From sunrise vows at the Trevi Fountain to just-married couples eating hot dogs on the City Hall steps, I’ve spent years photographing intimate weddings and elopements from New York City to Italy and beyond. Each and every sweet moment has taught me new lessons as I strive to keep showing up for my clients as a full-service elopement photographer and planner – something I think is a lifetime journey, not just a title or a badge.

So when I talk about how to elope, it’s not some elusive plan rolling around in my head. It’s what I’ve watched work and what I’ve watched fail, over and over, for couples who wanted their wedding to feel like who they are at that very moment, not what everyone else thinks their wedding, story, or relationship should be.

Eloping doesn’t have to mean a seedy Vegas chapel with an Elvis officiant (but it CAN, and I WILL attend!). Now, eloping means choosing small, and choosing the two of you. It does mean skipping the 200 closest friends guest list, the massive seating chart, the dietary restrictions, and the 16-hour timeline in favor of something quieter, but for many couples, that trade is worth it. And the ones who make it almost never regret it.

If you’ve been thinking “there must be another way to get married.” There is, and I’ll make this your sign. I’ve put together this guide on how to elope, what an elopement day actually looks like, and five things I tell every couple before they do it. Plus, tons of practical tips to really make your day true to you.

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How Do Elopements Work?

A question I get more than any other is: how do elopements work?

To put it simply, an elopement is a small, intentional wedding, usually just the two of you or a handful of your favorite people. There’s no single template (which is exactly the point), but most elopements come down to a few moving parts: you say your vows, you make it legal, and you build a day around the two of you instead of around a crowd of 200.

In New York, making it legal means getting your marriage license (you’ll need to apply, wait the required 24 hours, and then marry within 60 days), and then having an officiant sign it, whether that’s at City Hall or anywhere else in the city you love. Beyond that, the day is yours to shape. Some couples want vows at sunrise and coffee after. Some want a full day of wandering, eating, and being photographed. Some bring ten people, some bring none.

That flexibility is the whole gift of eloping, no seating chart, no 16-hour timeline, no one’s opinion but yours. So here’s how I’d spend it.

5 Tips for a Meaningful Elopement from a Wedding Photographer

I’ve been photographing elopements for nearly ten years now. These are the same tips I give every single couple I work with, so they can have their dream day without a shred of pressure to make it look like a big, over the top wedding.

Tip 1: Slow the Morning Down

The single biggest luxury of an elopement is time. No 200 guests arriving early, no family members arriving 3 hours late, no make-up artist waking you up at 4am (unless you happen to be that kind of morning person). Instead of filling up each and every second of the day, take the actual time to protect it and slow down.

Invest in a hotel you actually love and get ready together. Order room service. Make coffee. Write each other letters. Put on the music you’d put on any slow Sunday and let the morning set the tone for the rest of the day. 

I always tell couples: you’ll have thousands of mornings together. This one only happens once. Make it intentional with small details true to you.

Tip 2: Let the City Be Part of the Day

If you’re eloping somewhere as vibrant as New York City, don’t just parachute in for photos and leave. Let the city become a character in your elopement.

Ride the ferry. Walk through the neighborhoods. Duck into a museum or a bookstore, lean against a brownstone stoop, grab a slice, take the subway, hail a yellow cab just because. The most “you” photos almost never happen at the landmark everyone shoots, they happen in between, when you’re laughing on a corner with a hot dog cart in the background and you forget I’m even there.

Build your day so the city gets to be a part of it, not only a backdrop.

Tip 3: Hire Someone Who Knows the City

What most people don’t tell you about eloping in a big city is it changes every single day. Construction goes up overnight. A parade closes the street you planned around. A “quick” walk turns into forty blocked-off minutes. That’s not a reason to stress, but it’s definitely a reason to hire someone who’s done this a hundred times.

When you work with a photographer who actually knows the city, you get to stay in your own little bubble while someone else handles the legwork. Street’s closed? I already know the next spot. Crowd’s too thick? I know the quiet corner two minutes away. My job is to guide you through the chaos (while finding the best light) so the day feels like a private rom-com you’re starring in rather than a logistics puzzle you’re solving.

This is actually why I offer full-service elopement planning to take the stress out of any day. Aside from photography, I’ll coordinate your full day with an officiant, a musician, a location guide, and more, so the whole day is handled. All you have to do is show up and be married.

Tip 4: Spoil Yourselves

You saved a small fortune by skipping the big wedding. So spend a little of it on yourselves.

Splurge on something memorable. My best advice is to make food part of the experience. Book the seafood tower and the martinis and the tasting menu, or go all in on dumplings, bagels, pizza, and a street hot dog (in classic NYC fashion). There’s no wrong answer here. The only mistake is forgetting to build time into the day to actually sit down and enjoy it.

Trust me on this one: photos plus walking equals hungry. You’re going to want to eat at some point. Plan the meals as a part of your celebration. They’re some of my favorite moments to photograph with two newlyweds, glowing, finally getting to exhale over something delicious.

Tip 5: Go to City Hall

If you take one thing from this list, let it be this: don’t treat City Hall like an errand. Treat it like the main event.

A City Hall wedding is iconic for a reason. You’re in a marble building in Lower Manhattan, surrounded by couples from all over the world who all chose this same beautiful ritual on the same day as you. Build your whole day around it instead of squeezing it in.

Then celebrate! Step outside and let the day keep going with hot dogs on the steps, a champagne toast, a ferry ride, a long walk to dinner. This is how you can turn a five-minute signing into a once-in-a-lifetime elopement you’ll talk about forever.

My Favorite NYC Elopement Venues

If you’re dreaming up where to say “I do,” here are the New York City elopement spots I come back to again and again:

• New York City Hall – the classic, and for good reason. Iconic, fast to make it legal, and full of New York City energy. You can bring up to four people along for the ceremony.
• 620 Loft & Garden – a hidden rooftop garden tucked above Fifth Avenue with views over Saint Patrick’s Cathedral and discounted rates for weekday elopements. Great if you want to have guests at your elopement. 
• The New York Public Library – grand, timeless, and unforgettable for portraits. Have a small elopement ceremony outside and take pictures on the classic steps. Nothing else compares. 
• Central Park – endless quiet corners for vows surrounded by green in the middle of the city. Just you two or whoever you want to join in on your special moment. 
• The Met – marble steps, world-class galleries, and that “this is so New York” feeling in every frame. I love NYC elopements at the Met!

Who to Invite to Your Elopement

One of the main questions couples wrestle with is who, if anyone, gets to be there. And my best answer is: there’s no right number. The whole point of eloping is that the guest list is yours to shape, so the real work is figuring out what you actually want the day to feel like.

A few things worth thinking through before you decide. The budget is a real one, every person you add is another seat at dinner, another round of drinks, sometimes another line on a vendor invoice. Location matters too, since a tiny City Hall ceremony or a sunrise slot in Central Park can only hold so many people before it stops feeling intimate. Consider the vendors you’ll want (an officiant, a photographer, maybe a musician or florist) and how much of the day you want them to hold for you. And most of all, come back to your why behind eloping in the first place. If you chose this to escape the pressure of an audience, don’t accidentally rebuild one out of obligation.

Solo Elopement

Just the two of you. This is eloping in its purest form with vows whispered with no one watching, no small talk, no performing your emotions for a crowd. You keep costs low, you keep the day nimble (easy to pivot when a street’s closed or the light’s better two blocks over), and every moment belongs entirely to you two.

The trade-off is that some people you love won’t be there for the actual moment. For a lot of couples that’s exactly the point, and they celebrate with everyone later. But it’s worth naming so it’s a choice you’re making on purpose, not one you back into.

Elopement With Guests

Inviting a small circle like parents, a sibling, or a best friend or two gives you the best of both worlds: the intimacy of eloping with a few of your favorite faces to share it with. There’s something so special about your mom seeing you in your dress, or your best friend throwing confetti on the City Hall steps the second you walk out as a married couple.

The considerations here are practical. A handful of guests can mean a slightly bigger budget, a location that can comfortably hold everyone, and a little more coordination on the timeline. My advice to stick true to elopements is to keep it genuinely small, and be intentional about who rather than how many. Five people who truly matter will always beat fifteen you invited to avoid an awkward conversation.

What to Wear for an Elopement

Eloping frees you from every “should” about wedding attire, so wear what makes you feel the most like yourself. I’ve photographed couples in flowing gowns and vintage suits, sharp jumpsuits, leather jackets thrown over lace, and blue suede shoes that stole the whole show. There’s no dress code here except what’s going to make you feel comfortable and happy.

Whatever you choose, prioritize movement and comfort, especially in a city. You’ll be walking, climbing subway stairs, sitting on stoops, ducking into cafés, and dancing around crosswalks all day. A dress you can actually wander around in and shoes that won’t cover you in blisters will do more for your photos than anything fussy ever could.

But don’t be afraid to add a bit of flair! A great hat, a dramatic veil, bold jewelry, a bouquet with real color and texture are the details that make elopement photos feel like yours and pop against all that New York marble and concrete. Little touches carry a lot of personality when it’s just the two of you in the frame.

And plan for weather, because NYC street-style elopements happen rain or shine. Tuck a chic trench or a coat you love into the day (a groom’s jacket over the bride’s shoulders is a classic for a reason), bring an umbrella that photographs well, and layer smart in the shoulder seasons. Dressing for the day you’ll actually have beats freezing – or melting – for the day you pictured.

Here are some of my favorite elopement outfits to date:

Ready to Plan Your Dream Elopement?

Here’s what I want you to take away: eloping isn’t settling for a smaller wedding. It’s choosing the day you actually want, on purpose, with the people who actually matter. Slow it down. Let the city in. Eat well. Don’t rush the part that counts.

If you’re figuring out how to elope and you want a day that feels intentional from the first cup of coffee to the last subway ride home, I’d love to help you build it. I offer full-service NYC elopement planning – photography plus a musician, officiant, location guide, and all the little things that let you stay present while I handle the rest.

FAQs About How to Elope