The Best Way to Elope: Why Have an Airbnb Wedding

Feeling stressed out by all your planning options? Have you experienced information overload in the early stages of your wedding? Having an Airbnb wedding might be the best way to elope while sticking to your budget. It can also encourage you to narrow down your guest list to only those you cherish. If you’ve never rented an Airbnb, now may be the time to start — you’ll find something to fit your wildest dreams.

What Does an Airbnb Include?

Staying in an Airbnb is the new way to have the greatest level of comfort while you travel. In some cases, it might be more expensive than a traditional hotel. However, you may also have more space. Airbnb is the third-most visited travel booking website, which might be because it offers unique accommodations that offer more freedom than a hotel. You’ll likely have the entire property, and you can decorate it as you please and move around without restrictions.

Each stay typically includes amenities for all the guests arriving at the accommodations. However, you’ll need to bring personal items, like toiletries and groceries. Airbnbs often provide toilet paper, but they may not offer hair styling tools. Additionally, you shouldn’t have to worry about bed linens — those will already be provided for all the beds. However, Airbnb hosts only have to provide one pillow for each guest, so you should bring more if necessary.

You may also notice that each stay has a cleaning fee. This fee is typically a flat rate that doesn’t change, no matter how many days you stay. Still, you should respect the space you’re using and keep things as neat as possible. It’s a perfect place for gathering some of your loved ones for an intimate elopement or Airbnb wedding.

Do Airbnb Hosts Allow Weddings?

An Airbnb host may specify whether you can use their property for weddings. If it’s not explicitly said in the listing, you can ask the owner whether it’s permitted. Typically, an Airbnb wedding might be covered under the “party” term, but it depends on the listing. If you’re eloping, you may not have many people there to celebrate with you. Even if your dream Airbnb has restrictions, you can always get married there and have a celebration elsewhere later.

Reading reviews is essential to anything wedding-related. Other people’s experiences will give you an excellent idea of what to expect when you book the venue. Likely, you’ll have the best luck with more unique-looking Airbnbs, which may attract more attention from couples who want special wedding photos. 

Carefully read each review, ensuring that elopements are allowed in the space. Some red flags can be overlooked, but drawbacks such as poor communication might be an immediate dealbreaker for you. For example, if someone asks you to send a payment outside the platform, that’s a red flag that may actually be a scam — and make you lose your money.

Why an Airbnb Wedding Is Perfect for Any Elopement

As the costs of wedding vendors rise, people will want to save in certain areas to ensure the wedding of their dreams can still happen. One of the easiest ways to save on your venue is to find an Airbnb space that matches your aesthetic. 

It might be difficult to find a place with the vibes you like that fits within your budget — but there are countless Airbnbs out there that might make you happy and fit the vision of what you had for your big day. Here are several reasons why an Airbnb wedding is one of the best options.

1. It’s Great for Couples on a Budget

Don’t have a lot to spend on a venue? That’s okay — the Airbnb will be relatively affordable, especially since you’ll get more space and time than you may with a regular venue booking. They function more like hotels than special event spaces, but you can still use one for your big day as long as the host allows it.

Weddings cost about $30,000 on average in 2023. Planning to have something much smaller scale can help you out with price. If you have fewer guests, you’ll pay less for food, favors and more. Realistically, if the Airbnb has a limit on how many people can stay or visit, you’ll ease the burden on your budget. However, you may have to trim your guest list.

2. A Venue That Fits Your Aesthetic

Without paying a hefty price, you may find the venue of your dreams just by looking through Airbnb listings. Many of them come with scenic views or whimsical themes that could make your photos pop and give you lasting memories of a special environment. Even if it may not be close to your home, you can find something that functions well as a backdrop for your nuptials.

3. Less Stress

One of the best parts of an Airbnb wedding is that it lifts so much stress off your shoulders. Wedding planning can lead to enough difficulties, including communication issues with your partner or feeling overwhelmed in other areas of your life. Too much stress can lead to unhealthy physical symptoms like a weakened immune system, which could leave you feeling sick close to your wedding day. With an Airbnb, most of the worry is already taken care of.

Aside from tidying up your own space, you don’t have much to worry about with an Airbnb. However, you also don’t need to focus on keeping the volume down, as you’re presumably renting the entire space. You can party all night with your sweetheart and close loved ones. An Airbnb also takes care of a getting-ready space and potential lodgings for guests. You’ll have less to worry about while preserving all the fun.

4. Utilize All the Space

Typically, when you rent out an Airbnb, you get all the space. You don’t have to worry about staying in a secluded area or running into other guests, as you might at a hotel or another venue. You’ll have the entire place to yourself, meaning more privacy for you and your partner to have the ceremony of your dreams.

5. Don’t Need to Worry About Wedding Night Accommodations

Have you thought about where you’ll be going after the wedding? Typically, people go home or stay in a hotel the night after their big day, then leave for their honeymoon the next day. When you rent out an Airbnb, you already have your overnight accommodations planned.

Furthermore, if you’re looking for an affordable honeymoon, a remote Airbnb might be the best place. What could be better than spending time with the love of your life in a beautiful area? The average honeymoon lasts about a week, which is a perfect length of stay for an Airbnb. Even if you don’t want to go that route, you can still use the Airbnb as accommodation for your wedding guests while you stay in a hotel.

Elope in Elegance With an Airbnb Wedding

Your wedding will be one of the most important days of your life. Whether you have a strict budget or are okay with anything, a wedding at an Airbnb can transform your planning process. With an Airbnb wedding, you don’t have to worry about things like transportation, as everything stays on-site. It takes so much stress out of the planning process, and it ensures you have a place to stay that you’ll enjoy with your new spouse.