Hotels Turn to Elopement Packages to Attract Those Planning Weddings
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An elopement might conjure up images of a casual courthouse ceremony, a secret getaway or a Las Vegas drive-thru with Elvis as your officiant, some hotels are capitalizing on an entirely different clientele.
These days, luxury hotels are amplifying their abilities to offer what they’re calling “Elopement Wedding Packages,” also sometimes referred to as micro weddings.
A hotel elopement wedding package isn’t all that much different than a traditional hotel wedding package. The big difference? You'll keep the number of guests to a minimum. Oh, and you’ll save a bunch of money.
Here's what you need to know about elopement packages at luxury hotels, and how you can still save money (and perhaps even rack up some serious credit card points from the price of your wedding ceremony):
How elopement packages came about — and got bigger than ever
After the number of large weddings and lavish receptions plummeted in 2020, luxury hotels began turning to a new strategy to market their event space: elopements.
Couples might not have been willing to bring 100+ people to a ceremony, but many still wanted a wedding — albeit condensed to a closely-curated group of people (and sometimes just the couples).
These days, elopements (and their bigger sibling, micro-weddings) continue to grow in popularity. According to The Knot, elopements have up to just 15 guests. Microweddings are, by definition, slightly larger. The Knot considers ceremonies of between 16 and 50 people to be a microw-edding.
And as it turns out, small weddings of all kinds are gaining popularity. In fact, 48% of couples say that they're considering holding a micro-wedding, according to The Knot Worldwide 2025 Wedding Trends to Watch Report. Meanwhile, 9% of couples say they've discussed an elopement.
Save money with an elopement or micro-wedding hotel package
One of the top reasons why couples opt for an elopement or micro-wedding hotel package is the cost savings. The Knot 2023 Real Weddings Study found that the average cost of a wedding is $35,000. But smaller weddings are small cheaper.
Simply Eloped, which is a website that sells customized elopement and micro-wedding packages and was acquired by The Knot in July 2024, offers packages ranging in price from just $450 to $5,500.
A Disney-area luxury wedding at the Four Seasons for $6,500
The Magic Kingdom's fireworks can be seen from the 17th floor rooftop at The Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort. Image courtesy of The Four Seasons.
Even packages at stereotypically fancy brands, like the Four Seasons, come in far below the average. Take the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort. For just $6,500, you can host what the hotel calls an “Intimate Wedding” for anywhere between two and 35 people. That price tag covers pretty much everything you’ll need (besides what you wear and what you eat) including access to indoor and outdoor ceremony locations, recorded music, florals for the couple, a photographer, a celebration toast, and a one-night hotel stay.
That’s a sharp contrast to the $20,000 minimum you’ll spend to book venue space for a more traditional, 100-person wedding at the same hotel. What’s more, the bigger, $20,000 price tag also doesn’t include many extras you’ll inevitably pay for, such as professional makeup services, a photographer, flowers and wedding insurance.
A romantic, luxury beachfront wedding for $1,500
Across the country, you could book a wedding at the Hyatt Carmel Highlands, a luxury hotel in California overlooking the Pacific Ocean. In normal times, the cost to book the hotel’s gazebo alone is $3,000 for the ceremony (or $5,000 if you want it for the ceremony and reception).
But if you keep your wedding to 20 people or fewer, you can book a weekday wedding for just $1,500 through the hotel’s elopement package, which includes extras like use of the hotel’s wedding changing room (that room usually costs an extra $500 for a traditional wedding).
Lower prices are a win-win
Elopement packages are shaping up to be a win for couples who’ve found an opportunity to get married at a lower price tag, or at venues that might have only been a fantasy before the new trend of elopements. Event planner Keith Willard says it’s a win for hotels who are desperate to get anyone they can to book.
“Keep in mind that, as salespeople, hotel event managers are trying to reach their budget and meet their sales goals,” Willard says. “Those catering managers are looking for ways to make sales.”
And it’s paying off: The Four Seasons Resort Orlando hosted three times as many micro weddings as traditionally-sized celebrations in 2020, says Laure Hitzig Clavette, Director of Catering for the hotel.
When smaller weddings aren't cheaper, they're often more extravagant
Though micro-weddings can save couples thousands of dollars on food, alcohol and seating by severely cutting back their guest list, other couples are opting out of putting those savings in a savings account or brokerage account.
Instead, some couples are maintaining a high budget more in line with the U.S. average. But instead, they're using the money to go all-out on upgrades, like better food and an open bar. Some are opting for a destination wedding versus staying local. At the Four Seasons Resort Orlando, you might even spend a little extra to have Minnie and Mickey show up at your wedding.
“It is cheaper in the sense that due to the sheer number of guests, the overall cost will be lower,” Hitzig Clavette says. “Couples tend to splurge a little more and add more fun customized touches since they don't have to stretch their budget as much. Although the grand total may be lower, the spend per guest tends to be on the higher side.”
Earn those points
For couples splurging on extras, there’s another bright side: racking up more points than ever. As hotels look for ways to encourage people to book events, many large hotel chains are offering additional promotions to earn extra points for your spending — which can then fuel your honeymoon or future vacations.
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2024:
Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card
Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express
Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
