Salem Elopements: Ultimate Guide

Eloping in Salem is an experience like none other. Salem is a vibrant and welcoming little city full of personality, interesting sites and history, and fantastic food and shopping. I used to live in Salem and I’m a 10x great-granddaughter of a Salem Witch, and it always makes my heart sing to be back in the city helping couples celebrate their love in a place so close to my heart.

This guide compiles all of the need-to-know information that I use to help couples plan their Salem elopement.

Reasons to Elope in Salem

1. There’s so much to see and do! Salem has amazing history and a tourism industry built around it. And it’s not just witchy! There’s fantastic shopping and dining, and easy access to the rest of the North Shore’s natural beauty for further exploration.
2. Salem is a proud ally of the LGBTQ+ community. Whether you’re part of it or not, that welcoming atmosphere is everywhere in Salem, from the way people greet each other to the visual representations of that allyship all over the city.
3. Salem is all about helping you express yourself authentically. I know it’s weird to say that a city can do that, but truly this one can!
4. It’s the best place for your to celebrate a non-traditional-Christian wedding. Whether you’re a pagan or Halloween is your absolute favorite holiday, Salem has the setting and the vibe you’re looking for.
5. It’s full of natural beauty and historic city charm, all within walking distance or each other!

When to Elope in Salem

Choosing when to elope in Salem is like playing a game of priorities Tetris. You need to balance what you can afford for lodging against the time of year that you want to be there against how much of a crowd you’re willing to contend with.

When to Start Planning a Salem Elopement

Also related to the “when” of eloping in Salem is the “when” of starting to plan and book things. is it possible to make your day happen in less than two months? Yes, but the circumstances to make that happen largely depends on the season you’re looking to elope and whether you’re somewhat local to the region.

For most couples who are planning it as a destination elopement, I would say that you should start planning eight months to a year in advance, and possibly longer if you’re trying to do an October wedding.

Best Months to Elope in Salem

Fall is the most popular season to elope in Salem, but spring and summer are also amazing in the city.

May-June is peak springtime in New England, and Salem is just coming alive after winter. The public gardens around the city are in full bloom and tourist season hasn’t really picked up yet. Lodging can be a lot more affordable at this time of year, too.

If you’re looking for peak spooky vibes, then late September through early November is going to be your best time. The fall golden hours in October are absolutely dreamy and the whole city is bursting with activity for the season. Lodging is more expensive during this season, and you’ll need to book at least eight months in advance to find something that is what you want/need in Salem at any kind of reasonable price.

Best Days and Times to Elope in Salem

I will always recommend weekdays for my eloping couples since most people are working, so crowds at places we’ll visit will be less. This is even more important if you are getting married in October and close to Halloween. The best days for a Salem elopement are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. I’m particularly fond of Thursdays because of the Farmer’s Market. If you’re eloping in the spring or summer you could also do Mondays or Fridays for your elopement, but Fridays will still be pretty crowded downtown.

I generally do not recommend eloping on Halloween and instead encourage couples to look at alternate dates. Halloween is wild in Salem, with crowds that make it challenging to see and do things, or even just navigate your way through the streets.

If you’re not doing an all-day elopement experience, then I recommend planning your elopement for the 3 hours prior to sunset. The only exception to this advice is in the few days around Halloween – crowds get pretty insane, especially in the afternoons and evenings. I would totally recommend that if you want to elope on Halloween, aim for the early morning hours to reduce the impact of crowds on your elopement day.

Salem Elopement Ceremony Locations

There are so many amazing locations to elope in Salem! Some of them are free for public use, others require either a rental or permit fee. All of the locations listed below are for “just the two of us” elopements or micro-weddings with less than 5 people involved.

Salem Common

This location is a no-brainer! It’s a massive greenspace that’s free and open to the public. Admittedly, it’s NOT the most picturesque location in Salem, especially around Halloween, but it is big enough that you can still find a nice spot and some privacy for a vow exchange.

Historic Home Gardens – Ropes Mansion and Derby House

Salem boasts two lovely public gardens that are free and open to the public, maintained by historical home museums. During peak tourist times, these locations can be a bit mor challenging, but for the most part they are places where you can find a few minutes of privacy to exchange your vows among the lovely flowers.

Derby Square

The Derby Square features two beautiful brick plazas on either side of Old Town Hall. These can be perfect for couples who want more of the downtown Salem vibe for their vow exchange, but don’t want to be doing it smack in the middle of Essex Street Mall.

The House of Seven Gables

This historic home and garden is a popular and well known destination. They do host weddings for a fee, and eloping couples can explore the grounds. There are entrance fees, and there is a photography permit required even if you’re not exchanging your vows there.

Lynch Park Rose Garden

Okay, so this location isn’t actually in Salem, but it is just a 10-minute drive over the bridge into Beverly. This seaside park has a gorgeous sunken garden with brick walls and a stone pergola. There’s also an access point onto the beach for those seeking a bit of the Atlantic on their day.

Salem Micro-wedding Venues

If you are planning a small wedding with ten or more guests, securing a venue is always a good idea, simply because it ensures you’ll have a location to hold everyone. Plus, they ensure that you’ve got somewhere covered to go in the event of bad weather.

Salem Old Town Hall

This location is a fabulous “blank space” for a wedding. Located in the heart of downtown Salem, this location provides easy access to lots of beautiful portrait locations. This can be a bit of a challenge for those planning a wedding because the rental fee is just for use of the space – nothing else, like furniture, is part of the rental.

Harmony Grove Cemetery and Chapel

This gorgeous, historic cemetery boasts a beautiful gothic chapel and park-like grounds. This location is perfect for couples seeking more of a Victorian flair for their day. Elopements and micro-weddings of all sizes are subject to a fee, whether it’s a photography permit for portraits or a rental fee for the use of the chapel.

Satanic Temple

The Satanic Temple is a little bit out of the way from downtown, but they offer micro-wedding services and inside it is very, super cool. Most of their packages include their officiant services, too.

Things to Do for Your Salem Elopement

Salem is an awesome little city full of interesting sites to see, tasty restaurants to eat at, shops to explore, and more. No matter what you end up doing, you’ll likely be taking an unofficial walking tour of Salem’s historic sites, since driving is pretty much impossible downtown. The list below contains some of my go-to recommendations to Salem elopement couples.

Walk the Essex Street Mall: This is pretty much a given for any Salem elopement. Essex Street is the main artery of downtown, and it’s where all the best food, attractions, and shops are located. This is a designated pedestrian zone and you can often find a variety of buskers performing.

Explore the Old Burying Point: This historic cemetery is a popular tourist destination, and home to the Salem Witch Memorial. It’s free to enter and explore, but reservations do need to be made online in advance for site preservation.

Check out the Farmer’s Market: The Salem Farmer’s Market has amazing vendors for unique gifts and tasty treats. Hosted on Thursdays in Derby Square.

Take some spooky after dark photos: What’s a Salem elopement without a little bit of the macabre? Plan your day with some post-sunset time included for some moody portraits with a little bit of fun.

Have a tasty meal: Salem has some of the most amazing food I’ve ever eaten. No matter what your flavor of choice, there’s a restaurant in town that has it. Or celebrate with drinks on a rooftop bar while you take in the sunset.

Getting to and Around Salem

One of the great things about Salem is how easy it is to get around once you’re there because everything is so walkable. But, Salem is not what I would describe as a car-friendly city. And if you’re not familiar with Massachusetts roadways, it can be a really challenging experience to navigate Salem’s roads. Usually, parking is hard to find and expensive if you do, and I have definitely spent four light cycles trying to move half a block during the busy season.

So, my best advice if you’re driving into Salem is to come with a parking plan and be prepared to walk. If you are able to secure lodging in Salem that has parking, even better! If you’re staying outside Salem, it can be helpful to take an Uber or Lyft into town to avoid the hassle of parking.

Salem also had a train station on the North Line that runs all the way from Boston to Gloucester. Unlike the T, stops are pretty limited, but it definitely possible to secure lodging in one of the towns that the North Line has a stop in and take the train into Salem.

How Much Does a Salem Elopement Cost?

Salem elopements can be quite costly depending on the season and what you plan to do. Many of the couples I work with are traveling from out of state, and so airfare, lodging and car rentals are an expense. Plus there’s the cost of your wedding attire, eating out, photography and an officiant. Below are some of the standard costs that couple need to consider when planning the budget for their Salem elopement.

1. Marriage License $50-$350: Depending on how long you’ll be in town, this can range from the standard cost of getting the license to a couple hundred for judge to grant a marriage without delay (see below).
2. Lodging $350+/night: I generally recommend that my couples plan to spend a minimum of $350 per night on lodging, and a minimum of $500 per night during the fall season. in town rentals or hotels during the month of October are frequently
3. Photography $3500+: I can’t speak to other photographers, but the minimum cost for a client to hire my services for the Salem elopement is $3800.
4. Officiant $500+: Some officiants and JPs can be very affordable, others are $1000 or more. Depending on the photographer you hire (like me), officiant services could be included in your photography package.
5. Permits/rental fees $250-$1500+: Depending on the locations you choose to incorporate into your day and the way you want to use them, you could be spending nothing at all, or a little on photo permits, or a lot on site rentals.

Based on this, I would say that the minimum a couple should budget for their Salem elopement is $10,000. However, it’s entirely possible that you could spend upwards of $20,000 all said and done.

Hotels and Accommodations for Salem

There are a variety of hotel options in Salem, as well as a plethora of AirBnB and VRBO options. This list is just a few of my recommendations for hotels and inns in downtown Salem, though of course there are a lot more and many that are further afield.

Hawthorne Hotel

If you’re looking for a quintessentially Salem experience, this hotel is the one for you. It’s widely known that it’s haunted, and guests can pay extra for specifically haunted rooms. This is definitely a luxury spend for accommodations, and rooms often book up a year or more in advance.

Hotel Salem

This hotel is a contemporary addition to downtown. Location right on Essex Street Mall, this hotel is central to everything, making it the ideal homebase for an eloping couple. It is a bit on the pricey side, but I would say that it’s well worth the investment given it’s location and amenities.

The Salem Inn

This hotel is actually a collection of historic homes that have been transformed into bed and breakfast style lodging. This hotel is a boutique experience and is popular enough that it has a waiting list a year in advance for the fall, though it’s less competitive for the spring and summer.

Eloping in Salem if You’re from Out of State

If you don’t live in Massachusetts or in driving distance of a Massachusetts town, getting your marriage license requires a little extra planning. Massachusetts has a 3-day waiting period between when you apply for your marriage license and when you can get married. So, if you’re from out of state, you’ll need to plan for a minimum of 4 business days for the marriage license process.

Alternatively, you can apply for a marriage without delay. This process adds an extra step of going before a judge with petition, and there’s an extra cost. However, the cost to petition for a marriage without delay is significantly less expensive than the cost for additional days of lodging, so many out-of-state couples opt to go this route. I recommend that couples plan for a full business day the day before their elopement to manage this process.

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