How Much Does an Adventure Wedding Cost?
SWELL & STONE / Outdoor Wedding & Elopement Photographer / United States & Beyond
The cost of eloping
One of the prevailing questions, when people start planning and researching their elopement, is “How much does it cost to elope?” I put together a calculator that formulates an estimate of expenses based on what a couple wants to include on their big day. While there is no set cost to elope, most couples spend $5,000-$15,000, far less than the national average of $33,000 for a traditional wedding. Eloping couples tend to cut out the things they don’t care about, and perhaps pay a little more for the things they do. So it’s all in the balance of deciding what is important to you on your elopement day.
This calculator is only a guesstimate, and prices can vary widely depending on the vendors chosen for the day, plane ticket prices, and various other factors. While the average cost of a traditional wedding in the United States is nearly triple the cost of eloping, that number usually includes a lot more catering and venue costs than the standard small outdoor wedding or elopement. Using this calculator can help you determine the ballpark of costs you may need to budget for based on the items you’d like to include.
ELOPEMENT COST CALCULATOR
The Breakdown
Let’s break down each of these costs. Below I’ll include a reasonable range of costs you might encounter while planning your small wedding or elopement. Making the day special doesn’t have to be expensive, it’s all about making choices about what is important to you and your partner. Sometimes that means spending more on what’s important to you, and less on the things you don’t care about.
Travel
Obviously, staying closer to home for your elopement is less expensive than traveling internationally. If you elope to a nearby state or national park, or even a city park or local conservation area, the cost for a ceremony permit and photography permit will run anywhere from $0-$400. There are no plane ticket fees, no car rental fees, and you can potentially stay at home, cutting out AirBnB costs or hotel fees.
If you plan to stay within your region, i.e. if you live in Rhode Island, but plan to elope in the Finger Lakes region in upstate New York, then you need to add in gas for travel, and hotel or AirBnB costs. Still, staying in your region is less expensive than taking a plane flight. A reasonable range to add to travel costs if you elope within your region is an additional $400-$1000.
When you decide to have a true destination wedding in a place that you and any potential guests might fly to that raises the stakes on cost. First, there’s airfare for the two of you and car rental. Then factor in hotel or AirBnB costs for the length of stay, which is often longer than traveling regionally. You’ll also need to consider the market difference for any vendors you might be hiring locally. Is it more competitive there because there is more demand in the location you’ve decided to get hitched? If you plan on flying domestically a reasonable range to add on to your elopement costs is $1400-$4000.
Traveling internationally adds a whole host of new costs to consider. Plane tickets will be more expensive, adding travel insurance or wedding insurance is a great idea for any wedding, but perhaps more necessary for international weddings because of the cost involved. So along with all of the additional costs listed for traveling domestically keep in mind things like larger costs for flights, hotels, and car rental depending on the location and if you decide to elope during high season in a specific area. Plan on adding an additional $1000-$5000 for international travel.
Including Friends and Family in your Elopement or Small Outdoor Wedding
Adding more people to the mix does make things more expensive. A lot of couples choose to rent out a large house or a summer camp for their guests to stay. Others choose to feed their guests multiple meals during their stay, especially if it’s in a remote location. These are optional, of course, but when few guests are invited the couple usually likes to spend as much time with those they love as possible. To many people, this is one of the huge draws of having a small, outdoor wedding, or elopement with guests. So keep in mind the amount of food and housing you would like to provide to guests who decide to attend your small outdoor wedding or elopement. Add on an extra $500-$5000 if you plan to include some level of feeding and/or housing your guests.
Vendors
Check out the info below to find out what average vendors charge to provide their services to eloping couples. Some items on the list are less expensive than traditional weddings due to the simple nature of elopements, however, some items on the list are most expensive due to travel expenses and added duties being performed by the vendors.
Florist
The average florist charges anywhere from $60-$1000 for a bride’s bouquet, with the average price being $175. If you’d like to have a floral archway add on another $500 or more. A lot of eloping and small wedding couples choose to forgo bridesmaid flowers and boutonnieres, but keep that in mind if that’s a tradition you’d like to include as well.
Cake
Most couples, even if they are eloping, like to have a special cake or cupcakes, or some kind of their favorite treat on their wedding day. The national average price for wedding cakes is $350-$450, however, most eloping couples request smaller cakes, and many couples I’ve worked with have paid around $50 for elopement cakes. Also, if you don’t like cake, don’t get a cake! Get something you and your partner will truly enjoy- like donuts or ice cream.
Officiant
Officiants cost anywhere from $500-$800 to perform a wedding ceremony. However, if an officiant is traveling to a remote area, or has to hike to a location they may charge you more. An alternative to hiring someone is asking a loved one to become ordained. It’s easy for a beloved friend or family member to become an ordained officiant, and in some states officiants aren’t even required. Your photographer also might be an ordained officiant (I am), but keep in mind they usually don’t perform the ceremony because they are busy taking photos, but they will sign the necessary paperwork at the end. Each state has different laws about whether or not an officiant is required. Some states may require witnesses as well. Check your state’s marriage laws to find out what is required, or ask your photographer. They’ve likely been through this a few times and already know the answer.
Musicians
Hiring a wedding band is normally close to the same price as an officiant. Music can run between $500-$900. But again, you may be asking the musician to come to a remote location and hike to a ceremony spot. For that reason, costs may exceed the average for elopements. Some couples choose to include family or friends that are talented and they planned on inviting anyway. That person then plays as a wedding gift to the couple.
Renting a 4x4 vehicle
Renting a 4x4 vehicle, like a Jeep Wrangler, is much more readily available in outdoor destination towns where off-roading is a fun activity. If you are eloping in one of these locations and want to use a 4x4 vehicle to get to a secluded ceremony spot, plan on spending about $300/day for a rental.
Helicopter Tour
If you’d like to EPICALLY take a helicopter to your ceremony spot, plan on paying anywhere from $300 per person for a couple hours to several thousand dollars if you’d like it for the day. Again, this option is available in more touristy locations, and places like Alaska have a lot of glacier helicopter tours and an abundance of pilots. In fact, there are around 8,000 active pilots in Alaska, which means 1% of the population is a pilot. That might not sound like a lot, but in the lower 48, only 0.000178% of people are pilots, meaning that there are 1000 times more pilots in the population of Alaska than in the lower 48.
Hiring an outdoor guide
I have done technical canyons and rock climbing elopements with couples. And while I’m a competent and skilled climber and canyoneer, I don’t guide couples down canyons or up rock walls. The reason for that is simple, I’m not trained and licensed to do that, my insurance doesn’t cover it, and my job is to take photos, not make sure my couple stays safe in a fun outdoor pursuit. For that reason, I recommend that if you’d like a more adventurous wedding day than hiking somewhere, you hire a guide for the activity. I’m super happy to photograph the entire day knowing that the guide is the person in charge of safety. Hiring an outdoor guide costs anywhere from $200-$1200 per person, depending on the adventure.
Photographer & Videographer
First, decide if you’d like both a photographer and a videographer. Most people feel the need for a photographer, and some want video as well. If you don’t feel the need for a videographer, that will likely cut your media costs in half. The average cost of a wedding photographer in the U.S. is around $2500. However, if your photographer has to travel that will add to the cost. In addition, most elopement photographers also serve as wedding planners, suggesting ceremony locations, florists, bakers, and other vendors that work in your chosen area. They help plan the timeline to make sure you get all the photos you want with the best possible light and in the best possible locations. It also depends on how much coverage of the day you’d like. If you only want a few hours you might plan on paying less than average, while if you want full day coverage you will end up paying more. Plan to spend anywhere from $2000-$7000 for a great photographer or videographer who helps plan the details and the timeline of your day.
Wedding Attire
Even elopers plan to get a dress, or suit, or alternative wedding attire of some sort. A wedding dress in the United states costs on average $280-$1600, with most purchases falling in the $1000 range. Grooms should expect a suit to run $300-$1000.
I hope this sheds some light on that question everyone wants to know. How much your wedding or elopement costs can vary depending on the style you prefer and things that you would like to include in your day. Everyone’s plans differ slightly based on their preferences. And that’s the beauty of small outdoor weddings and elopements, no one is exactly the same and NOTHING IS MANDATORY. Just do it the way you want and don’t worry about pleasing anyone else. In fact, doing things the way they want is one of the top reasons couples choose to elope or have an alternative wedding in the first place!
If you’d like a photographer with a ton of experience in outdoor weddings and elopements- get in touch! I specialize in only those things, and I’d love to help make your day picture perfect.
