The short answer: most couples who elope with a full-service company spend between $1,500 and $3,500 on the ceremony itself, and between $2,500 and $6,000 when you include travel, attire, and a small celebration afterward. That covers everything from a two-person ceremony at sunrise to a 20-guest micro wedding with photography, video, and a coordinator.
That's a deliberately wide range because the answer depends on three things: where you elope, how long the ceremony lasts, and how many guests you bring. Below is a real, line-by-line breakdown using our actual 2026 pricing — not estimates, not averages from random venues, the same numbers couples see on our pricing pages.
What an Elopement Package Actually Includes
When we say a package is “$1,875,” that single number covers the entire ceremony. Here's what's baked in at every venue we work with:
- The ceremony venue (permits, fees, and access included)
- A licensed officiant to perform the ceremony
- A professional photographer for the package's full duration
- Edited high-resolution photos delivered in a private online gallery
- Ceremony coordination and a planned timeline
- State marriage license guidance (we walk you through the application)
What is notincluded in the base price: your attire, your travel and lodging, the actual marriage license fee (paid to the county), and any reception afterward. We'll cover all of those below.
Real 2026 Package Prices by Destination
Nashville
Nashville elopement packages range from $1,275 for a 15-minute Just Married ceremony at Belmont Mansion to $2,775 for a 2-hour Friends and Family Plus package at Spring Haven Mansion.
Gatlinburg
Gatlinburg elopement packages start at $1,775 for the 1-hour Getaway Plus and go up to $2,775 for a 2-hour Friends and Family Plus at venues like Foothills Parkway.
Charleston
Charleston elopement packages run from $1,275 to $2,775 at venues like Cypress Gardens and Hampton Park.
Savannah
Savannah elopement packages start at $1,275 at Forsyth Park and reach $2,775 at the Davenport House.
Sedona
Sedona elopement packages are $1,875 at red rock venues and $2,275 at our most-requested venue, Crescent Moon Ranch. The slightly higher Sedona baseline reflects national-forest permit fees baked into every package.
Add-Ons That Are Worth It
A few add-ons consistently get strong feedback from our couples:
- Videography ($675 – $1,075)— A short cinematic film of your day, usually 2–4 minutes. Almost universal feedback: couples wish they'd added it.
- Hair and makeup ($200 – $450)— Even for couples who don't usually do their own makeup, having a professional come to your hotel saves the morning and the photos.
- RAW photo files ($200 – $250) — Only worth it if you actually edit photos yourself. Most couples never touch them.
Hidden Costs Nobody Mentions
Things that aren't in the package price and routinely surprise people:
- The marriage license itself — $25 to $97 depending on the state. Paid to the county clerk, not us.
- Travel and lodging — A 2-night stay near the venue runs $300–$800 in most of our destinations.
- Flowers beyond the basics — Most packages include a simple bouquet; upgrading to florist arrangements adds $150–$400.
- Tips — A small thank-you for your officiant and photographer ($50–$150 each) is appreciated but never expected.
Realistic Total Spend
For a two-person elopement, expect a real total of $2,500–$4,500(package + travel + attire + license). For a 20-guest micro wedding with a casual dinner afterward, expect $5,000–$9,000 all in.
Compare that to the national average traditional wedding cost of $35,000+. Even our highest-end package, with every available add-on and a fancy hotel afterward, rarely cracks $10,000.
Why an Elopement Costs Less Than a Traditional Wedding
The savings come from three places that the wedding industry rarely talks about openly:
- No reception, no per-head costs.The single biggest line item at a traditional wedding is feeding 100–150 people. Catering alone runs $75–$200 per person; a 150-person wedding burns $15,000–$30,000 on dinner before you've paid for flowers, music, or rentals. Elopements skip this entirely. If you do host a small celebration afterward, you control the size and format completely.
- No 12-month planning treadmill. Traditional weddings need a planner, a coordinator, an event designer, a stationer, a rental company, a DJ, a band, a videographer, and often a florist with a team of three. Each of those vendors charges by the hour and by the complexity of the event. Strip the event down to 1–2 hours with 0–20 guests and the vendor count drops to three: photographer, officiant, coordinator. Each is bundled into your package.
- No venue minimums.Most traditional wedding venues require $10,000–$30,000 food-and-beverage minimums, plus a separate site fee. Our elopement venues — Cathedral Rock, Cypress Gardens, the Davenport House garden, Belmont Mansion — charge a flat permit or rental fee that's included in the package. No minimums, no per-head, no surprise add-ons.
The result: a beautifully photographed, officiated, planned ceremony at a venue most couples can't afford for a 150-person wedding — for under 1/10 the cost.
How to Compare Elopement Companies on Price
Not every “$1,200 elopement” advertised online actually includes what our packages include. Before comparing prices across companies, make sure you know the answers to these five questions:
- Are venue fees, permits, and access included? Many low-priced packages quote only the officiant and require you to book and pay the venue separately. National-forest fees, courthouse fees, and private-venue rentals can add $200–$2,000 on their own.
- How long is the photographer on-site? “Photography included” can mean 15 minutes of ceremony coverage or two full hours. Big difference in what you actually receive.
- How many edited photos are delivered, and when? 30 images in 8 weeks vs 150 images in 2 weeks is the difference between a real gallery and a token.
- Is a licensed officiant included, or do you bring your own? Some companies subcontract this and add it as an “extra.”
- Is there a coordinator? Without one, you're scheduling vendors and managing the timeline yourself on the day of your wedding.
We include all five in every package, at every venue. That's why “our $1,275 package” isn't actually comparable to a $1,275 package on most competing sites — the line items are different.
Where to Start
Pick a destination first, then a package. Browse our five elopement destinations and our complete planning guide — most couples have their date and venue locked in within a single 20-minute conversation.