With the average Australian wedding now costing around $40 000, it’s no wonder the trend to escape expensive traditions and elope is becoming more popular.

It’s estimated about 10% of the 120, 000 Australians who get hitched each year are opting to celebrate a smaller affair abroad.

Value for money and ‘less stress’ appears to be the leading reasons for couples seeking to elope. The average guest headcount for Australian weddings is just over the 100 mark, so it’s obvious the cost saving on guests alone is a huge benefit. When it comes to where in the world Australians are eloping to, wedding planners are seeing a trend towards beachside destinations such as Bali, Thailand and Fiji.

These locations are still a hot favourite with our own clientele for both elopements and honeymoons, but we’re also seeing some more adventurous choices such as Santorini, Paris, London or Las Vegas for the ultimate elopement experience. A recent client told us their decision to elope was based on wanting “something small and fun that was about us, not the drama associated with a big wedding”

Another client Brooke who recently eloped to Las Vegas, and then honeymooned in New York told us the decision for them was about “saving costs but also having a unique experience”

“We chose Vegas so we could have fun with it. We knew all we wanted was the chapel, the rings and some photos”

The other trend we’re noticing for clients planning to elope is the emphasis on capturing the honeymoon. Being able to spend more and plan bucket list adventures in the US or Europe for the honeymoon is something important to couples who share that love for travel. Just like Brooke, her decision to honeymoon in New York was as much of the
focus of the celebration;

“New York for our honeymoon was another bucket-list trip. It was the ultimate holiday we got to celebrate this special time together, that’s why we wanted to capture it”

At the end of the day, getting married is a personal choice. So, whether it be splashing out on all the traditions at home, hosting a small group affair on a beach in Bali, or an intimate ceremony for two in Paris, it all comes down to how you want to celebrate that life moment, and that’s it.

And of course, if Travelshoot can help capture the moment, or even the honeymoon – our local photographers in over 80 cities are experts at fuss-free destination photography.

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