THE RISE OF THE RUNAWAY BRIDES
Traditionally, eloping meant the black sheep of the family skulking off to a Gretna Green chapel because Mum and Dad didn’t approve. But with the average cost of a British wedding currently a monstrous £27,000, a new version is now in vogue: women under 35 tying the knot in far-flung locations – without the nagging traditionalist parents – so they can keep their hard-earned house deposits intact.
These are not the spontaneous runaway nuptials of old. They are meticulously planned and, unlike a major destination wedding, very intimate affairs. Some tell close friends and family, while others announce the surprise news via Insta on the day. Sure, it’s unlikely that any of us imagined the only person to witness our wedding would be a stranger we grabbed off the beach, but then student loans, the housing crisis and expensive avocados happened, forcing us to ditch our 150-strong guest list and lavish venue plans.
Maya Conway, 48, founder of Boho Cornwall elopement service, says she’s noticed ‘at least a 50% increase’ in the number of couples marrying in this way. ‘I think lack of money is the main reason but it’s also down to the way people choose to spend their money,’ she says. ‘ They want experiences for themselves rather than splashing out on tradition.’
Gabrielle Gant, 28, a yoga teacher from London, was in the middle of arranging a large city wedding with her fiancé Matt when they panicked as the cost spiralled to £20k. After months of planning they scrapped the idea and eloped to New York in February instead. ‘ We ended up spending £500 each and married at City Hall in front of a couple of friends. The original wedding was going to cost the same as a house deposit,’ she tells Grazia. ‘Eloping was the best decision we ever made. Loads of our friends are following suit. Weddings get so competitive – the perfect dress, hair, bridesmaids, so that everything looks Instagrammable – that people lose sight of what it’s really about. For a broke generation, eloping makes so much sense financially.’