The 21 Epic Places to Elope Around the World

With many, a wedding entails exchanging vows in their hometown in front of a large guest list that includes all of their closest family and friends. Others need something smaller, more basic, and located somewhere completely alien. Although the definition of eloping has changed over time, the term is now most frequently used to refer to the latter. The wedding is intimate—sometimes with only the couple present—and takes place far from where the couple lives.

Are you prepared to begin visiting places? You’ve arrived at the proper location. These are currently our favorite places to elope and get married, from remote waterfalls to bustling desert towns.

Places to elope in Las Vegas

Think again if you only view Sin City as a dirty locale for a hasty union. Although Elvis officiants and drive-through wedding chapels aren’t for everyone, getting married in Nevada is incredibly simple. However, the city is also home to many excellent dining establishments, fantastic outdoor activities away from the Strip, and stunning backdrops for pictures everywhere you look. (Our preferred? Seven Magic Mountains and the Neon Museum.) The point is: Although it obviously doesn’t hurt, you don’t have to be a night owl to elope in Las Vegas!

Places to elope in Vancouver Island

When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle first arrived in North America, they camped out on this remote island in British Columbia for a variety of reasons, but one of the top ones is its untamed natural beauty. In Avatar Grove, you and your partner can exchange vows amidst century-old Douglas firs and cedars before retiring for the evening in a private cabin. The remainder of your trip should be spent enjoying outdoor activities (such as hiking, river packrafting, hot springs, and even surfing) and spending a few nights in a posh lodge in Tofino with a view of the Pacific Ocean.

Places to elope in Washington, D.C.

Our nation’s capital offers plenty of scenic nooks and corners loaded with historical significance that are ideal for a discreet elopement, including world-class museums, lanes adorned in colorful street art, and a whole cadre of monuments. Hightail it to one of Virginia’s beautiful honeymoon resorts for some post-wedding R&R (added bonus: if you genuinely want a wedding that’s “just us two,” D.C. is one of the few areas that legally recognizes self-uniting marriages, so you don’t even need an officiant present to wed).

Places to elope in Bora Bora

French Polynesia is located in the South Pacific, midway between Australia and South America. This secluded island chain has long drawn honeymooners in search of white sand beaches and bungalows perched right above crystal-clear waters. It also makes a superb elopement location for couples seeking the ultimate tropical island vibe. Like this couple, you can take a boat to a private beach and have a ceremony that is rooted in Polynesian custom.

Places to elope in Palm Springs

There isn’t a better place to elope than Palm Springs if you enjoy hot weather, beautiful hotels, and mid-century style. This desert town in Southern California is ideal for fun-loving couples who aren’t afraid to add some color to their elopement décor and perhaps even jump into a pool while still wearing their wedding attire after the ceremony.

Places to elope in Joshua Tree

Victoria Abraham and Chris Malone’s plans for a celestial-themed Manhattan wedding were derailed by COVID, so they decided to elope. They looked for a setting as far away from the concrete jungle as they could find. Joshua Tree National Park, which is two hours’ drive inland from Los Angeles in Southern California, contains approximately 800,000 acres of Mojave Desert and undoubtedly embodies the celebration’s out-of-this-world vibe. The Joshua trees, the rock formations, and the way the sun alters the hues of the park are all simply extremely magnificent and surreal, according to Abraham. “The entire region also exudes this extremely calm, serene, and unique energy.”

Places to elope in Promise Ridge

Promise Ridge is a discreet elopement location close to Stroudsburg in the Pennsylvania Pocono Mountains that allows city dwellers from Philadelphia and New York City to escape into the woods without having to drive too far. Celebrant Alisa Tongg performs touching elopements and small weddings in front of a wall covered in vegetation; she just erected a covered pavilion for inclement weather.

Places to elope in Chugach Mountains

According to adventure photographer Abbi Hearn of The Hearnes Adventure Photography, “Alaska is one of our favorite sites for elopements because of the feeling of wildness.” “Because of the breathtaking scenery, we adore it when our couples choose to fly in a ski aircraft or a helicopter to the Chugach Mountains and land on a glacier. I believe this is a lovely element for a special wedding day because glaciers change with the seasons, sometimes even on a weekly basis, so everything we see or experience will always feel fresh and particular to the precise moment and place.”

Places to elope in Big Sur

A West Coast elopement would look lovely against the misty seashore cliffs and towering redwoods of California’s central coast. Whatever location you decide on, after exchanging vows outdoors, take Highway 1 to Carmel-by-the-Sea, where the town’s pedestrian streets, Spanish-inspired architecture, and opulent accommodations give the ideal ambiance for a peaceful honeymoon.

Places to elope in New River Gorge National Park

New River Gorge in West Virginia is the nation’s newest national park. While East Coast elopers have long flocked to the region to exchange vows in front of the New River Canyon Bridge, the third-highest bridge in the nation, the gorge has long been a favorite among adventure sports fans for rock climbing and white water rafting. (Schedule a catwalk to cross the entire 3,030 feet before or after the ceremony.) Although Fayetteville is the nearest local town, spending your wedding night at the General Lewis Inn in Lewisburg is particularly charming.

Places to elope in Iceland

This far-flung Nordic island, which is five and a half hours by plane from New York, has a vast range of otherworldly landscape, including black sand beaches, stunning waterfalls, rolling green hills, glaciers and hot springs, and even gushing lava. Even if most of these natural locations are isolated, don’t worry about planning; it’s simple to discover an elopement service to assist you with the journey. This will only serve to emphasize the spiritual nature of your union. After that, unwind in a room at the brand-new Retreat at the Blue Lagoon, where you’ll get exclusive access to Iceland’s most well-known tourist attraction.

Places to elope in Dunluce Castle 

Rolling green hills, sheer cliff faces, and crumbling castle ruins—does it get any more fairy tales? If that’s the stuff that your heart desires, think of eloping to Ireland. Everywhere you look in the northern countryside, there are breathtaking views, and the Causeway Coast’s Dunluce Castle provides a magnificent medieval backdrop.

Places to elope in Tulum

Instead of choosing the pristine Caribbean waters of this well-known location on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, Vanessa Aguirre and her now-husband Jake chose to elope there after COVID foiled their intentions to do so beneath a waterfall in Bali. The town is notably well-liked by the influencer set because of its hip hotels, growing health culture, and buzzy restaurants—not to mention the stunning beaches and diving cenotes nearby—but that doesn’t take away from the warm-weather romanticism it offers for smaller wedding ceremonies.

Places to elope in San Francisco City Hall

“A courthouse wedding may conjure up images of a drab civic structure for formal, unromantic marriages. City Hall in San Francisco is not like that at all!” says Sonya Yruel, a photojournalist who got married there. You can get married in a stunning Beaux Arts structure with a grand staircase, rotunda, and gilded architectural details for just $100 in city fees. Given its aesthetic qualities, it should come as no surprise that couples from outside the San Francisco region are choosing to elope at the government building, which is frequently cited as one of the most beautiful in the nation.

Places to elope in Collective Vail

It is permissible to get married in Colorado without an officiant present because the state accepts self solemnization. As country musician Shelly Fairchild and newlywed Deborah DeLoach demonstrate, Collective Vail makes eloping in the mountains far more delightful thanks to that legal loophole. Following a ceremony on-site, you can explore the ranch for photos before spending the night in some of the most opulent glamping locations in the nation.

Places to elope in The Dolomites

Italy is right up there when it comes to traditional honeymoon settings, and what makes a wonderful honeymoon destination frequently also makes a terrific elopement place. Couples have long flocked to Lake Como and Tuscany, but the mountainous northern area known as the Dolomites is becoming more and more well-liked. This is particularly true because of the beauty of Lago di Braies, which offers visitors views of both snow-capped peaks and beautiful lake water in one location.

Places to elope in Mexico City

Both the capital cities of Mexico, Xochimilco and Venice, both have vibrant trajineras that ply their respective canal systems. They provide a glimpse of the energy and artistic tendencies of Mexico City, which is also home to acclaimed restaurants from across the world, hotels that are made for Instagram, and hip areas like Condesa and Roma Norte. It is also adjacent to stunning Mesoamerican ruins and a number of national parks. The point being that Mexico City is a convenient choice for Southwestern couples looking for an overseas location for their elopement because it offers everything for every type of visitor and is little over two hours away from Houston.

Places to elope in The Brooklyn Bridge

When it comes to Sex & the City, Miranda and Steve are the actual #couplegoals, and the scene in the movie where they first meet and decide to stay together on the Brooklyn Bridge has a very authentic feel to it. Forget Carrie and Big. The Brooklyn Bridge is the ideal location for an East Coast elopement with big-city energy.

Places to elope in Provincetown 

Before Massachusetts became the first state to legalize same-sex unions in 2004, Provincetown was a popular vacation spot for LGBTQ+ people. Here, on the northern edge of Cape Cod, couples can elope beachfront or right on a schooner, explore hidden gardens and charming lanes of shingle-clad homes for photos, and end the night with lobster rolls or a clambake for two.

Places to elope in Dead Horse Point State Park

Dead Horse Point State Park, located deep in the desert outside of Moab, Utah, is renowned for its unusual desert woodland, deep gorges, and rock formations. It’s a unique place to exchange vows, as D.C. couple Serena Hampton and Marvin Yates Jr. show with their stylish elopement. Adventurers can end their journey with mountain biking, river rafting, rock climbing, and other activities after the wedding.

Places to elope in Secret Waters

Many Southerners adore Highlands, North Carolina, a mountain vacation spot known for its opulent inns and breathtaking beauty. Just 20 minutes outside of town lies a privately owned (read: highly private) property called Secret Waters, whose moss-covered stone steps lead to a remote waterfall. After exchanging vows in front of such a lovely setting, retire to Highlander Mountain House to enjoy the quaint Cotswold-style decor and the seasonal fare served at The Ruffed Grouse, the on-site pub.

The 21 most well-known locations for couples looking to have a private and intimate wedding are listed here. A space designed just for two individuals that is soundproof from other people.

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