If you’re planning an Oregon elopement, you’ve probably Google-searched this question before: How much does it cost to elope in Oregon??

 

And you’ve probably gotten some general numbers! Or maybe ya haven’t even searched that because when it comes to the money + financial aspect of eloping, you have NO CLUE where to start. 

Budget can be one of the most overwhelming parts of elopement planning for many couples, but it doesn’t have to be – I promise!!

 

So today we’re talkin’ digits. Here’s what I’ll be going through in this blog post:

 

• Factors that play into elopement costs

• Average elopement costs in Oregon

• My top 3 elopement budgeting tips

• My Oregon elopement packages

• 5 ways you can save money on your elopement

 

Let’s get into it – money doesn’t have to be stressful!! 

Factors that play into elopement costs

First, I wanted to talk about everything that factors into elopement costs! Because it can be easy to only budget for the big things, and forget about all the little elements. We don’t want you to forget anything, only to realize you have to pay thousands of more dollars at the last minute!

 

So here is a list of everything I can think of that you’d be likely to spend on your elopement – based on my own elopement and my couples’ experiences!

 

Not everything on this list will apply to you – so don’t worry if you’re not planning to incorporate ALL of these into your elopement day! It’s just a huge list to make sure you don’t leave anything important out.

 

Vendors + day-of details

• Photographer

• Videographer

• Florist

• Planner

• Coordinator

• Rentals

• Decorations

• Calligraphy/signage/stationery

• Cups/plates/table settings

• Chairs

• Tables

• Venue rental

• Officiant

• Hair

• Makeup

• Musician/band

• Favors/gifts for guests

• Caterer/food truck

• Lighting

• Alcohol

• Other drinks

Outfits + accessories

• Outfits for both of you (tux, dress, jumpsuit, whatever)

• Hats

• Earrings

• Bracelets

• Hairpieces

• Necklaces

• Ties (bolo/neck/bow)

• Shoes

• Veil

Permits + licenses

• Marriage license from your county

• Entry pass for your location

• Any permits needed for your location

• Parking passes/permits

Lodging

• Place to stay for you two

• Place to stay for your guests

• Camping reservations

Transportation

• Gas

• Airfare

• Rental car

Food + drinks

• Meals + drinks during your trip (e.g. at airports)

Other

• TIPS for all your vendors

• Invites + RSVP’s

• Guest book

• Food/drink menus

• Vow books

• Outfit cleaning fee (if you want your dress/tux/etc. cleaned afterward)

• Supplies/etc. for any other activities you’ll be doing

• Rehearsal dinner

• Rehearsal dinner venue rental

My top 3 elopement budgeting tips

1. Pick your 3-4 priorities

My number one tip for budgeting for your elopement is to pick out your top 3-4 priorities! Choose these based on what’s most important to you & what will absolutely MAKE OR BREAK your big day. What’s going to mean the most to you, and therefore you’re totally okay with spending more money on?

 

Then, be okay with the rest of your vendors/decor/supplies/etc. being at lower packages, DIY, etc.

Let’s say your top priorities are:

• Your photographer – because more than anything, you want a photographer who values YOU, creates a unique experience for you, and that you trust with your life to capture your big day.

• Your officiant – because you want your ceremony to feel personal, and you don’t want to have a random long-lost-uncle officiate the most important day of your lives
• Your florals – because you’ve always LOVED flowers and everything about them + nature. You feel like having an incredible floral setup will bring you peace, joy, and you want to be able to keep your flowers + dry them after the big day!

Focus the bigger parts of your budget on those three vendors/items. Then, book your other vendors at maybe slightly lower packages, or DIY some of your decor.

 

Having your priorities straight will help you curate the most special day possible & make sure you have money set aside to confidently spend on what’s most important to you!

 

2. Hire + purchase based on your values

Every time you make a purchase or hire somebody for your elopement, do it based on your values + what’s most important to you.

 

Along the lines of prioritizing what’s most important to you, you want to make sure that every purchase you make is meaningful & because YOU want it.

Are you just hiring this vendor because your mom wants you to? Are you just buying this item because you think you’re “supposed” to for your elopement?

 

Consider those questions for everything you’re spending money on. This way, everything you put your hard-earned money toward is valuable to you + truly meaningful to your day. Not just something you purchased to go through the motions of wedding planning!

3. Prepare to be flexible 

Finally, budget in a way that lets you be flexible. Shit happens, plans change. You want to be mentally, physically, and financially ready for whatever might happen.

 

Organize your money + elopement budget so that you have some wiggle room in a few different places. That way, you’re prepared if something changes, and you’re not floundering at the last minute to find extra cash!!

 

Average Oregon elopement costs

Next, let’s get into some elopement cost estimates. I’m going to give you a few of my fav Oregon elopement vendors that I’ve worked with, or ones that I know are awesome. I’ll give you their average package cost, add ‘em all up, and see what the total comes out to!

 

But please please remember that none of these numbers will fit YOUR elopement perfectly.

YOUR elopement costs will completely depend on things like:

• What your priorities are

• What you value

• The size of your elopement

• Your location

• & so much more

 

For the numbers geeks out there, tho, I wanted to do a little math!

Let’s say you’re planning an all-day elopement in Oregon, and your priority vendors are your photographer, florist, & hair/makeup.

 

If you hire:

• Me as your photographer ($5,997 starting price)

• Brier + Ivy as your florist ($4,000 for the comprehensive floral package)

• Blossom & Beauty for your hair/makeup ($600 for bridal hair + makeup)

 

That brings you to around $10,600 after hiring your top 3 priority vendors.

Maybe your ideal budget is $20,000 – you’ve already got your dream photographer, florist, and hair/makeup artist, so the remaining $10,000ish can be put toward everything else, whether that be DIY materials, lower packages for your other vendors, etc.

 

This could look like:

• $4,000 toward your wedding outfits + accessories
• $500 toward decor
• $500 for signage/stationery/invites
• $1,000 toward your officiant
• $3,000 toward your planner
• $1,000 leftover for extra stuff (permits, random items, etc.)

 

And that is TOTALLY doable!! 

My Oregon elopement packages

Speaking of average costs, I LOVE being fully transparent about my pricing!! No hiding anything here – that’s a waste of time for the both of us!

 

Below you can find my Oregon elopement photography packages with my starting prices!! Reach out here & let’s pick the perfect package for your dream elopement experience!!

5 ways you can save some $$ on your elopement

Finally, I wanted to include 5 different ways you can save some money on certain parts of your elopement! There are tons of factors that affect these, of course, and they won’t be for every couple. But hopefully, they’ll at least help you get started with brainstorming ways you can save!

 

1. Experiences > material goods

Most of my couples choose to elope because they value the elopement EXPERIENCE more than all the money that’s typically spent on material goods at bigger weddings.

 

Make sure that whenever you make a purchase, you’re not doing it because you feel like you’re “supposed to” or because it’s “tradition.” That’s not going to give you the best elopement experience possible!

 

Spend your money on experiences that’ll give you memories FOREVER, versus spending them on items that you’ll just keep in storage for the rest of your lives!!

2. Go camping instead of renting an Airbnb

If you’re not dying to spend the evenings surrounding your elopement in a cozy Airbnb, why not opt to go camping instead?! Oregon has SO many amazing locations to elope, y’all!! And since a lot of them are parks + out in nature, there are plentyyyy of campgrounds!

Instead of spending hundreds of dollars on multiple nights at an Airbnb where you’ll only use 1-2 of the rooms, make a reservation at a campsite. Sleep under the stars, bring your own camping materials and make s’mores by the fire to end the day. This is SUCH a fun way to continue enjoying the outdoors for your adventure elopement experience!

3. Cut down your guest list

This is a big one: cut down your guest list as muchhhhh as possible. 

 

For every person you want to invite, ask yourself:

• Is this person going to truly & fully support us on our elopement day?

• Am I just inviting this person because I feel pressured to??

• Will this person ADD to our elopement?

• Will this person cause me/us stress on our elopement day?

 

If you answer yes to #2 or #4 up there, DON’T invite them!! It’ll serve you the most emotionally + help create the best elopement experience for you – and it’ll make sure you’re not spending $$ on somebody you don’t truly want there with you.

 

4. Hire local vendors

If you’re eloping somewhere where there’s a decent-sized wedding market, opt to hire local vendors instead of paying others to travel there!

 

Maybe you’re flying your dream photographer out for your elopement because your photog is a priority for you. For the rest of your vendors/needs, try to find awesome local vendors that you won’t have to pay any travel fees for!

5. Get help from your friends + fam

Finally, enlist your closest loved ones to help ya out!! I promise your friends/fam/closest humans will be more than happy to help out in any way they can. 

 

Maybe you can get their help cooking food for your elopement, or maybe somebody has a tux they can lend you! Or maybe your aunt is suuuuper talented with flowers and can do your florals for you!!

 

PHEW I know that was a lot!! Money talk can be overwhelming, but there are sooo many ways to create your elopement budget in a way that serves you both + helps you create THE BEST elopement experience possible!!

 

If you loved this blog post, be sure to check out more elopement resources below!

• 10 Unique Elopement Ideas to Make Your Big Day Feel Like You

• How to Elope in Oregon: An Oregon Elopement Planning Guide