How much is a New Hampshire marriage license?

$50 at any New Hampshire town or city clerk, with no waiting period and no residency requirement. The license is valid for 90 days anywhere in the state.

What do elopement photographers charge in New Hampshire?

New Hampshire elopement photography generally runs $2,000 to $8,000 depending on hours of coverage and location. Packages that also include planning, permits, an officiant, florals, and film sit at the upper half of that range.

Is it cheaper to elope than have a wedding?

Dramatically. The average American wedding costs roughly $33,000 to $36,000. A fully planned, photographed, and filmed New Hampshire elopement runs $3,200 to $9,000, leaving the difference for a down payment, travel, or simply peace of mind.

How Much Does It Cost to Elope in New Hampshire? (2026 Pricing Guide)

Home / Cost to elope in New Hampshire

Real figures for 2026, from the license fee to the permit to what photographers and full service teams actually charge, published by a team that would rather you compare us in the open.

Updated August 2026. Every number below is either a state published fee or the market range we compete in daily.

The short answer. The legal minimum to elope in New Hampshire is about $50 for the marriage license plus your officiant. A realistic elopement with professional photography runs $2,000 to $8,000 here. A fully done for you experience, planning, photography, film, florals, officiant, and permits in one team, runs $3,200 to $9,000 with us. For scale, the average traditional American wedding costs roughly $33,000 to $36,000 for one day.

The fixed costs, straight from the state

Item	Cost	Notes
Marriage license	$50	Any NH town clerk, no waiting period, no residency rule, valid 90 days statewide
State park ceremony permit	$100 to $107	Cathedral Ledge and Echo Lake event reservations, details in our permits guide
Officiant	$0 to $400	A justice of the peace typically charges a fee. A friend can marry you with an $85 special license. Booked and paid for by us in The Summit and up
Special officiant license	$25 to $85	Only if your officiant is from out of state or is a friend or family member

What the market charges in New Hampshire

Elopement photography in New Hampshire generally runs $2,000 to $8,000, driven mostly by hours of coverage and how far into the mountains you go. At the low end you get a photographer for a couple of hours and every other job stays yours: scouting, permits, officiant, flowers, timeline, weather calls. Full service teams that carry all of that for you start around $4,500 in this market.

Where we sit, transparently:

Package	Starting at	Built for
The Sunrise	$3,200	Just the two of you. Ceremony and portrait coverage, 150 plus photos, one curated location secured with a rain backup, timeline, and full license coordination
The Summit, most loved	$5,800	Half day coverage with two photographers, from getting ready through your ceremony and portraits, a 90 second film with your vows, officiant booked and paid, hair and makeup, florals, permits, three signature locations, up to 10 guests
The Signature	$9,000	A fully custom full day across multiple and private locations, upgraded florals, a handmade album, up to 20 guests

Prices are a starting investment and every package is customizable. Full inclusion lists live on our packages page.

The comparison that actually matters

The average American wedding runs roughly $33,000 to $36,000 for a single day, and most of that buys things that exist for the guests: the hall, the catering minimum, the open bar, the room full of your parents' coworkers. An elopement keeps what people actually remember, the vows, the place, the photographs, the film your family cries over, and hands you back the difference. A down payment. A year of travel. Or simply your peace of mind.

Where couples overspend, and where they underspend

Overspend: peak Saturday foliage dates for everything. A Tuesday in October costs less in lodging, has empty overlooks, and photographs identically.
Overspend: hiring a separate planner alongside a photographer. In this market the planning belongs bundled, which is the entire premise of our planner service.
Underspend: photography hours. The couples who regret something almost always regret coverage that ended before the day did.
Underspend: the film. It is the single thing that solves the hardest part of eloping, the people who were not in the room.

Cost questions couples ask us

Can we legally elope in NH for under $200?

Yes. License, a justice of the peace, and a free public spot, and you are married. What that budget cannot buy is documentation or a day that feels designed, which is the difference between getting married and having a wedding day.

Why do full service packages cost more than a photographer alone?

Because they replace four vendors and a hundred decisions. Location scouting and permission, permits, officiant, florals, hair and makeup, timeline, weather calls, and the license path, plus the photography and film. One team, one plan, no gaps between vendors.

Do you charge travel fees within New Hampshire?

No. We live here. Anywhere in New Hampshire is home turf.

How do payments work?

A retainer books your date, and the balance is split on a simple schedule before the day. We reply to every inquiry with real availability and honest pricing, no sales pitch.

Get real pricing for your actual day.

Tell us your season and your vibe. We reply personally with open dates and honest numbers, usually within a day or two.

Start planning your elopement