BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and love is in the air in Vermont.
Over 4,700 marriages were performed in Vermont in 2021. While the type of wedding isn’t tracked, those in the industry say anecdotally, that elopements and micro weddings are becoming more and more common.
Those in Vermont’s wedding industry say an increased trend of elopements and micro weddings stems from the pandemic – and is sticking around.
Whether you throw a major party or tie the knot at a courthouse Vermont has long been a wedding destination. But not everyone wants an elaborate party. And nowadays, Vermont’s wedding industry says elopements and micro weddings are here to stay.
“It’s not just half an hour, stop at the courthouse, it can be a full day of enjoying each other’s time and having a very unique and intimate day together.” Kate Seymour runs a Vermont photography business. Right now, she says 10 out of her 20 scheduled weddings are elopements.
Seymour says those opting for elopements or micro weddings often get creative. She’s hiked Mansfield with an eloping couple and is even photographing a couple eloping under the solar eclipse in April.
“Elopements and micro weddings don’t require as much. They’re a bit they’re booking out closer to like six to eight weeks,” said Seymour.
There’s less to plan, and generally less resistance. Couples may find it easier to book a venue less than a year out. That’s the case for the Green Mountain Inn in Stowe, which hosts 15 to 20 elopements or microweddings a year.
“It seems to be increasing every year. So it’s just it’s really grown,” said Sheri Smith. Like Seymour, Sheri Smith and Kendra Collins of the Inn say elopement numbers are now equal to the amount of traditional weddings they host. The practice has become so common the Inn even gives couples a Justice of the Peace to get it all done on-site.
“There is always going to be a market for the larger weddings for the people. A lot of times it’s because of the size of their family, right? But there are people who are also focusing on the more intimate experience,” said Smith.
Vermont’s wedding industry sees over $100M a year so those in the field say they’re happy to adapt to what couples are looking for more and more. “It’s really important to treat an elopement just like a wedding. There’s planning that goes into it,” said Collins.