How to Elope in Minnesota: A Complete Guide For Planning Your Intentional Wedding
If you’re wondering how to elope in Minnesota, you’re probably not dreaming about a big, traditional wedding. You’re imagining something more adventurous and non-traditional, relaxed. A wedding that won’t overwhelm you with all the choices to make, or leave you with a day of anxiety from preformative expectations.
Maybe you’re feeling frustrated about planning a large wedding, because you’re realizing that what you really want is something simple and beautiful for just the two of you. If you’re researching how to elope in Minnesota, you’re in the right place.
Eloping today isn’t about running away. It’s about letting go of expectations, embracing who you are together as a couple, and crafting a dream day to celebrate the two of you. As a Minnesota elopement photographer, I help couples plan meaningful and adventurous elopements in the Minneapolis area, the North Shore, or anywhere else in the Mid-west you’d like to explore.
What Does It Mean to Elope in Minnesota?
Eloping in Minnesota can look like a lot of things. One of the first things couples discover when learning how to elope in Minnesota is that there are really no rules about what the day has to look like. It’s completely up to you.
Instead of just a simple ceremony, more and more couples are choosing to plan an intentional day that celebrates their marriage. There are so many ways you can elope in Minnesota or have a small wedding. Here are just a few ideas:
- Elope just the two of you and plan some activities for two, like visiting scenic spots, hiking remote trails, camping, stargazing, and cuddling by the fire.
- Have your ceremony at a local park in Minneapolis or St. Paul, and go on a tour of some of the most iconic locations after for your portraits. End the day with dinner fore two at a romantic spot like Alma or Forepaugh’s Restaurant.
- Get married with a small group and have a mirco-reception with fun with things like axe throwing, a bar crawl, swimming, or a group vacation.
At the core, planning your Minnesota elopement or small wedding is really about defining what your marriage means to you, and embracing the best plan to put this meaning in perspective.
Step-by-Step: How to Elope in Minnesota
Step 1: Decide What You Want Your Day to Feel Like
Understanding how you want your day to feel is one of the most important parts of deciding how to elope in Minnesota. When you start to envision getting married in Minnesota, do you picture a day that’s:
- Adventurous- a hot air balloon ride, helicopter or float plane tour, remote hiking, horseback riding, snowmobiling or skiing.
- Quiet- vows by the lake, portraits on the dock, dinner in a rustic cabin
- Luxurious- Ceremony at a historic building followed by a tour of the City’s most scenic spots and candle light dinner.
- Vacation vibes- picking a Minnesota destination, having your ceremony somewhere in nature, spending the day exploring and enjoying the outdoors.
Instead of focusing on what a wedding “should” be, give yourself permission to dream about what you want your wedding or elopement to be. It’s the first day of your marriage. It’s so extremely important and worthy of being celebrated. It’s transcendent beyond any rules about what a wedding “should be”.
Step 2: Choose Your Location
One of the best parts of eloping in Minnesota is the variety we have in our state. When couples ask me how to elope in Minnesota, choosing a location is usually where we start.
- A scenic outdoor location like Tettegouche State Park or Black Beach
- A cozy, private space like a historic B&B
- A more modern or urban setting like Minneapolis City Hall or the Science Museum of Minnesota.
- A relaxed natural space like The Como Conservatory or Lyndale Rose Garden
Things to keep in mind about the best Minnesota elopement locations:
- The variety of places to get married in Minnesota is incredible! There’s something for everyone and I can help you choose the best spot.
- All locations will require some kind of advanced reservations, and most require a permit or reservation fee
- Accessibility considerations: A lot of locations in Minnesota, including state parks, are taking steps to become more accessible, by adding paved trails, modern bathrooms, and offering all terrain track chair rentals. Let me know what accommodations you require and I can help you find a spot that fits your accessibility needs.
Step 3: Pick a Date (and a Backup Plan)
If you’re figuring out how to elope in Minnesota, your season can be just as important as your location.
- Summer: Wildflowers in full bloom, warm sunshine, lingering twilight
- Fall: sparkling forests full of fall colors, crisp breezes on the lake
- Winter: The scent of snow and pines, hot chocolate and cuddling up to keep warm
- Spring: moody rainy days, fresh green grass, symbolic of new beginnings
Elopement Photography tip: pick the season you love most. Don’t worry about the fine details of logistics or you’ll get sidetracked from the big picture of eloping. Once you have your season and date picked I can help you find solutions to what you need, including back up plans for the weather.
Popular dates to consider when planning how to elope in Minnesota:
- Weekdays- tend to be less crowded at the most scenic locations
- The Solstices and Equinoxes-the change of seasons can represent your evolving life together.
- The anniversary of the day you met or of your first date, or other personally important dates.
- Thursdays (give yourself a 4 day weekend!)
- Perseid Meteor Shower in early August- ideal time for star gazing on the North Shore or in the Boundary Waters.
- Late September-Mid October- best fall colors.
Step 4: Get Your Marriage License
Understanding the legal requirements is an essential part of learning how to elope in Minnesota. Minnesota is one of the easiest states to get married in.
Both of you must be 18+. You are required to visit a participating county office together to apply for and obtain your marriage license BEFORE the ceremony. Once issued, the license is valid for use anywhere within Minnesota, and after the wedding, the completed marriage certificate must be returned to the same county where the license was originally issued.
How to get your Minnesota Marriage License:
- Apply for your marriage license through a Minnesota county registrar in person, or start the process online with the Minnesota Marriage License application at this link: https://moms.mn.gov/application/Welcome
- If applying online, you must show up in person, TOGETHER at a participating county office (there’s a list of them in the link above) within 90 days of your online application
- Your license is valid for 6 months
For your Minnesota Wedding Ceremony You’ll Also Need:
- An Officiant: As of June 18, 2026 I have marriage officiant credentials through Scott County for anywhere in Minnesota.I can be your officiant and guide you through a personalized vow reading-
- Or schedule your ceremony with a judge in the county you’re getting married in, have a friend get credentials to marry you, or hire a professional officiant. I can give you recommendations for whatever feels right to you.
- Witnesses: you need two adult witnesses (age 16+) with valid ID’s. As long as your photographer isn’t officiating they can be one of those witnesses if you’re really wanting a completely private ceremony. I’ve done this for lots of couples.
How To Elope in Minnesota: Minneapolis or St. Paul District Courts
For couples who want to elope in the Minneapolis or St. Paul district courts, here are the links to info:
Hennepin County Courthouse ceremony info.
Ramsey County Courthouse ceremony info.
Step 5: What Wedding Vendors Do you Need to Elope in Minnesota?
Elopements can be as simple or elevated as you want. On the extremely simple side, it can be just yourselves, witnesses, photographer + officiant.
You might also want to include:
- Hair & makeup
- Florals
- A cake, champagne or other special treats
- Air BnB rental
- Reservations for activities like tours, fine dining, seeing a movie or musical, small group activities, etc.
- A caterer that will feed a small number of guests
- An alterations expert to give your wedding clothes the right fit.
Step 6: Plan the Experience
One of my favorite things about helping couples with planning how to elope in Minnesota is helping them build an experience around the ceremony itself.
Some ideas:
- If you love the outdoors: hiking, a cabin, bicycle riding, fishing, boating, visit the International Eagle Center in Winona, Mn or International Wolf Center in Ely, Mn.
- If you’re planning a city elopement: ride the carousel at Como Park, go the the Duluth aquarium or MN Zoo, make reservations for a personal tour of a museum or historic building, have your photographer plan an adventure photoshoot for your wedding to take you to iconic spots around the city.
- If you’re feeling adventurous: ride a hot air balloon, go rock climbing, take sailing lessons, rent a house boat.
Think about what feels meaningful to you, what you’ve always wanted to do together, and what will bring you both genuine joy on the day you get married.
Step 7: What to Wear when you elope in Minnesota
The simplest advice I can give you is to fully be yourself when you pick out what to wear for your elopement. Don’t let anyone else tell you what they expect you to wear. Wear something that makes you feel like the most radiant and wonderful version of yourself you can be.
Keep in mind:
- Weather: plan appropriately for extreme weather- Minnesota loves to give us hot summer days and cold winter nights.
- Movement/terrain: sensible hiking shoes are a must if you’re planning on eloping on the North Shore or in a Minnesota State Park. If you want fancy shoes, it’s best to bring them along and change into them for pictures, then put your hiking boots on as we move to the next location.
- Layers: this goes back to the weather- you really can’t go wrong dressing in layers in any season. This way you can be comfortable as temperatures change throughout the day.
You don’t have to follow tradition, wear what you want to wear. I’ve had couples make their own clothes for a vintage feeling city elopement, thrift their wedding clothes, decide to go hiking in formal dresses and suits. Do what feels right for you.
Step 8: Create a Timeline (Without Overplanning)
A flexible timeline helps your day feel relaxed instead of rushed and preformative. Leave space to take in the day, be yourselves, and enjoy each other’s company. Build in time for:
- Getting ready
- Travel
- Quiet moments
- Meals & snacks
- The ceremony
- Alone time without cameras/video
- Adventurous detours
- Golden hour
Step 9: Prepare for the Unexpected
Minnesota keeps things interesting, so it’s good to plan for unexpected situations.
A few things to consider:
- Weather backup: I can help you plan what we’ll do if it storms, is too hot, too cold, or there’s a blizzard
- Bugs: There are lots of ways to deal with bugs depending on what season you’re getting married in. Or get married after the first freeze to be as bug free as possible.
- Leave No Trace: Almost every space you could elope or have photos in has rules to follow. In addition to those rules I encourage you to follow the Leave No Trace principals.
Step 10: Make It Official + Celebrate
Your ceremony can be as simple or personal as you want. You could include:
- Personal vows you write yourself
- Rituals like handfasting, jumping the broom, a smoke cleansing, or other meaningful or cultural rituals that are important to you
- Other meaningful elements: think about the little details that can personalize your day. Flowers in your hair, custom cufflinks with your cat’s face, bringing your dog along for your ceremony.
After all the ceremony, photos and activities, leave room to celebrate anyway you want to. Here are some real ways my couples have celebrated:
- A solo dinner together before heading back to their air bnb
- A celebratory brunch at a Bed & Breakfast
- A group dinner with closest family members in a private dining room
- A backyard BBQ with their chosen family and friends
- Going directly to the airport to start the honeymoon
- A larger reception at a later date for all their family and friends
Best Places to Elope in Minnesota
If you’re researching how to elope in Minnesota, these are some of the locations I recommend most often:
- Lake of the Woods
- The North Shore between Duluth and Grand Marias
- Downtown Minneapolis or St. Paul
- The Minnesota River Valley
- The Driftless Region in Redwing, Rochester, Winona
- On the river in Sillwater
If you’re still deciding, here are some more ideas.
How Much Does It Cost to Elope in Minnesota?
Couples looking into how to elope in Minnesota are often surprised by how flexible the budget can be. Of course, it also depends on a lot of your details. Remember, even though it might seem small to you, 50-100 guests isn’t usually considered an elopement by most Minnesota wedding vendors, and your guest count will impact your investment. Generally elopements have less guests, which means you can be very flexible on your plans.
Typical ranges:
- Lowest cost option: A courthouse ceremony or ceremony at a park with just witnesses, a photographer and officiant.
- Mid range: A half or full day planned for your ceremony, portraits, activites, and maybe a gathering with a few guests to help celebrate.
- Going all out: A full weekend elopement with travel reservations, only your closest friends and family, lots of celebration and planned activities.
Compared to a traditional wedding, eloping allows you to be more flexible with your timing, more intentional with your choices, and focus specifically on what matters most to you rather than having to deal with all of the overwhelming opinions, traditions and choices that you encounter when planning a larger event.
Do You Need An Experienced Photographer for Your Minnesota Elopement?
Many couples initially searching for how to elope in Minnesota don’t realize how much planning support an experienced elopement photographer can provide.
Beyond photos, I help with:
- Giving you space to be yourselves without judgement and feel all the emotions of getting married.
- Planning your elopement- suggesting the timing for the whole day, suggesting hiking routes, the best locations for photos
- Recommendations for lodging and local vendors you might need
- Helping you figure out all of the photography rules and permits needed for your locations
- Guiding you through your ceremony as a registered Officiant- I can stand off to the side and photograph you as you simply read your vows and commit to one another.
A Photographer’s Tips on How To Elope in Minnesota:
If you’re still wondering how to elope in Minnesota without feeling overwhelmed, these tips can help:
- Let go of the thought that you should follow any specific “wedding rules”.
- If you’d rather not have a legally binding marriage ceremony, you can choose to have a symbolic commitment ceremony instead.
- Don’t just pick what pleases your families. Focus on the two of you and what will make you most happy when you look back on your wedding years later.
- Be present by being intentional with timing, not rushing things, and learning to let go of anything you don’t really want.
Where else could we elope near Minnesota?
So glad you asked. A few of my dream elopement locations outside of Minnesota are:
Scenic Midwest elopement locations- because I love a good road trip
- The Apostle Islands
- Marquette, Michigan
- Door County, Wisconsin
- Maquoketa Caves State Park, Iowa
- Theodore Roosevelt/Badlands National Parks, South Dakota
Spectacular Volcanos, rock formations & Mountains- because I’m a geology nerd
- Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
- Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii
- Bannack State Park, Montanna
- Sedona, Arizona
- The Oregon Cost
Now that you’ve learned more about how to elope in Minnesota, are you excited to start planning?
If you’re dreaming about an elopement that feels intentional, meaningful, and made just for the two of you I’d love to help you plan your best day. You deserve a day that represents the love you share, all your uniqueness, and the importance of your relationship.
