As you plan your elopement, one question that’s probably crossed your mind is, “Are there specific people we need to hire if we’re eloping?” The short answer is ‘yes’ because your elopement vendors will make planning your elopement and the day of your elopement feel so much easier and way less stressful.
As an all-inclusive elopement team, we don’t want your elopement (or finding vendors) to be overwhelming, complicated, or feel like another thing you have to add to your lengthy elopement to-do list. Instead, we want you to be able to relax and enjoy your day worry-free, and this starts with finding the perfect vendors who will make this a reality for you.
Let’s dive into how to choose the right elopement vendors, who you need, and why you should consider hiring local vendors for your elopement.
How to Choose the Right Elopement Vendors for You
At Ascend Together the couples we work with are intentional about everything when it comes to their elopement and they want to understand how to choose the right vendors for them. Here are our top tips when it comes to choosing the perfect vendors for your elopement:
Identify Your Values, Desires, and Priorities
The first thing to do when it comes to choosing your vendors is to define what you want your relationship with your vendors to look like. Do you seek creativity, collaboration, flexibility, or something unique to your personality? Knowing these attributes helps you find vendors who share your values and match your priorities.
And to help you with identifying your values, desires, and priorities for your elopement be sure to read our blog post How to Use Pinterest for Your Elopement to help you create a visual vision of what you like and don’t like. Plus, this will also be ready to go to give your vendors who need a visual vision to complete their service.
Decide on your budget
As part of your research process, make sure that you and your partner discuss your budget and how much you want to spend on each vendor you decide to hire. Be sure to talk about what’s important to both of you and what you can and can’t live without.
Research and Connect
Our first piece of advice is not to rush the research process – this step is incredibly important and shouldn’t be overlooked. Really take the time to research potential vendors, and look beyond their portfolios. When researching your vendors consider, and take note of, the pros and cons of hiring them and if they feel aligned with your wedding vision to help you make a final decision.
After researching potential vendor options the next step is to schedule face-to-face meetings to understand if they’re a fit for your vision and if they foster a connection you can trust.
During every call with a potential vendor, make sure to ask them about their elopement process, how they do things, and other questions that will help you get to know them better and decide if they are truly the right fit for you and your partner.
Here are some questions you and your partner can ask yourselves to help you figure out if a vendor is a good fit for you after your consultation calls:
- What was our first impression of them?
- Do we feel like they understand our wedding vision?
- Did our personalities mesh well together?
- Do we feel heard?
- Do we feel comfortable enough to book?
Hire an elopement planner
If you don’t want to have to handle the vendor vetting process, or find vendors, all on your own the first person you’ll want to hire is an elopement planner. When choosing who to hire as an elopement planner choose someone who is an expert in the area you are planning to have your elopement. Also, an experienced elopement planner can help you build your perfect vendor team based on your budget and your priorities.
When you book an elopement package with us, you’ll get a personal elopement day planner who will handle the planning, coordination, and logistics of your elopement.
This includes:
• Vendor Research & Coordination
• Travel & Accommodation Research
• Timeline & Travel Design
• Budget Planning & Strategy
• Guest Management
• Unlimited Consults
Our elopement day planner isn’t just anyone – they are an expert at what they do, and they are ready to handle every single aspect of your elopement to make your dream elopement a reality.
Consider Recommendations
Tap into your family, friends, or elopement planner’s experiences. Recommendations from trusted sources can be invaluable in narrowing down your options to those proven to be aligned with your vision.
What You Can Do Right Now
Spend an evening with your partner outlining the characteristics you desire in your vendors. Create a list that reflects not just the services you need, but the values and qualities that are non-negotiable, so you have a thriving relationship with each one. Let this be a guide in your search for your perfect vendors.
What Elopement Vendors Do You Need?
Each elopement looks a little different so what vendors you will want to hire is going to vary.
When choosing your vendors remember it’s important to research each vendor, revisit your values, desires, and priorities, and be open to vendors that will support you – even if you didn’t think you would need them at the start of your elopement planning process.
As elopement experts we want you to have a stress-free, seamless day – here are vendors for you to consider to make this possible:
- Photographer
- Price Range – Experienced Elopement Photographer Starting Rate: $4500-$5500, Amateur photographer Starting Rate: $600-$1200
An elopement photographer will help you cherish and preserve the feelings and emotions from one of the most memorable days of your life.
We may be a little biased, but we would encourage you to hire a photographer who specializes in elopements not only for their experience but also because they will be able to help you come up with a timeline and discover different options available.
They know the best times for photos, all so you can focus on what matters most while being totally present on your wedding day.
- Videographer
- Price range – $2,000-$3,000
Just like with photos, you’ll love having a video that preserves all the feelings and emotions from your elopement. Having a photographer and videographer is the best of both worlds because you’ll not only be able to see a beautiful gallery of your elopement photos but relive the day through sound and images.
At Ascend Together, we actually provide full elopement planning, photography, and video services. Both our photography and video services capture genuine moments in a natural, documentary style, with a nostalgic, home-video touch that creates memories to cherish forever.
- Officiant
- Price range – $300-$500
Just like with your photographer and videographer, we encourage you to hire an officiant who specializes in elopements. They’ll be familiar with how everything works, up for an adventure, and also supportive and celebrative of your decision to elope.
You also want to make sure you are checking your state and local regulations. Some places will require you to have an officiant perform your ceremony, while others may allow you to marry yourselves through self-solemnization.
- Elopement Planner
- Price range – $1,000 to $5,000
Hiring an elopement planner is going to be one of the best decisions you can make for your elopement. It’s going to be a huge weight off your shoulders to hire someone who is going to help you plan and coordinate your elopement and handle all the logistics for you.
- Florist
- Price range – $150-$600
Another vendor you’ll want is a florist. Florists can use flowers native to your elopement location to create a beautiful bouquet, a flower crown, or boutonnieres for you. These stunning pieces will add so much beauty, even if you’re planning on having a more minimalist elopement.
- Musicians / Live Entertainment
- Price range – $300-$600
Having musicians / live entertainment will make your elopement feel more personal and you will have the freedom to choose specific songs that hold meaning or fit the mood you and your partner want for the day. Also, musicians can often accommodate both outdoor and indoor setups.
- Celebration meal for two
- Price range – $300-$1,000
For your meals during your elopement, you could plan a luxury picnic before your ceremony or a private meal with just you and your partner after your ceremony to spend some quality time with just the two of you enjoying each other’s company.
- Your Venue
- Price range – $500 to $4,000
Since each elopement looks different the cost you’ll pay for your venue will look different depending on where you choose. With your venue, the most important thing is that you should choose a place that speaks to you.
- Accommodations
- Price range – $600-$3,000
For accommodations, you can choose options that fit your style and needs, from luxury to rustic charm.
Here are some potential accommodations and pricing options for you to consider:
- A romantic cabin for two ($400–$800 per night)
- Luxury hotel suite ($600–$2,000 per night)
- Group rental home or villa for family and friends ($900–$3,000 per night)
- Cozy boutique hotel for smaller groups ($250–$500 per night)
- Budget-friendly nearby lodging ($200–$300 per night)
Why You Need Local Elopement Vendors
With so many elopement vendors to choose from, our advice is to hire locally. Why? Local vendors will not only have the best insights and tips but also make your planning process easier and faster.
Here are our additional reasons why we encourage you to hire local vendors for your elopement:
Save on travel expenses
When you hire vendors local to your elopement destination, you won’t have to worry about paying any additional travel expenses. This will free up more room in your budget to splurge on other expenses, such as additional activities or experiences you and your partner want to try.
They know the best spots
Locals will know the area inside and out, be passionate about your elopement location, know where the hidden gems are, and know other locals who can help out.
Since an elopement isn’t like a traditional wedding, choosing to work with vendors who are familiar with the location will make you feel more at ease. You can be confident that they will have the expertise and experience with different weather patterns and permits and will know the best way to operate under various circumstances.
Less stress
When you have experts handling your elopement you’ll be able to be fully present and enjoy your celebration versus having to worry about what comes next, how to manage unpredictable weather, or handling any challenges that may arise.
Ready to Hire Your Elopement Vendors?
We hope that this guide was helpful to you! We believe you only deserve the best for your elopement. But what if, after countless hours of research, you still don’t know which vendors to choose?
That’s where we come in and assist you by helping you build your perfect vendor team based on your budget and your priorities and help you plan your dream elopement in 30 days or less.
With us, you won’t have to juggle the research and budget inquiry process with each vendor which can be a tedious and time-consuming process. We make it easy by researching and finding quality vendors for you through our signature vendor screening process. All you have to do is sign the contract and pay the invoice to secure your vendor.
If that sounds like exactly what you want you can learn more about our service here.
