How much does it cost to elope in Nashville?

The legal minimum is about $100 for the Tennessee marriage license. An officiant typically runs $200 to $400, and my elopement photography starts at 3 hours for $1,800, with custom packages available. Flowers, hair and makeup, and dinner afterward are as little or as much as you want.

Do we need witnesses to get married in Tennessee?

No. Tennessee does not require witnesses at your ceremony. You do need an officiant, since Tennessee does not allow couples to solemnize their own marriage.

Where are the best places to elope in Nashville?

Favorites from real elopements and sessions I have photographed include the waterfalls at Rock Island State Park and Lost Creek Falls & Cave, Percy Priest Lake, Shelby Park in East Nashville, Harpeth River State Park, and the Natchez Trace area. Some parks ask for a small permit or reservation for ceremonies.

What is the best time of year to elope in Nashville?

April, May, September, and October offer the most comfortable weather and the prettiest light. Summer works well too if you plan the ceremony for golden hour, the last hour or so before sunset, which is also the most flattering light for photos.

ELOPEMENT GUIDE · UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2026

How to Elope in Nashville

Eloping in Nashville is genuinely simple. You need a Tennessee marriage license, which costs about $100 with no waiting period and no residency requirement, an officiant, and a place you love. No witnesses required. This guide covers the license, the best locations, permits, real costs, and how to make the day feel like yours.

Couple eloping in the woods at Percy Priest Lake near Nashville photographed by elopement photographer Lizzy Oakley

Step 1: Get Your Tennessee Marriage License

Apply together in person at the Davidson County Clerk's office in Nashville. The fee is $99.50 in cash or $101.49 by card, and it drops substantially if you complete a premarital preparation course beforehand. Bring valid photo ID. There is no waiting period, no blood test, and no residency requirement, so out-of-state couples can fly in and marry the same day if they want to.

Your license is valid for 30 days from the date it is issued and can be used for a ceremony anywhere in Tennessee, not just Nashville. After the ceremony, your officiant signs it and returns it to the clerk so your marriage gets recorded.

Elopement announcement suite, vow books, and wedding rings from a Lost Creek Falls elopement near Nashville

Step 2: You Need an Officiant, but No Witnesses

Tennessee does not allow couples to marry themselves, so you will need an officiant. That can be a local professional officiant, a pastor, or a friend who is ordained. One of my recent couples flew in two of their best friends, one of whom was ordained, and those two doubled as their entire guest list. It was perfect.

The good news: Tennessee requires no witnesses at all. It can literally be the two of you, your officiant, and me.

Couple exchanging vows with an officiant and their dog at Percy Priest Lake in Nashville

Bride and groom about to kiss in the woods after their Nashville elopement ceremony

Step 3: Pick Your Spot

This is the fun part. These are places I have actually photographed elopements, intimate ceremonies, and couples sessions, not a list copied off the internet:

Waterfalls: Rock Island and Lost Creek Falls & Cave

If you want drama, head east. Rock Island State Park has a massive, roaring waterfall you can stand right in front of, and Lost Creek Falls drops into a mossy cove with a cave right beside it, which is exactly as cinematic as it sounds. Both are about an hour and a half to two hours from Nashville and worth every minute of the drive. See Haley + Justin at Rock Island and Crystal + Joey at Lost Creek Falls & Cave.

Bride with a bright bouquet and groom smiling in front of Lost Creek Falls during their elopement

Couple exchanging rings at the base of Lost Creek Falls near Nashville

Couple standing on the rocks in front of the waterfall at Rock Island State Park in Tennessee

Percy Priest Lake

Rocky shorelines and open water fifteen minutes from downtown. Gorgeous at sunset, and one of my favorite spots for both elopements and engagement sessions. See Annali + Brennan's elopement at Percy Priest Lake.

Bride raising her bouquet in celebration after eloping at Percy Priest Lake

Shelby Park

East Nashville's riverside park, with meadows, old stone structures, and unbeatable golden hour light. See Kate + Tyler's golden hour elopement at Shelby Park.

Bride and groom walking through the meadow at Shelby Park during their summer elopement

Harpeth River State Park

Bluffs, river bends, and wooded trails about half an hour west of the city. See Michelle + Natsuki's adventure session at Harpeth River.

Couple standing on a bluff overlooking the Harpeth River near Nashville

Couple embracing at golden hour at Harpeth River State Park

The Natchez Trace Area

Dramatic bridge views and endless countryside south of Franklin. See Alix + Del's session at the Natchez Trace Bridge.

Couple in a meadow beneath the Natchez Trace Bridge south of Franklin, Tennessee

Couple walking hand in hand across the Natchez Trace Bridge

A practical note on permits: some parks, including state parks and lakefront areas, ask for a small permit or reservation for ceremonies. It is usually cheap and easy, and once you pick your spot I will point you to exactly what that location needs, because I have been through the process before.

What Eloping in Nashville Actually Costs

Marriage license: about $100
Officiant: typically $200 to $400, or free if a friend does it
Photography: my elopement coverage starts at 3 hours for $1,800. We can also create a custom package depending on your needs! Please send an inquiry to get a full pricing list!
Flowers, hair and makeup, outfits, dinner afterward: as little or as much as you want

Lost Creek Falls pouring into a mossy cove, an elopement location about two hours from Nashville

Bride and groom sitting on a fallen log in front of Lost Creek Falls after eloping

Make It Feel Like a Wedding, Not an Errand

The best elopements I photograph have intention built in. A real first look. Vows you wrote yourselves, read out loud with nobody else around. A private last dance on a hilltop with a bluetooth speaker. Dinner at the restaurant where you had your first date. Eloping does not mean skipping the meaning, it means keeping only the parts that matter to you.

Photography-wise, I plan your ceremony time around golden hour whenever possible, the soft last hour of light before sunset. It is the difference between nice photos and photos that make your stomach flip a little every time you see them. Browse my elopement gallery to see what I mean.

Couple backlit by golden hour sun at Harpeth River State Park near Nashville

Bride and groom laughing together at golden hour after their Shelby Park elopement

A Simple Elopement Timeline That Works

2:00 pm: hair, makeup, and getting ready photos
4:30 pm: first look and portraits around your location
6:00 pm: ceremony and vows in the best light of the day
7:00 pm: golden hour portraits, just the two of you
8:00 pm: dinner, a toast, and your first evening married

That is a full, unhurried elopement day inside four hours of coverage. If you are dreaming about something different, a sunrise ceremony, a waterfall hike, a downtown night shoot, I am absolutely up for it. I am based in Nashville and photograph elopements across Middle Tennessee, from Franklin to the waterfalls a couple hours out, and I travel beyond that too.

Bride and groom standing on a rocky overlook with snowy mountain peaks behind them during a mountain elopement

Bride with a long flowing veil looking at her groom in front of mountain peaks at their elopement

Planning a Nashville Elopement?

Tell me what you are imagining, even if it is still fuzzy. I will help you pick the spot, sort the permit, and build a day that feels like the two of you.

Get in Touch