Okay time to get excited – today we’re talking money! Everyone’s favorite, I know. But let’s be real: finances are one of the parts of weddings & elopements that often causes the most stress. AND it’s talked about the least. I’m a big believer in money transparency, and that includes me helping my couples with their elopement budget as much as possible!
So today, I’m giving you my best elopement budgeting tips & am walking you through how much it might cost you to elope in Washington state.
Toward the end of this guide, you’ll even find 3 elopement budget scenarios!
I’ll repeat this disclaimer multiple times throughout this: these are NOT hard numbers/budgets/facts. Every elopement is 1000%, completely, absolutely different. And so is every couple’s budget.
The numbers and tips I’m giving you are meant to help guide you through planning YOUR perfect day, not to force you into a bubble or to make you think you have to pay that exact amount. Use this as a baseline to plan your unique elopement day and to be totally comfortable with the money part of it, too!
First off, let’s bust a popular myth real quick: elopements are NOT necessarily “cheaper” than big weddings.
It used to be that many couples opted to elope simply because they thought it would save them some money.
And they’re not wrong – you totally can save money on your elopement depending on what’s important to you & what you want your elopement to look like. Compared to traditional weddings, you can save tens of thousands of dollars. BUT, elopements are still an investment… it’s just more of an investment in an experience over things.
One reason couples choose to elope instead of plan a big wedding is that they value experiences over the material things that are often praised at large weddings.
Instead of buying 50 garlands that you’ll throw away immediately after the wedding, maybe you’d rather spend that money on meaningful favors for your 10 guests.
Or instead of paying a caterer thousands of dollars to feed 300 guests that you barely even know, you’d prefer to hire a private chef to cook a high-quality meal for you and your partner on your elopement day.
Gone are the days where elopements are a “cheap alternative” to weddings, and welcome are the days where elopements are simply more intentional than weddings.
That intentionality hugely plays into how couples spend their money: rather than spending it on decorations and details and items they don’t really care about, but felt pressured to buy, they can spend it on what matters to them. On the people that matter to them, and on experiences that will be truly meaningful to their day. So let’s all cheers to that!!
That all being said, the average wedding cost is about $30,000+ these days, and I am a firm believer that you can have one of the most experience-filled, intentional, excellent days of your life for quite a bit less than that when you choose to elope. It’s all up to you and the micro decisions you’ll make to craft this day! And I’m always here to help you with ideas on how to fill your day and how to honor your budget.
Now there are some differences that often differentiate elopements and weddings. Again, what you decide to purchase & who you decide to hire completely depends on you two, and what matters to you.
But here are some of the costs that tend to differ the most between an intimate elopement and a traditional wedding:
At bigger weddings, you’ll often see tons of decorations inside the venue and reception area. This could look like garlands, string lights, flowers, candles, whatever. Sometimes, these decorations will be bought simply based on what’s trendy that year, or what Pinterest suggested to the couple.
With smaller elopements, you’re able to be much more sustainable & intentional with your decorations.
Instead of buying 100 cheap garlands off of Amazon that you’ll literally throw away the next day, find handcrafted decorations from a small business on Etsy. Maybe look for some antique or vintage pieces at a local artisan shop, or look for anything you can use after the wedding day – or even pass down as a keepsake.
Wedding favors may seem small, but they can turn into a big expense pretty easily.
Lots of couples think it’s a requirement to buy wedding favors for their 200+ wedding guests, and that adds up FAST, even if it’s just small items.
And to be honest, most of the wedding favors I’ve seen aren’t things that guests will keep for very long – so that money can end up going to waste.
If you elope, you can be more intentional with the favors you provide your guests. Instead of buying 300 tiny favors, use that money to give each of your special guests a small gift basket, or put it toward a delicious meal for them. Use it to create an experience for your guests rather than buying small trinkets they’ll likely never use.
Ever heard of that old-fashioned tradition “something old, new, borrowed, & blue?” But let’s be real – most couples probably don’t even care about that, and just do it because they think they’re supposed to.
Instead of buying your details/jewelry/etc. just to buy them & fulfill that tradition, buy items that will add meaning to your elopement day. Find jewelry that’s sustainable and well-made that you can wear long after your wedding day, or pass down to your future family members. Don’t just buy a random blue item off of Amazon just for the sake of it! Even a free National Park map can make a sweet little detail that tells the story of your day better in your detail photos.
There are some vendors that are more common to hire at big weddings and less for elopements. Now that doesn’t mean you can’t hire them for your elopement – you just may spend your money differently on them!
If you’re eloping outdoors, you likely won’t have a DJ or a dance floor to pay for. Instead, hire a cellist or private band to play at your Airbnb for you & your guests later that night!
Since you won’t be paying for meals for 200+ guests, why not hire a private chef to cook for you in your Airbnb? Or book a food truck to bring you your favorite meals & snacks throughout the day? Maybe you’d rather hire somebody to create a beautiful charcuterie board for you to eat during your picnic on a mountaintop. Or of course, you can always pack your own sack lunch – my favorite thing at the top of a hike in all honesty!
If you’re eloping with only a few guests, you may be holding your elopement somewhere private like a backyard, or in the outdoors such as a national park. This means you’ll be able to save money on a venue rental you might have had to get for a big wedding! Put this money instead toward a cozy Airbnb for you & your guests.
And finally, since you won’t have hundreds of guests, that means you won’t need to pay for hundreds of tables, chairs, glasses, plates, etc!
My top tip for prioritizing where you put your money for your elopement?? Spend it on what matters to you the most. I know that sounds like a no-brainer, but large weddings often encourage spending money on outdated traditions that couples may not really care about.
Decide what your top few priorities are and what will add the most meaning to your elopement day, and spend the majority of your budget on that. Spend less on the rest, or even DIY some of the other aspects of the day!
Let’s go through 3 different elopement budget scenarios real quick, just to give you an idea of how different factors can affect elopement costs.
The couple planning this elopement wants to keep their elopement experience simple & stunning, only spending their money on the things they value MOST. They’d rather spend the evening celebrating with an intimate group in their Airbnb then going on a sunset hike to a new spot.
Their elopement could look like this:
This couple wants to put their money toward the things that will make their day super special, but don’t necessarily need to go all-out to make that happen for themselves.
Their elopement experience could look like this:
The couple planning this elopement wants to go all-out with an activity-packed adventure elopement. They want to put their money toward experiences that will create memories for a lifetime, and create an awesome experience for their guests if they have any.
Here’s what their elopement could look like:
So as you can see, even the most “all out” elopement is considerably less expensive than a traditional wedding, but it still is an investment in your experience, celebration of your love, and memories.
Now that you’ve been let in on my top Washington elopement budget tips, you may be on the hunt for a Washington elopement photographer! In which case, I may be your gal
Let’s chat if you think we’d be a great fit!
Here you can find more information about my elopement photography services (and all the fun things I provide between booking & elopement day!).
Here’s what you can expect for next steps…
After you do that, feel free to check out these other resources I’ve created for you!
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