I really hope to get to travel at some point in my life. I’ve got a ton of places I’d love to visit, but really, I haven’t been to many places. Branson seems to be our most common destination. I think most people are in the same boat. The world is such a big place and there are so many wonderful things to see. Well, one amazing opportunity to see the place of your dreams could be your wedding! Think about it. This is supposed to be one of the most important days in your life. Why not spend it in someplace magical? Let’s look at some of the best places to elope in the world and some tips to make it all work.
Best Places to Elope in the World
I thought I’d start things off by just showing off a list of places to consider. This list is by no means all of your options, as you’ll see later in the post. The first list is just a list of some of the top places to elope and the second list is places that I’d choose if I went back and time and decided to elope.
Top Places to Elope in the World
- Fiji
- Iceland
- Castle in Ireland
- New Zealand
- Hawaii
- Yosemite National Park
- Venice
My List
- Berlin
- Rocky Mountains
- Grand Canyon
- Tokyo
- Niagara Falls
- a theme park
- Redwood National Park
The first thing I want to say is that not everyone is the same. Some of these places will be perfect for some and for others it would be a disaster. Think about you and your fiance and follow some of the advice to find that perfect elopement location.
Your Personality
The best place for your elopement is going to be the place that excites you both and has some kind of special meaning. That will be different for everyone. Some really love the mountains while others want to go to a famous city. Some want to see the ocean while others want to go skiing after. Think about who you are and what you like doing, and I’m sure you’ll get a better idea of type of location you are looking for.
For me personally, I like the idea of visiting some really fun cities with interesting things to do. My wife, on the other hand, would have wanted something more natural like a beach. We would have had to find a compromise between the two things. Maybe a big city on the coast.
Budget
Oh my! Here’s the real question that gets everyone. How much money do you have for the elopement? That’s really going to limit your options. $1000 isn’t going to do very much compared to $10,000. For some places, it might cost a few thousand dollars just to get there. Then you have to figure in the cost of hotels and food and other expenses.
Don’t let that get you down! Even if you don’t have the biggest budget, you can still have an amazing elopement. That’s one of the great things about an elopement: you save tons of money! You don’t have to pay for all the traditional things like a venue, food, flowers, and alcohol. You can take all of that saved money and put it toward finding the perfect elopement location.
Number of Guests
Another great thing about elopements is you don’t have to have the large crowd. Heck, it might just be the two of you! The number of guests will affect your location, though.
Some places just can’t fit large numbers of people. You might be able to pull off a secret ceremony on the streets of a famous city if it’s the two of you and an officiant, but if you bring guests, you’ll draw too much attention. The same goes for places like this crazy (but fun) wedding on nets. You can’t fit many guests up there or probably find ones willing to do it.
The larger number of guests is going to limit where you can go. Your closest family will be willing to travel for you, but the larger that number gets, the more pushback you’ll get on choosing expensive or far away destinations.
Permission to be there
If you’re going to elope, you don’t want to break any rules. Imagine showing up and then not being allowed to have your ceremony at a location. It is extremely important to check in advance with the site and jump through all the hoops.
All of this will depend on the place. Some places will have rules out the wazoo and others will be happy to have you there. The most common rules will be where you can go and how you can interact with the space. Can you explore the whole place or are you limited to a 10×10 space? Can you decorate and put up flowers and other things or is it completely hands-off? Is there a cost or is it completely free?
Location Ideas
Here are some location ideas for elopements. These are by no means the only areas. These are just some of the more common ones. Again, take into consideration the things we mentioned above. If one of these elopement locations works, then awesome! If not, continue looking till you find the perfect place.
National Parks
If you’re in America, a national park would be a wonderful idea. There are so many beautiful parks spread across the country, and you can find one that fits your wants. There are forests, mountains, deserts, geysers, waterfalls, and of course, the Grand Canyon!
If you’re considering a national park, know that there are restrictions and you will have to deal with a crowd in many situations. The good news is that many of them are relatively cheap. Instead of spending thousands for a venue, you might spend nothing to $500.
Famous Cities
There are so many historical, beautiful, or fun cities throughout the world! I’d love to visit all the state capitals, but that’s only a handful of the great options. In other countries, you have places like London, Paris, Berlin, Moscow, Tokyo, and that’s just a few countries!
Famous cities definitely have positives and negatives. The good thing is that they are famous so there’s plenty to see and do there, and everything should be amazing. The downside is that the cost is going to skyrocket and so will the crowds.
Wonders of the world and other major sites
Have you ever been to the pyramids or the Coliseum? What about the hanging Gardens of Babylon? For your elopement, you could find one of these amazing places. Now, I will say you won’t be allowed to have the ceremony there, but you could always come back and get a few photos. I just think these places are so astonishing that they could really make your elopement something unique.
Noncliche spots
All these places that I’ve mentioned are nice, but they are kind of a cliche. People have been going to these spots for years to get married. There’s nothing wrong with eloping there, but it has been done. Another possibility is to go out and explore and find your own special spot. Find someplace that is beautiful and special to you. Maybe it’s a field out on your family land or a summer camp where you first met each other. That’s the great thing about elopements, they don’t have to follow the traditions, and you can go do what you want.
I hope this guide to the best elopement spots in the world has helped. I know it’s tough because there are so many places you could go. Follow some of the advice I mentioned at the beginning, look into multiple locations, and I’m sure you’ll find the perfect spot. Not sure if eloping is right for you? Check out this other article and see if you are meant to elope.
