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Best Places to Elope in New Hampshire in 2024
In this post, I will go into all of the best places to elope in New Hampshire. Because if it hasn’t been on your list YET, then it definitely will be soon! Eloping in New Hampshire gives you everything you could have wanted and more.
New Hampshire is easily one of the best locations to elope in New England. New England is full of magical places including the mountains, the ocean, waterfalls, lakes, National Forests, cities and more. But if you’re looking specifically to elope somewhere in New Hampshire, then you’ve come to the right place. I have the best places to elope in New Hampshire – oh and… this isn’t even all of them. Nope, I’ve saved the best secrets in my back pocket.
I was born and raised in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire, but now call the White Mountains my home. It’s absolutely my favorite place in the world. And it is quite the hidden gem let me tell you. This state truly has it all.
In this guide, you’ll learn the best time of year to elope in New Hampshire, how to pick your elopement location and some of my favorite places that I recommend you look into! This is perfect for if you’re looking for an adventure elopement or even something less strenuous. OH – and did I mentioned that most of these locations you can elope for free?!
The best time of year to elope in New Hampshire
New Hampshire is one of those places that it is honestly beautiful all year round. No matter when you elope, you can find a stunning location with great weather. However, if you need to narrow it down, then I would highly recommend having your elopement between the months of Jan-Feb (winter elopements), May-June (spring elopements) and August-October (end of summer and Fall elopements). Here’s why.
In New Hampshire, the seasons have drastic changes. Between the months the weather is changing, and sometimes it can be good or really bad.
When to elope in New Hampshire
Elope in NH in the Summer: June-August
The summer in New Hampshire is beautiful, but once you get to July and August, it can also get very very hot. It is also a tourist destination, so the state gets a lot busier with the amount of vacationers in town. If you are planning a Summer elopement, I’d recommend June or end of August. That’s when everything will start to blossom and become vibrant again, the weather is perfect, and the kids are still in school!
Activities: Lake activities, hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, ocean walks
Elope in NH in the Fall: September-October
The Fall is my number one recommendation on when to elope. It is absolutely perfect – the weather is cool, the Fall colors are stunning and generally on the week days, you can still find secluded areas. The only drawback is there are the leaf peepers – so if you do plan to elope, I would highly recommend not making it on a weekend. The Fall colors start to change in New Hampshire in the North, and slowly makes its way south. The last week of September is a perfect week to elope to avoid crowds and still get the beautiful colors.
Activities: Hiking, apple picking, leaf peeping, maple syrup drinking, canoeing
Elope in NH in the Winter: November-March
The winter in New Hampshire, especially up north in the White Mountains, is also beautiful – but cold! Winters are long, and if you are hoping for some snow for your day, then shoot for Jan-Feb. I will say, I absolutely love how cozy and magical the winter can be, especially eloping with your favorite person. If you just make sure to mix in a few indoor activities, then you’ll be totally fine eloping in the winter!
Activities: Snowshoeing, skiing, snowboarding, sleigh rides, ice skating
Elope in NH in the Spring: End of April-Early June
The Spring time is the season that could go either way. The weather is so unpredictable, so you could get snow, or you could get a beautiful spring day! As long as you are prepared for both, then you’ll be fine. But also keep in mind that the snow is starting to melt depending on the month. Therefore, everything is brown, muddy and not in bloom yet. However, once you do get closer to May/June, there are many more wild flowers and everything start to get more green. The benefits of the Spring is on a weekday, you will probably get the location to yourself!
Activities: Waterfalls, Hiking, picnics in the flowers
Choosing your New Hampshire Elopement Location
While New Hampshire is a very small state compared to those out west, it has so many epic locations to elope in. New Hampshire is very close to a landlocked state, but as you head South you will see that there is a beautiful coastal area right on the ocean. Then as you travel north and to the west, there are plenty of state parks and of course the incredible White Mountains National Forest.
Let’s also not forget about the fact that New Hampshire has tons and tons of lakes. There aren’t many other places in the US that you can say you can choose between mountains, the ocean or a lake for your elopement day. This can be an incredible way to have an adventure for your wedding day. Look into the Lakes Region, which has a variety of smaller hikes with epic views of the lakes and white mountains beyond it.
When it comes to choosing your elopement location, you’ll have to ask yourself a few things.
- Are you looking for an adventure elopement?
- Do you want something simple and low key?
- Do you want a venue or somewhere special like a family backyard?
- What type of scenery do you want? Mountains, lake, waterfalls, ocean, field?
- If you want to hike, how may miles are you willing to do?
Your adventure elopement photographer can always help you figure out how to make your day special and feel ‘you’ – aka I can help you!
Where to Elope in New Hampshire in the Mountains
If you’re an outdoorsy and an adventurous soul, eloping on a mountain could be your ideal scenario. With a larger wedding, this isn’t possible. But because you are eloping with either just the two of you or your closest people, then it’s doable.
- White Mountain National Forest
- Mount Monadnock
- The Lakes Region
White Mountain National Forest
The White Mountains have hundreds of hiking trails to choose from. So while you can pick one of the more popular ones, you can also have some of the mountains all to yourself. There are hikes that range from just a mile, to 15+ miles. As you can see, your elopement day could easily turn into an all day event by just adding in a hike to it. The White Mountains are separated by different State Parks: Franconia Notch, Crawford Notch, and Pinkham Notch are just a few.
Franconia Notch State Park
Franconia Notch State Park is located beautifully right off of the main highway of I-93. This makes it extremely easy to get to and there are plenty of things to do nearby.
There are bike paths, hiking trails, camping and ski trails all within the State Park. The Summer can bring a lot of tourism up to “the notch”, so I always recommend the Fall. Not only that, have you seen Franconia Notch in the Fall? It is pretty unreal. An elopement within Franconia Notch State Park would truly be stunning any time of year, and there are plenty of locations on my list!
Some of the popular trails in Franconia Notch are:
- Artists Bluff + Echo Lake
- Franconia Ridge
- The Flume Gorge
North Conway
Located to the eastern part of the White Mountains lies a small town called North Conway. This is one of the better towns within the state, and it has plenty of mountains, lakes and resorts nearby. Here you have the popular elopement destination called Cathedral Ledge, which has beautiful views but is often more popular because you can drive to the top. The Kancamagus Highway is what connects the Franconia Notch to North Conway, which is a stunning drive with plenty of hikes, waterfalls and rivers.
This area of the White Mountains has plenty of trails for an elopement, but also venues and Inns with stunning backdrop views. This would be a great location to have your New Hampshire elopement.
Some of the popular destination in North Conway are:
- Cathedral Ledge
- Diana’s Bath
Crawford Notch
Crawford Notch is north of Franconia Notch, and the home towns are Bethlehem and Twin Mountain. There are plenty of hikes, waterfalls and Route 302 is one of the most beautiful drive (in my opinion). There are a ton of cool Airbnbs in the area as well.
Some of the popular destinations in Crawford Notch are:
- Arethusa Falls
- Mount Willard
- Mount Jackson
- Mount Pierce
Pinkham Notch
Pinkham Notch State Park is home to the Presidential Range, including Mount Washington – the highest peak in NH. There are a variety of hikes in this area, including waterfalls as well. Some couples tend to drive up Mount Washington (mainly in the summer/early Fall), then elope at the top. There are waterfalls such as Glen Ellis Falls, and in the small town of Jackson, there is Jackson Falls. But if you are looking for an adventure, then hiking one of these trails could be such a fun option. This is part of my job as an elopement photographer to find the best hikes for you!
Some of the popular destinations in Pinkham Notch are:
- Mount Washington
- Glen Ellis Falls
- Jackson Falls
- Wildcat Mountain
Mount Monadnock State Park
Mount Monadnock State Park is located on the south western side of New Hampshire and is a more simple drive for some, especially those coming from Boston. At the top you’ll get a stunning 360 view, so it’s well worth the almost 4 mile roundtrip hike up! While the mountains are off in the distance, the granite rocks overlooking the state is just a breathtaking scene.
The Lakes Region
I absolutely love the Lakes Region, because that’s where I’m from! But there are a variety of hikes in the area that may not get you the epic mountain views, but the lake views and the mountains in the background are insane. The hikes are relatively simple as well, so this is a great location if you are looking for something a bit more on the easy side. One of my favorite hikes is Mount Major, which definitely has one of the best views in the Lakes Region!
Best Places to Elope in New Hampshire on the coast
I can’t lie to you, New Hampshire’s coast is very small. But, there are some beautiful beaches and hidden areas that you can have an elopement or intimate wedding. If getting married in New Hampshire isn’t super meaningful to you, but you want to stay in New England, I would actually recommend looking into Maine’s coast! Especially something like Acadia National Park.
The Seacoast
Portsmouth in particular is one of my favorite cities in New Hampshire. It has the most adorable downtown area, and beaches along the surrounding towns. There are other smaller towns outside of Portsmouth that can also be viable locations to have your elopement on the coast such as Rye and New Castle.
Best Places to Elope in New Hampshire at a venue
While getting married on top of a mountain or on the ocean is for some people, others just want the simplicity of a venue. There are plenty of beautiful places in New Hampshire that serve elopements. I’ve included a few that you can simply look into below. For a full list of my absolute favorite small wedding venues in New Hampshire, check out this blog post!
Concord Audubon
I absolutely love this place – if you are a fan of the outdoors, then this could be for you. They have a treehouse in the woods, a garden and a full field that you can have an intimate ceremony and explore afterwards.
Chester Field Inn
The Chester Field Inn actually has a very affordable elopement package that includes a bridal bouquet, a small cake, wine, dinner for two and the justice of the peace. You can truly make it an experience and stay there afterwards!
Top of the Ridge Farm
I love a good farm elopement. Top of the Ridge Farm has elopement and intimate wedding packages that also include some of the essentials – except they do provide a non professional photographer, which I absolutely no not recommend for your elopement day. Your photos are the only tangible item you have to keep your memories, so photography should absolutely be an essential investment.
Christmas Farm Inn
The Christmas Farm Inn is located in Jackson NH, which is the perfect mixture of having mountains, venue and the most simple and precious day. You can have up to 16 guests for free for your elopement and they have special packages as well.
What an elopement timeline can look like
A lot of people will look at an elopement and assume it’s just a few hours. But that is completely 100% incorrect. This is the day you are going to get married – the one day you’ll look back on for the rest of your lives. This is your time to make it epic. You can build this day out to be your most favorite ever.
Most of my couples hire me for at the very least 6 hours. This makes time to document your entire experience. From getting ready, to a first look, to the ceremony and portraits, followed by a beautiful and fun dinner party. The day could truly last from sunrise to sunset if you really wanted it to! Here’s some inspiration from real couples:
- Sam + Nick’s all day elopement in the White Mountains
- Meg + Richard’s Adventure elopement with horseback riding
- Breanne + Britt’s outdoor elopement with family
- Martha + Nick’s moody mountain elopement with swimming
If you need help planning your elopement, check out my guide on how to plan the perfect elopement here!
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