Why New Yorker's should consider eloping in Connecticut

While many couples love coming to New York City to elope, I know there are many couples in and around the city who would really enjoy getting out of the city for their own elopement to both save money and celebrate away from the busyness of everyday life. I've come up with 7 reasons why New Yorker's should consider eloping in Connecticut.

Why New Yorker's should consider eloping in Connecticut:

This past weekend I traveled to Connecticut for an elopement (I’ve photographed two elopements in Connecticut, one at the gorgeous Hartford City Hall and one at an Airbnb out in the hill country—both weddings equally stunning) and I was reminded that Connecticut is a great space for couples in New York City who want a romantic intimate weekend away to quietly elope before they throw their big NYC wedding reception later in the year. More and more these days couples are throwing intimate wedding ceremonies followed up by big (or smaller) parties to celebrate. 

Here’s why I think it’s a great idea to elope in Connecticut (especially if you’re from the city):

1. You have access to both a Rural Setting and a Modern Photographer. If you have a high value to have artistic wedding photos for your own city-experienced photographer whose style might be more modern than a rural Connecticut photographer, you can still travel your photographer to Connecticut at a decent price. For many photographers it’s an easy day trip by train. 

2. Proximity friendly. If you are having an intimate party of guests, Connecticut is easy to get to via train, rental car, or bus. They don’t have to invest too much in a plane flight. If anything they could book an Airbnb or hotel for one night. 

3. There are more than a handful of Airbnb’s that are really cute and fun for an intimate celebration and mini-honeymoon stay. If you’re keeping your elopement extra intimate then checking in with your Airbnb host about having 1-2 extra people around is probably okay (I know some Airbnb listings have a strict “no guest” policy, but I’ve found, as an Airbnb Host,  that sharing your story with Airbnb Hosts and asking about potential uses of the space before booking is simple. Most of the time I’ve received out of the box requests, I don’t mind saying yes. 

4. Any season can work in Connecticut.  Who says the season of the sticks is ugly when you have hills, rivers, quaint bridges, and colonial homes to liven up your backdrop? Autumn (if your’e booking an autumn elopement, I would definitely recommend booking a place as far in advance as possible since autumn weddings and autumn getaways are very common). 

5. Cinematic photography is on full display in Connecticut— if that’s the kind of photography you’re interested in, you’ve pretty much signed up for an incredibly cinematic backdrop. Stunning colonial houses, dreamy estates with willow trees and rivers, main streets, farm fields, quaint bridges, and old roads— it’s all straight out of a romantic movie. 

6. Your decoration is your setting: In NYC you can embrace the natural beauty of the city and get married on a bridge or in Central Park for free— but the moment you start booking venues, you have to do some work to dress them up and make them look pretty. Eloping allows you to set up a more traditional ceremony spot wherever you’d like. When you keep it intimate, almost anything can be your backdrop. You’re allowed to keep it simple if you want. You’re allowed to buy a few plants at Home Depot, throw them in your Lyft, and use them as a backdrop. Simple is expected, it’s easy. If you book an Airbnb that already has a really lovely garden patio, then you’ve already got a space that’s dreamy and ceremony ready. The point of an elopement is ease. 

7. You can really make it experiential. What do I mean? Choosing an intimate ceremony between just you two and getting out of the city for your elopement means you can get creative with what you do together. You can create experiences together that you enjoy both with a camera and without a camera around. You’re not investing in a huge venue or party, so put that extra money you’re saving toward a few romantic experiences together. 

Experience Suggestions while your photographer is around: ice cream at an ice cream parlor, a post-ceremony trip to the beach, get tattoos, go rollerskating, hit up an amusement park in your fancy wedding clothes, rent a vintage car and take it for a spin. You could hit up a late night diner, make cocktails together, go buy wedding day gift books at a book store, have your own instant film photoshoot of one another, sing karaoke, reenact your first date, etc. All of these experiences are meant to be fun for the both of you, but also they allow your photographer to take a more “candid” approach and photograph you two doing something that brings both of you joy. 

Experience suggestions without your photographer around: Couples massage, Hot tub, early morning coffee overlooking the garden, 

So what do you think? After writing this post, I sort of just want to spend a cozy weekend in Connecticut, but if I was looking to get married, I might also be convinced an elopement in Connecticut is the way to go.