Italy elopement | How much does it cost to elope in Italy
A breakdown of the costs for your Italian elopement
February 2, 2023
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE COSTS OF AN ELOPEMENT IN ITALY
by elopement photographers based in Italy
2023/2024
Table of Contents:
- Average cost of an elopement in Italy
- Costs of a photographer and planner for your elopement in Italy
- Costs of the accommodation (for two nights)
- Costs of a Ceremony for your elopement in Italy
- Costs of a Hair and Makeup artist for your elopement in Italy
- Costs of Flowers for your elopement in Italy
- Costs of Music for your elopement in Italy
- Costs for an Experience (wine tasting, boat ride, hiking, bike ride..) on your elopement in Italy
- Costs of a Dinner for two
- Destinations in Italy and their costs
- High season and low season costs
- Helpful elopement resources
- Our All-inclusive elopement package
- GET IN TOUCH!
You are at the very first stages of your wedding planning and you have already realised that a big destination wedding is really not your cup of tea! Too much stress, too much hussle and quite frankly, too much money! And who ever said that going for a big wedding is always the answer? Do you want to know a secret? We specialise in intimate destination weddings and elopements all across Italy and we get to witness some truly happy and emotional days that are really second to nothing.
If you are thinking of eloping in Italy, you have definitely landed in the right place, as we have a whole bunch of free and very helpful resources that will guide you on your exciting journey.
Whether you are envisioning your day on a sunny October afternoon in the Amalfi Coast or on a spring day in the Tuscan countryside, on our blog you will find all the information you need to plan a perfect Italian elopement!
So please, feel free to use every single one of our elopement guides:
Eloping in Italy: The Ultimate Guide
A guide to elope in the Amalfi Coast
A guide to elope in Lake Como
A guide to elope in Tuscany
A guide to elope in the Italian Alps
Also, if you are still not convinced and you want to see what the actual costs of a wedding in Italy are, make sure you read our article below with a breakdown of all the costs of a destination wedding in Italy:
All you need to know about the costs of a wedding in Italy
And now, let’s dig in!
HOW MUCH DOES AN ELOPEMENT IN ITALY COST?
The average cost of an elopement in Italy is €10.000
As for most things, at the end of the day whatever you feel like spending on something will totally come down to you. And this is true when it comes to elopements too! A while ago, the term “elopement” used to refer to those couples that wanted to escape from their families together and get married secretly, quickly and without making too much fuss about it! You will be happy to know that nowadays the term elopement means SO MUCH MORE! When a couple chooses to elope, they are choosing to adventure together, often in a foreign country. They are choosing to start their married life with a celebration of intimacy, spontaneity and with a good degree of adventuring. It is very common for example, to meet our couples when they are on a big trip across Europe or across Italy, wanting to celebrate such an exciting experience with their union.
Your elopement is THE occasion to indulge on your selves, to potentially splurge on something that means a lot to you and to invest on experiences and quality rather than stuff and quantity. So, if it is true that eloping can be very cheap, it is also true that it has now become the one formula couples choose in order to experience something unique for which they are happy to invest a little bit of their money.
So, let’s have a look at the actual costs an elopement in Italy can have.
Disclaimer: the season and the destination you will choose for your elopement in Italy, will make it more rather than less expensive. We are going through this in more detail here.
COST OF A PHOTOGRAPHER AND PLANNER FOR YOUR ELOPEMENT IN ITALY
Average spent €6.000
When looking for the perfect photographer to document your day, keep in mind that wedding photographers who specialise in elopements can assist their couples through the entire planning process and help them layout the best timeline and itinerary based on their experience (gained over the years).
So choosing a photographer that actually specialises in elopements is always a winning choice.
To give you an idea of the actual costs, our elopement packages start at €3.700, with the highest package costing €6.000 and this includes a full day photography coverage and full assistance in the planning of the day, from laying out the itinerary, the time schedule, to booking the venue and all the vendors. (Please note that this price applies to symbolic ceremonies only. If you are interested in a legally binding ceremony, then a specific quote will be provided separately).
To receive our detailed brochure, please do not hesitate to GET IN TOUCH.
COST OF THE ACCOMMODATION (FOR TWO NIGHTS)
Average spent €300 per night
Again, the cost of the accommodation will vary consistently depending on whether you are staying at a hotel, luxury villa, agriturismo or B&B, etc.. Most of the times the average spent on the accommodation is around €150 - €600 per night. Keep in mind that most likely this is the place where you will get ready in the morning and potentially this is also the place where your ceremony will take place. Again, never forget that when it comes to elopements, nothing is ever set and everything is very flexible! We shoot ceremonies in the mountains or on shores, as well as in the gardens of a Tuscan villa or within olive groves. Really, the sky's the only limit here!
Another thing to keep in mind when choosing your accommodation venue is the services they offer. If you are having an elopement in Lake Como, you might want to be at a place where they offer boat rental options. Whereas, if you are eloping in Tuscany, why not indulge in a spa in a typical thermal area in Val d’Orcia, for example? The options again are endless!
Please, note that depending on the venue you decide to go for, an exclusivity fee might be charged (in case you want an exclusivity on the location).
COST OF THE CEREMONY OF YOUR ELOPEMENT IN ITALY
From €0 to €5.000
When you decide to elope in Italy, you can decide to have either a religious ceremony, or a civil ceremony or a symbolic one - we can’t stress enough how symbolic ceremonies are absolutely the best!
A civil ceremony can cost anything from €300 up to roughly €5000 (consider that you will have to go through lots of costly legalities, that you will need a translator and two witnesses and that you will be charged the fees of the town hall you’ll choose).
Lastly, a symbolic ceremony can be performed by someone you know (and in this case it is naturally free) or you can hire a celebrant. Surely, you can decide to exchange vows in pure intimacy and in this case you wouldn’t need a celebrant, however we think that opting for one always adds a great deal of emotion.
Costs for a celebrant for your elopement in Italy range from €350 to €1600 (depending on the type of symbolic ceremony you wish to go for). Also, keep in mind that if you decide to hire a specific place, like a terrace, the gardens of a villa, a chiostro.. then you will have to add this rental cost to the ceremony costs, and again it can be anything from €250 to €5.000.
COST OF HAIR AND MAKEUP FOR YOUR ELOPEMENT IN ITALY
Average spent €500
COST OF FLOWERS FOR YOUR ELOPEMENT IN ITALY
Quotes for a bridal bouquet and a buttonhole are usually around €350/€450
When it comes to flowers and decor for an elopement, things can either be kept very simple and you can opt to go for “simply” a bouquet or a buttonhole. Or, you can decide to add sophisticated table decorations or/and go for a floral arch for your ceremony.
COST OF MUSIC FOR YOUR ELOPEMENT IN ITALY
Avarage spent for one musician during the ceremony €350
COST FOR AN EXPERIENCE ON YOUR ELOPEMENT IN ITALY
Avarage spent €600
Again, we cannot stress enough how much you will enjoy, or better, you will LOVE to have what we call “an experience” on your elopement day.
Ideas of experiences a couple can have are:
- Wine and/or olive oil tasting
- Boat ride at sunset
- E-bike ride or drive around the Tuscan rolling hills
- Visiting an historical city and its most famous sites
- Having a gentle hike in a UNESCO heritage site like for example, Le Cinque Terre
- Having a pic-nic in the mountains at sunset
- Having a hot air balloon ride
These are just a few ideas. As you can see, the options are endless. If you can allocate about €600 towards it, you won’t regret it a bit!
COST OF A DINNER FOR TWO ON YOUR ELOPEMENT IN ITALY
Average spent €150 per person
The cost of a dinner in Italy very much depends on the area, on the location, type of restaurant, menu you choose and quality of wines you want to accompany it with. A fair and extremely enjoyable dinner would cost roughly €150 per person (and you would already have a very high quality experience).
FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE TIPS FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHER
Why the destination and the season you'll choose will be quintessantial to set the budget right!
When you start planning your elopement in Italy and you start putting down a potential budget, you should take into account two main things: the actual destination you’ll choose and the season you want your elopement to be.
DESTINATIONS IN ITALY AND THEIR COSTS
Different destinations in Italy have different costs. For example, as a general rule, Lake Como, Portofino and Le Cinque Terre are a bit more expensive. Tuscany can also be quite expensive but you can easily navigate around it and find extremely valuable experiences at a very fair price. The Amalfi Coast has more costly destinations than others. Positano, for example, is generally more costly than Ravello, but this doesn’t make it necessarily a better destination.
Or even, Sicily can be a “cheaper” (in the good meaning of the word) destination. It is such a beautiful region that it is really hard to get it wrong. Having said that, “hot” destinations like Taormina can be more expensive.
Again, choosing a photographer that is Italy based and that has lots of experience when it comes to elopements, will definitely translate into a much more relaxing and much better experience. We can help you navigate through your many (many!) options and help you deal with all the Italian vendors to make sure you get a hassle-free experience at the best deal.
Check out the full album of this elopement in Taormina, Sicily
HIGH SEASON AND LOW SEASON COSTS
Same can be said for the season. “High Season” and "Low Season" in Italy are a HUGE DEAL. Prices change considerably depending whether you travel in July or in October. Keep in mind (and again we can’t stress this enough!) that certain destinations in Italy in October (as well as in less warm months) are MUCH MORE enjoyable thanks to much fewer crowds and much milder temperatures. And also, never underestimate Italian tourists that visit the country. Again, having a photographer that knows what the typical Italian bank holidays are, will really come in handy!
For example, the pictures you see of this elopement in the Amalfi Coast were taken in October! We met Veronica and Travis with the first morning light on the beach of Positano for a few golden hour pictures with the view all for ourselves. We then had a stroll around this beautiful village of the coast only to have breakfast on the terrace of their hotel and start the actual elopement day. After a ceremony overlooking the bay of Positano, we went for a stunning boat ride at sunset. Couldn't ask for more!
And now? Are you ready to start planning your elopement in Italy?
Let's see what’s next!
First Step:
The first step you should take is to check out our Elopement Guides below and see which destination in Italy might best fit your taste and needs.
Eloping in Italy: The Ultimate Guide
A guide to elope in the Amalfi Coast
A guide to elope in Lake Como
A guide to elope in Tuscany
A guide to elope in the Italian Alps
Second Step, GET IN TOUCH!
Fill in our CONTACT FORM and book yourselves in for a first free consultation with us where we can give you the first directions and help you narrow down your many options.
Third Step:
Let’s start planning together! As soon as you book us as your elopement photographers in Italy, we will dig in in the planning process, coming up with the best destination, itinerary, experiences and timeline for your elopement in Italy!
We literally cannot wait!
And don't forget to CHECK OUT OUR ALL-INCLUSIVE ELOPEMENT PACKAGE
WHAT COUPLES SAY ABOUT US..
"Elopement Perfection"
Working with Carol was a dream! She assisted us with all details of our elopement, including venue, officiant, hair/makeup artists, flowers and cake. This took so much pressure off of us. Her recommendations were so perfect that I wouldn’t have changed a single thing. She has a amazing, artistic eye for locations and poses. Carol’s sweet and sunny disposition made the entire day feel very natural and comfortable. We had rain on our special day, and Carol navigated around this obstacle effortlessly. Our elopement photos far exceeded any expectations that I had. I highly recommend BenniCarol Photography!
Happy planning everyone!
Benni & Carol
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