HOW MUCH DOES AN ELOPEMENT COST IN NORTH WALES?

One of the first questions couples ask me is a simple one: how much does it actually cost to elope in North Wales? It's a completely fair question, and you deserve a clear answer before you fall in love with the idea. An elopement is a very different way to get married, so instead of one big number, let's break it down: what my elopement packages cost, exactly what's included, the legal fees you'll pay separately and the little extras worth budgeting for.

What my elopement packages cost

I offer two signature offerings at Elope with Leon, and with both of them I'm your celebrant and your photographer. Here's where they start:

• The Signature Elopement: a personalised ceremony with half day photography coverage, starting at £3,250.

• The Ultimate Elopement: a personalised ceremony with full day (AM to PM) photography coverage, starting at £4,950.

Because I do both, you don't have to find, book and coordinate a separate celebrant and photographer. There's no handover and no hassle: just one person who knows your love story inside out, from the first meeting to the final photograph.

What's included in the price

Both packages are all-inclusive, so the price covers far more than the ceremony and the photos. With the Signature Elopement, you receive:

• A bespoke personalised ceremony, crafted around your relationship, with video and audio recording

• Half day photography coverage

• Your Love Story Album, which follows you across every experience at Leon Bagnall Experiences

• Complimentary private chauffeuring, provided personally by me

• Elopement planning support (inside business hours)

• One year's complimentary subscription to the Love Story Registry, with a handcrafted letter, photographs and flowers on your anniversary

• A complimentary gift bag

The Ultimate Elopement goes further. You get full day photography coverage from the anticipation of the morning to the final moments of your day, and you can choose multiple elopement locations instead of one. It also includes 16 Polaroid keepsakes in a beautiful mini album, premium planning with heightened support and direct communication with me, and an exclusive summertime anniversary celebration at Twilight Ceremonies, free of charge.

Both gift bags include locally sourced bespoke chocolates, a presentation box containing your ceremony script and certification, Polaroid photographs from your elopement day, a USB backup of your memories and a bottle of Champagne.

The legal costs (paid separately)

Photo: Ernst Vikne, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Here's the bit many couples don't realise: in England and Wales, a celebrant-led ceremony isn't legally binding on its own (yet). So alongside your elopement, you'll have a short legal ceremony with a registrar, and those fees are paid directly to the council rather than to me.

Here in Conwy, giving notice of marriage costs £46.50 each, the statutory ceremony at the Register Office in Llandudno Town Hall is £62 and a marriage certificate is £12.50. That's a legal minimum of about £167.50 for the two of you, based on the fees from April 2026. Fees are higher if either of you is subject to immigration control, and they do change, so always check with the register office you're booking. I explain the whole process step by step in Is eloping legal in Wales?

Other costs to budget for

Every elopement is different, but these are the things most couples set a little aside for:

• Accommodation: most couples stay close to their elopement location. Davinia and Joao stayed in a cottage close to theirs and lightly decorated it with personal touches. I always suggest booking at the earliest convenience so your favourite place doesn't get snapped up.

• Getting to North Wales: your travel here is up to you, but once you've arrived, chauffeuring on the day is included in both packages.

• Your outfits and rings: the dress, the suit, the shoes, the accessories and the rings you'll exchange during your ceremony.

• Hair and make-up: if you'd like someone to help you get ready on the morning.

• Celebrating afterwards: a meal out, a beautiful picnic somewhere scenic or a night away. The excitement doesn't have to stop when the ceremony ends!

• Extra keepsakes for loved ones: if family couldn't be there, you can gift them a moment from your day through my keepsake store. A presentation box is £40, a copy of your ceremony script or certificate is £25, and a selection of 10 photographs is £60.

How to get the most from your budget

• Choose the day you actually want. If you'd love one stunning location and a relaxed few hours, the Signature Elopement is perfect. If you'd like to start at your accommodation, travel between several places and celebrate right through to the evening, the Ultimate Elopement gives you the whole day.

• Let the scenery be your venue. North Wales gives you mountains, lakes and sandy beaches for free, so your budget goes on the experience itself rather than on a room.

• Think about what comes next. Your Love Story Album and Love Story Registry carry on long after your elopement day, so you're investing in memories you'll keep coming back to.

• Proposing first? Couples who have a guided proposal with Where Two Bloom receive 10% off their elopement with me when the time comes to tie the knot.

So, is an elopement worth it?

I'll let my couples answer that one. As The Makins put it, "Leon made the whole journey run so smoothly. He felt like a friend from the moment we met him." That's what you're really investing in: a calm, personal day where everything is taken care of, so you can do less planning and more celebrating.

If you'd like to see everything side by side, have a look at my elopement packages, or read how the process works from your first message to your photo delivery. When you're ready, send me an enquiry and tell me about your love story. I'll be in touch within 24 to 48 hours, and I can't wait to hear it.