + Alcohol (we bought our own and were able to bring it in. We had to use the venue appointed bartender) | $2,600 |
| Porta Potty (outdoor venue) | $400 |
| Chair Rental for the ceremony | $500 |
| Hair and Makeup Artist | $600 |
| DIY Decor (Includes Silk Flowers) | $1,400 |
| My Dress (made my my mother in law) | $1,000 |
| My husband’s outfit | $150 |
| Misc (Rehearsal Dinner, Food for Venue day of, wedding bands, debauchery party, vendor tips, shuttle for guests, wedding party gifts) | $4,400 |
| Marriage License | <$100 |
| TOTAL | $30,350 |
Elopement Cost Estimates
Guest Count: 2-12 people
Location: Washington
Year: Varies
**Please note these are just estimates. You can vary your budget based on what you value for your day. The biggest piece of advice is to invest in good photography or videography. That way you can look back and relive your day for years to come!
There is no “one size fits all” on what is right or what you’re supposed to do for an elopement. That means they will vary in cost and be customized to you! You can do something that costs more money like an adventure tour, or you can do something simple!
| VENDOR/ITEM | COST |
| The venue or Permit **If you choose to elope in the outdoors, you’ll most likely need to pay for a special event permit and a photography permit. For example, Mount Rainier National Park is currently $275 for their permit as of July 2024. It’s WAY cheaper than a venue, but it’s still a cost. If you want a venue, you’ll have that cost instead which is the higher end of this budget. | $0-$4,000 |
| Adventure Photographer **We help plan, specialize in the outdoors, care about the land, and know how to photograph in different environments (more so than a larger wedding photographer would know how to prepare for.) There’s a lot more work involved on our end than a typical wedding! | $4,000 – $10,000 |
| Catering + Dessert (~$50 a head, because you can splurge with less people) | $100- $600 |
| Partner 1 Outfit | $150 – $3,000 |
| Partner 2 Outfit | $150 – $3,000 |
| Misc (Lodging, travel, additional ideas) | $500 – $4,000 |
| Washington Marriage License | < $100 |
| TOTAL | $5,000 – $24,500 |
| Optional Add-Ons | COST (Low Cost – You can go big) |
| Private Adventure Tour (Ie Helicopter, Private Plane Ride, Private Whale Watching Tour, etc) | $1,500-$5,000 |
| Videographer | $2,200 – $7000 |
| Wedding Day of Coordinator | $1,500- $3,000 |
| Bouquet | $200 |
| Alcohol (Maybe you have a nice bottle of something!) | $200 |
| HMUA**If they have to travel to you, it will be more expensive! But you can do your hair and makeup by yourself! | $700+ |
| ADD Ons TOTAL | $6,300 – $16,000 |
What will you choose??
As you can see between the elopement vs wedding costs, elopements are definitely cheaper, however, there’s a wide range of costs within an elopement! The beauty is you can mix and match to make a day you are going to remember! You can go big or you can go small! Whatever you do, you get to make your day into an incredible, unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience!
Wow! Thank you so much for the helpful breakdown. It is so easy to see what I can and can’t save money on and yet STILL have the day I’ve been dreaming of.
Such a great breakdown! When you really narrow down what matters, it’s honestly worth every penny!
Awesome breakdown! This really paints a picture of what to expect to pay for an Elopement!
This is really so helpful. Weddings can be so expensive so it’s very useful to see it all laid out like this. Great job!
Love how you point out that eloping isn’t just about budget, but rather being conscious about what two people want for their wedding. The detailed pricing breakdown is so helpful!
This is so incredibly detailed and thorough! What a wonderful resource for anyone trying to decide between having a wedding or eloping. I also love how you describe the intent of an elopement. And the list of adventures is the best!!
Wow this is one of the most in depth, well thought out resources for the cost of a wedding vs. elopement! This is awesome, and super eye opening!
This is incredible! The breakdown of the cost and showing your own wedding cost really shows the realistic side of a cost of a wedding and it was super helpful to see the differences between weddings and elopements!
I love that you used your very own wedding as an example! Keeping things realistic and transparent, love that.
Thank you for sharing your personal costs, it helps so much to see real life budget breakdowns.