Boston Elopements & City Hall Weddings
- Featured highlights from real elopements
- How to elope (the legal and logistical stuff)
- Meet your photographer, Lindsey!
- Elopement Planning Packages & Services
- Elopement Photography Prices
- Inspiration from real New England elopements
- View elopement galleries
If you're wondering what makes me an expert on all this...well, I'm Lindsey! – a Boston-based nontraditional wedding and elopement photographer AND an ordained minister across the United States. I witness and photograph 30+ elopements every single year in Boston, New England, and beyond!
If you've decided you want to elope in BOston (or IN new england in general), this page is for you!
How to plan an elopement in Boston
New England Elopement Highlights
From downtown boston to Marthas Vinyard
Featured Elopement Photos
A non-traditional approach to Boston elopements!
When it comes to elopements, your options are truly endless! While I'm a big fan of a city hall wedding (and photograph them regularly!), there are so many additional ideas to consider in your New England or Boston elopement planning process.
Your wedding day should be whatever you want it to be.
In addition to Boston City Hall, my couples have eloped everywhere from aboard a ferry to on top of a ferris wheel. They've eloped on boats, rollerblades, ice skates, and motorcycles. I've signed a marriage license on top of a pizza box and at the top of a mountain. I've even ordained a wedding in a couple's living room where the only "witness" was their pet iguana!
So, when I say that I want to help you make a day that is truly "you" from top to bottom, I really mean that we can make anything happen! But, let us begin with the most straightforward option: Boston City Hall.
Make an appointment at any Massachusetts city hall to file a Marriage Intention form. (You can do this in any town in MA even if that isn't the town in which you intend to get married.) Both you AND your partner must appear in-person to submit, and you can pick up your Marriage License 3-days later from the same location.
1. Apply for your marriage license
There is typically a 3-day waiting period after you apply to actually get your Marriage License. However, if you need to get your Marriage License in sooner than 3 days, you can apply for a "Marriage without Delay" (linked here) to be approved for an exception for a $195 fee. More details can be found HERE or you can email registry@boston.gov with any questions.
2. The "3-day Waiting Period"
You can apply for an appointment online, via email, or over the phone and the city will provide a marriage officiant as part of your appointment. These ceremonies typically take place during business hours and can be booked at one of two rooms in Boston City Hall or at the Boston Public Library. More details for Boston City Hall can be found HERE under “schedule your wedding ceremony.” If the dates you want are unavailable, try looking into Cambridge City Hall instead.
3. Book your ceremony appointment
Assemble your vendor team! Reach out to me to see if I’m available for your date, book "Whimsy by Lindsey" or "Rococo" for fabulous florals, and stop by your favorite beauty salon to feel your very best. If you need nontraditional fashion help, I also love Mary O'Keefe for styling assistance.
4. Assemble your wedding vendor team
After your ceremony at Boston City Hall or the Boston Public Library, your officiant will sign your Marriage License and you’ll be good to go. Afterwards, we'll walk around the city for some additional couples photos OR we can plan something extra special for your post-ceremony celebration.
5. Your wedding day!
I'm Lindsey.
Elopement Photographer
Boston Local
I love meeting new people, overly sweet cocktails 🍹, and the color yellow. I chase joy wherever it sparks, even if it’s not where I thought I’d be going.
I've been planning and photographing elopements in Boston and New England since 2018.
YOUR BOSTON ELOPEMENT EXPERT
Elopement Planning Services
Where do we begin?
Location suggestions.
Wedding officiant signature.
Timeline creation.
Personalized recommendations for vendors such as florists and beauty professionals from our existing network.
Extensive research on vendors and locations that are not already within our network. Hands-on design and logistics support. Full-service communication, booking, and coordination of vendors. (You can add on all of these services a la carte or ask me about my reccs for full-service elopement planners when we chat about booking elopement photography!)
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED:
A La Carte Boston Elopement Planning Services
If you are looking for additional assistance planning and designing your Boston elopement, these services are available as either an add-on in your Boston elopement photography package OR in partnership with one of our recommended elopement and micro wedding planners:
Looking for more hands-on support?
Extensive venue/location research.
Location/venue booking & permitting.
Full-service vendor research, hiring, and coordination.
A personalized wedding ceremony by a "Lensy-Experience-Approved" officiant.
Design support ("making it look good!").
Regular check-in calls.
Day-of coordination.
High-touch support as you need it!
Wedding Officiant Services.
Cringing at the idea of a cookie cutter wedding ceremony with an officiant who sounds like they're reading straight from a wall of Pinterest motivational quotes? Don't worry. You'll find none of that here. I've trained a small army of wedding officiants who are ordained and love working with couples on writing kick-ass and totally-you ceremonies.
I'm also ordained, but writing wedding ceremonies isn't a talent I possess. However, if you just need a signature, I've got you.
+ I'm ordained!
Exclusively for Lensy Elopements!
This is Connor, one of my favorite wedding officiants!
Elopement Pricing
City Hall Elopements begin at $1400+ for 1-hour of photography. 1-hour is typically enough time for your city hall ceremony plus a short 25-minute photo session afterwards.
Most couples end up booking 2+ hours ($2200+) to ensure there is ample time for couples portraits in a few different locations and coverage of additional events like a celebratory dinner.
Micro-weddings (which follow the general timeline of a more "typical" wedding day, just with less guests) are priced uniquely for each event but generally begin at $4000 for 4+ hours of coverage.
Pricing info for non-elopement events can be found on our "experience" page.
A downloadable gallery of your edited images + a print license.
Wedding timeline assistance and vendor recommendations.
ALL Elopement PACKAGES INCLUDE:
At this time, we are particularly senstive to the needs of LGBTQ+ and DACA/non-citizen marriers who are hoping to marry prior to January 20th. If your marriage plans have been accelerated for this reason, we are happy to chat about how to make photography accessible.
To discuss these pricing options, please provide more context for your circumstances in the "extra info" section of our inquiry form.
Accessible Pricing options
Starting at $1400 for 1-Hour
Photography starts at $1400 for 1-Hour
Elope outside of City Hall
Is the oceanside calling your name? Or your own backyard?
If you’d like to get married in Massachusetts but not necessarily at Boston City Hall specifically, the steps are pretty much the same as the above except that you will need to find your own wedding officiant to sign your marriage license. Conveniently, if you hire me as your elopement photographer, I am ordained and able to sign your marriage license to make it official. I also have a great list of wedding officiants that I am happy to refer you to.
If you'd like to get a friend or family member ordained for the day, you can do so easily by having them apply at the website of the Secretary of the State HERE. ✍🏽 Applying for a 1-Day Designation gives anyone the legal authority to ordain the marriage of ONE particular couple on ONE particular date in ONE particular location. There is no "in-state residency requirement" for 1-Day Designations, and it costs under $30! Easy peasy lemon squeezy! 🍋 You've eloped!
Boston Elopement
Cape Cod Micro Wedding
Fenway Elopement
Maine Micro Wedding
Rockport elopement
Boston Elopement
Boston Elopement Galleries
Real ELOPEMENT stories from Boston & Beyond
Want to see more?