Boston Elopements

Boston Elopement Photographer

By Will Hall · Perla Images

Over 200 weddings · 15 years behind the camera · 116 five star reviews · Elopements from $3,000

Small weddings, storm stories, done beautifully.

The night before their wedding, Abby called me. The venue had just closed. A blizzard, the biggest of the year, was rolling into Boston. Fifteen guests were already on planes from Des Moines. The next twelve hours would either fall apart or become the wedding they actually wanted.

I’m Will. I’m a Boston elopement photographer, and stories like Abby and Chase’s are exactly why I do this work. Small weddings. Last minute pivots. The kind of intimate day where you can hear your own voice during the vows. The kind of weather most photographers dread and most couples remember forever. For couples planning a full Boston wedding rather than an elopement, see my Boston wedding photographer page.

A blizzard elopement at the Intercontinental Boston

Abby and Chase planned a small Boston elopement for January. Just the two of them, fifteen family members, one perfect day. Their original venue closed the morning of the storm. By dinnertime, every backup plan on Google was either booked or unreachable.

The Intercontinental Boston picked up the phone. They had a function room, a quiet corner of the lobby for the ceremony, and the kind of staff who treat a sudden elopement like the most natural thing in the world. By the time Abby and Chase walked through the revolving glass door the next afternoon, the snow was sideways and Boston was a closed city. Inside, everything was warm gold light, white marble, and family who had flown across the country to be in the room.

Why Boston elopements work

Boston is the easiest city in New England to elope in. The hotels know how to host last minute weddings. The Intercontinental, the Boston Harbor Hotel, the Mandarin Oriental, and the Newbury all run discreet elopement packages. Most can host fifteen to thirty guests on short notice with a private suite, a champagne pour, and a ceremony space.

Boston is also the most photogenic city in the Northeast for an indoor wedding. Marble lobbies. Old brick walls. Hidden gardens at Beacon Hill. Wide sidewalks under streetlights. A blizzard does not ruin a Boston elopement. It is the picture you came for. If you are deciding between Boston and a coastal ceremony, see my Cape Cod elopement photographer page for the oceanfront counterpart.

What you actually need for a Boston elopement to work: a hotel that will host you on short notice, a photographer who can document a day with no rehearsal and no second chances, and the willingness to skip the long engagement.

“We truly have nothing but incredible things to say about Perla Images. Will is extremely knowledgeable, laid back, and so incredibly talented. We booked Perla for our small elopement, with family flying in from out of town. Just one day before the wedding, a massive snowstorm hit. Our venue unexpectedly closed, forcing us to make a last minute location change. We called Will the night before the wedding, and he was nothing but understanding and supportive. He completely rolled with the punches and ultimately delivered the most beautiful gallery of images. Looking at the photos, you would never know how much went wrong leading up to the day, and that is exactly how we remember our wedding. We cannot say thank you enough!” — Abby

Working with Will on your Boston elopement

I photograph Boston elopements year round. My approach is editorial first. I am not the photographer who blocks out a four hour portrait schedule or runs your timeline. I show up, I read the room, I move quietly, and I deliver a gallery that feels like the actual day.

Most Boston elopements I photograph run two to six hours of coverage. That is usually enough for getting ready, ceremony, portraits, and a champagne toast or first dance. I deliver galleries in three to four weeks, fully edited, with print release. I am fully licensed and insured for every Boston hotel I have worked at.

How to elope in Boston, step by step

Massachusetts makes this easy. You apply for a marriage license together at any city or town clerk in the state. In Boston that is City Hall, and the license is $50. State law then imposes a three day waiting period before the license can be used, and it stays valid for 60 days. From there you have two routes: a fifteen minute civil ceremony in Room 213 at City Hall for $75, cash only, or a Justice of the Peace or officiant of your choosing anywhere you like, from a hotel suite to the Public Garden. Every detail, appointment by appointment, is in my Boston City Hall wedding guide.

Where to elope in Boston

The city is compact, so a single afternoon can hold a ceremony, three neighborhoods of portraits, and dinner. These are the places I send couples first.

Boston City Hall, Room 213

Brutalist concrete outside, a plain civil office inside, and about twenty guests at most. It photographs far better than its reputation, and it puts you on the doorstep of Faneuil Hall, Long Wharf, and the harbor for portraits within ten minutes of saying yes.

Beacon Hill and the Boston Public Garden

Acorn Street, the gas lamps, black shutters and window boxes, then over Charles Street to the willows and the footbridge in the Public Garden. Go early on a weekend. Portraits here need no permit; a ceremony inside the Public Garden goes through Boston Parks and Recreation.

The Seaport and the Harborwalk

My studio neighborhood. Glass, water, and long open light at the end of the day. The Harborwalk from Fan Pier to the ICA is the best sunset walk in the city, and a champagne stop is never more than a block away.

Hotel suite elopements

The Intercontinental, where Abby and Chase married in the blizzard, the Boston Harbor Hotel, the Mandarin Oriental, and the Newbury all host small ceremonies with a suite, a pour, and a private dinner. For the newest option, see what a wedding looks like at Raffles Boston.

The North End and Long Wharf

Narrow streets, brick, espresso, and then the open harbor. For couples who want the city to feel old, this is the loop.

A three hour Boston elopement timeline

The collection most couples book is three hours, and this is how it usually runs. 1:00, getting ready in the suite, rings and details, a first look if you want one. 1:45, the ceremony, at City Hall or with your officiant at the hotel. 2:15, portraits: Beacon Hill, the Public Garden, or the Harborwalk depending on where you married. 3:30, champagne and dinner, and the two of us slip out while you sit down. Ask me for a version built around your own locations.

Candlelit, intimate dinner, and moody Boston elopements

The Boston elopement in 2026 looks different than the Boston elopement of five years ago. The City Hall plus restaurant dinner is still the foundation, but the dinner side is what couples are now spending the budget on. The candlelit private dining room at one of Boston’s best restaurants, the moody supper club setting with layered lantern lighting, the editorial portrait sequence walking from City Hall through the Public Garden at blue hour, then the long intimate dinner with eight to twenty guests. That sequence is becoming the dominant Boston elopement format because it is shorter, more intimate, more photographable, and frankly more memorable than a 200 guest traditional wedding. As a Boston elopement photographer working in editorial and documentary modes, this is the day I most love to shoot.

For the ceremony itself, the paperwork, and how to time the day around it, see my Boston City Hall wedding guide. Searching by vibe? See the candlelit, moody, dinner party, and alt wedding photographer pages.

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Boston elopement photographer FAQ

How much does a Boston elopement photographer cost?

Boston elopement photography with Perla Images is 3,000 dollars for up to three hours of coverage. The collection covers a ceremony, portraits at locations like the Boston Public Garden or waterfront, and a small reception or dinner, and includes two photographer coverage (Will as lead and a dedicated associate photographer), all hand edited high resolution images delivered in a private online gallery with print release, and travel anywhere across the Boston area.

Will you travel for a Boston elopement?

Yes. My studio is in Boston’s Seaport, and I routinely shoot Boston, the South Shore, the North Shore, and Greater Boston. Travel is included in the Boston metro radius. I also travel to Newport RI and the rest of New England for elopements.

What if our Boston elopement gets a snowstorm like Abby and Chase did?

I show up. I have weather contingencies for every Boston hotel I work in. I will help you scout an indoor portrait location, plan around the worst hour of the storm, and make snow part of the story rather than the obstacle.

How far in advance should I book a Boston elopement photographer?

Three to nine months for peak Saturday dates. Off peak weekdays are sometimes available inside thirty days. For weather sensitive months like January, February, and November, I keep flexible blocks on my calendar specifically for short notice bookings.

Can you help us pick a Boston elopement venue?

Yes. I have shot at most of the city’s elopement friendly venues. I send couples a short list based on guest count, style, and budget. The Intercontinental Boston, Boston Harbor Hotel, The Newbury, and Liberty Hotel are my four most recommended for small weddings. For a deeper venue guide, see my Best Boston Wedding Venues 2026 guide.

Do you photograph elopements with no guests?

Yes. Two person elopements are some of my favorite shoots. I photograph self uniting ceremonies, courthouse weddings, and pure portrait sessions for couples who marry quietly.

Where are the best places to elope in Boston?

Boston City Hall for a civil ceremony, the Boston Public Garden and Beacon Hill for portraits, the Seaport Harborwalk for sunset, and a hotel suite at the Intercontinental, the Boston Harbor Hotel, the Mandarin Oriental, the Newbury, or Raffles for a private ceremony and dinner. All of them are within a fifteen minute drive of each other.

Do we need a permit to elope in the Boston Public Garden?

Portrait sessions in the Public Garden do not need a permit. A ceremony held inside the Public Garden is arranged through Boston Parks and Recreation, which issues permits for weddings on park property. Many couples marry at City Hall or in a hotel suite and then come to the Public Garden for portraits, which avoids the permit entirely.

How much does it cost to get married at Boston City Hall?

$125 in total: $50 for the Massachusetts marriage license and $75 for the ceremony in Room 213, which is cash only. State law requires a three day wait between getting the license and using it, and the license is valid for 60 days.

Planning a Boston elopement?

Send me a note about what you are dreaming up. I would love to hear about it.

Related guides

Considering a coastal ceremony instead? See my Cape Cod elopement photographer page for the oceanfront counterpart, the best Boston wedding venues guide for full scale venues, and the micro wedding guide for celebrations under twenty guests.

Written by Will Hall, lead photographer at Perla Images in Boston. Updated annually. Last revision: July 2026.