Is eloping becoming more popular? 4 Florida cities rank in top 20 to elope
Eloping is nothing new, but eloping and “micro-weddings” have become a popular trend for 2024 brides.
Really small weddings started becoming more popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, when some couples decided not to wait for social distancing to end to have their big day. What was a necessary decision for people headed down the aisle four years ago has now become a preference for many.
And South Florida is full of beaches that might as well be somewhere in the Caribbean. If you’re looking to plan a sunny, beachy elopement or micro-wedding, Florida’s beaches may be the perfect spot for your low-key big day.
Sixt, a car rental company, recently released a list of the top 50 elopement destinations in the U.S. and four Florida cities made the top 20 list. Here are the cities that made the list and the difference between a traditional elopement and a "micro-wedding."
What are the best places to elope in the U.S.?
To find the best destinations in the U.S. for eloping, Sixt’s study narrowed down the top 50 destinations based on the average cost of a small wedding in each place and the number of photographers, videographers, planners and officiants in each city.
Palm Beach and Naples, Florida both made the top 10 list, in seventh and ninth places, respectively. Miami and Fort Lauderdale both placed in the top 20, as the 13th- and 17th-best destinations.
Here are the top 20 best destinations for eloping in the U.S., according to Sixt’s study:
Sonoma, California
Aspen, Colorado
Vail, Colorado
Lenox, Massachusetts
Napa, California
Hamptons, New York
Palm Beach, Florida
Santa Barbara, California
Naples, Florida
Newport, Rhode Island
Greenwich, Connecticut
Palm Springs, California
Miami, Florida
Monterey, California
Sedona, Arizona
Charlottesville, Virginia
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Lake Tahoe, California
Charleston, South Carolina
San Francisco, California
Is eloping becoming more popular?
Eloping is becoming more popular, but it’s also becoming more extravagant than just a trip to the courthouse or a 24-hour chapel.
“Eloping has always been seen as a more relaxed and intimate way to get married. Previously, elopements were often spontaneous, unplanned, or planned at the last minute,” According to The Elopement Experience.
“But now, luxury elopement weddings are becoming more and more popular. They are sometimes planned for a year or two and styled perfectly.”
A traditional elopement has just the two people getting married and an officiant in attendance, but the new version of eloping often includes a small guest list of close friends and family.
What is the tiny wedding trend?
The “tiny wedding trend,” which is now called a “micro-wedding,” usually means that a couple has chosen to tie the knot in front of no more than 50 of their closest friends and family.
“Though tiny in guest count, a micro-wedding is still big on style and usually involves a full team of vendors providing decor, flower arrangements, catering, music and photography. You can think of a micro-wedding as something in-between a big, traditional wedding and an elopement,” The Knot says.
“Micro-weddings are for couples who don't necessarily want a big event with hundreds of guests, but they don't want to compromise on experience or smaller details, either.”
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida cities rank in top 20 for eloping on this list. Here's where
