Here's a checklist of items to consider when planning your intimate elopement in New England:

- All weddings require a marriage license. This needs to be obtained from the county that the wedding will take place. You can find more information about the MA waiting period (3 days) and # of witnesses required for your New England state below (fact: MA does not require a witness, Maine requires two witnesses). If you prefer to get married first at City Hall, that's always an option so that you don't have to worry about paperwork on the day of. We got married in City Hall and then had our friend perform the wedding ceremony on the day of our actual wedding which made it easy and so much more personalized.

- Check your state's website to determine the most updated information regarding getting married

- You also need an offiiciant and a witness (depending on the state). Many times, I've photographed elopements and intimate weddings with friends that have performed the ceremony after they were ordained for the day online. You can find out more about becoming a minister to officiate a wedding on the American Marriage Ministries website. On this website, there are resources to help you prepare to ordain your friends during their intimate elopement.

- If you need a professional to help with logistics, a photographer can help guide you through considerations that are necessary for a realistic timeline and help you find great locations for your elopement that will fit your needs. Photographers are also a great resource when planning the best time of day for photos. If you're looking for a specific look to your elopement, such as a snowy winter ceremony, then check out this resource on planning:

- Elopement planners can also be of service. They can help plan your timeline, ensure your guests have the correct address and help them with transportation if your location is out of town. They can also get your floral bouquet if there's a time crunch and you want to arrive at your location the day before the wedding. Elopement planners will also have contacts on hair and makeup artists that service your area.

- The actual elopement location is a key piece in the whole puzzle. The main thing is to be realistic with your expectations. If you want mountain views, but you're not willing to travel 3+ hours outside of Boston, then your views won't be the same as what you see on Instagram. If you have some specific ideas in mind, head out and explore! Take some photos to make sure it looks how you envision. Feel free to be in constant contact with me with your scouting and I can give you immediate feedback. I often have clients wanting waterfalls, but they want them in Boston – unfortunately such a waterfall does not exist. If you book a full day elopement, we can get creative and do multiple locations for your photos. These may include a waterfall and then mountain vistas for the actual elopement ceremony.

-Determine the time of year you want to get married. To me, I love the greens of Spring, the fall foliage in the mountains, or the cool breeze of the oceans when the beaches are not filled with sand toys and people in their swim trunks. Even a snowy hilltop or tree grove in a forest would be breathtaking. Here is a link to a snow engagement session I did recently so you can see how magical snow can look.  

- Figure out if you want to exchange vows, or rings or any other symbol of your love.  

- Do you want any musicians on site during the ceremony?

- Do you want a florist to create an arbour or huppah?

- Consider a Plan B. With the unpredictable New England weather, a snow storm or torrential rains could close certain mountain passes and make roads inaccessible and unsafe for your intimate wedding ceremony. I always like to be overprepared and have a backup plan just in case your top choice becomes impossible. 

Elopements can be confusing and hard to navigate, but as a wedding professional for over 8 years and hundreds of happy clients, I'm here to help you figure it out. It's important to hire a professional to guide you through the process. Whether your elopement is just the two of you, or includes up to 25 guests, the scope is up to you and there are no additional fees for the additional guests. A full list of my elopement packages is listed below. 

OK! So what do I need to make this happen?

click through to find out about waiting periods and witnesses

click through to find out about massachusetts specific elopements

click through to find out about massachusetts ministers

click through to learn about the best time of day for photos

find out about the logistics of planning for the weather

click through to view a published city hall civil ceremony

new england marriage regulations

MA specific marriage rules

american marriage ministries

best time of day for photos

tips on planning for a winter snow sesssion

see a sample city hall wedding