The Ultimate Guide to Eloping in Wisconsin in 2025

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO ELOPING IN WISCONSIN, WRITTEN BY A LOCAL WISCONSIN ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHER! (UPDATED FOR 2025 & 2026)

As an experienced and local Wisconsin elopement photographer, I cannot wait to show you all the information I have put together for you and your partner so you can plan the dream elopement experience you both deserve. This ultimate guide to eloping in Wisconsin will give you all the tools and resources you could ever need to plan your dream elopement!

HOW TO LEGALLY ELOPE IN WISCONSIN

In Wisconsin, you’ll have to apply for your marriage license in-person. You can get your marriage license at your local county clerk’s office at least six days (but no more than 30 days) before your elopement. A marriage license in Wisconsin can cost anywhere from $50-$120, depending on the county you’re getting it in.

SELF-SOLEMNIZATION IN WISCONSIN

What is self-solemnization?

Self-solemnization is a self-uniting wedding ceremony where you legally marry yourselves without an officiant, judge or witnesses. Self-solemnizing makes sense for couples wanting to elope in the outdoors with maximum privacy and not wanting to have more people than themselves and their photographer present.

Why self-solemnize?

There’s a few reasons why you might choose to self-solemnize!! Here are a few:

Don’t need to hire an officiant
Anyone can sign your marriage license, including kiddos and your fur baby
Even more privacy on your elopement day
Can have a fully customized ceremony
Potentially more location options for your ceremony (especially if you want to hike)

How to self-solemnize in Wisconsin

You’ll need to get your Wisconsin marriage license! To get one, both you and your partner will need to take a trip to the county clerk’s office. If you are a Wisconsin resident, you’ll want to visit your local county clerk’s office (where you live). If you don’t live here, you’ll want to visit the county clerk’s office in the county where you’ll be getting married.

What you need when you apply for your Wisconsin marriage license:

Birth certificates
Photo IDs/Driver’s Licenses
Proof of residence (like a utility bill)

DETERMINE THE SIZE OF YOUR WISCONSIN ELOPEMENT

How do you and your partner want to celebrate your elopement day? Just the two of you? With friends? With family? A mix of both?

JUST US ELOPEMENT

Are you envisioning of an elopement experience that’s just the two of you, doing the things you love, in a place you love? A just us elopement is perfect if you’re wanting an intimate and romantic experience without having to worry about any guests being taken care of.

ELOPEMENTS WITH GUESTS

Who says you can’t have an elopement with guests?! If you can’t envision a day without your closest friends and families being there, then invite those people into your day! You can still have an intimate, romantic, adventure when you bring guests along.

CAN’T DECIDE?! YOU DON’T HAVE TOO!

Do both of those options sound amazing and you can’t decide between the two?! This is where you can have the best of both worlds with a full day or even multi-day elopement experiences. You can exchange your vows privately and then have a larger ceremony with your guests later on. You can go on your own adventure, but still have a big Wisconsin family meal to end the night. It’s your day, that means you can do whatever feels best to you!

HOW TO PLAN YOUR WISCONSIN ELOPEMENT

Elopements are so magical, especially when you realize that your elopement can be literally anything you want it to be! It can be as simple or as extravagant as you’d like.

To keep it simple, here’s an outline to follow for planning your Wisconsin elopement:

Find & book your elopement vendors: if you find an elopement photographer (like myself) or an elopement planner, they’ll help you throughout the entire planning process! They can help with things like helping you find locations that match your vision, finding other vendors, timeline planning, finding lodging, and so much more. Just remember, it’s okay to take your time in finding the perfect vendor for you! Connection is key here.
It’s time to daydream & brainstorm: it’s time to take a step back with your partner, and take a deep breath in. The options are limitless when it comes to dreaming up your elopement adventure, but here are some good questions to help get you started:

– If we thought of your elopement as an adventure first, what would that look like?
– What would our ideal date night look like?
– How do we both want to feel on our wedding day?
– Write down a list of your favorite things ever
Pick your location: once you have a little bit more of an idea of what you want your day to look like, this is when you’ll start looking at locations! Check out my list of the best places to elope in Wisconsin here!
Find your lodging & accommodations: you’ll want to book your lodging sooner rather than later, especially if you’re thinking of eloping in an area with limited options! You can book lodging for just the two of you, or booking something like a VRBO that allows events if you want to have a post-ceremony celebration with guests.
Assemble all the details: for your elopement, you can have as many or as little details as you’d like! Some elopement details you might want to think about are flowers, vow books, attire, jewelry, meal setup, etc.
Making it legal: this is one of the most important things for getting married! Make sure you have your marriage license in order before the big day (so you & your partner can be officially married!)
CELEBRATEEEEE GOOD TIMES: IT’S HERE! Your big day is finally here and your about to marry one of the people you love most in your life. Now it’s time for you two to have the best day EVER.

FEELING OVERWHELMED WITH PLANNING?! LET ME HELP!

WHEN TO ELOPE IN WISCONSIN

Every season has a little something different to offer here in Wisconsin, and it all depends on what aligns with you and your partner! Choosing when to elope in Wisconsin will depend on what you took are looking for when it comes to temperature, activities, etc. Let’s take a closer look at the Wisconsin seasons so you can decide!

Winter (November-March): Our Wisconsin winters are not for the faint of heart, and it feels like our winter season lasts for forever! But if you’re imagining frozen ice caves, snowmobiling, ice fishing, skiing, and just lots of snow… you might want to consider eloping in the winter! (But don’t underestimate the winter season here! We often see below zero temps multiple days)
Spring (April-May): This is when everyone and everything starts to come out of hibernation (finally!) That being said, our springs tend to be quite muddy and dull until everything starts blooming again. But the spring season is also waterfall season, since our waterfalls tend to rage after all the snow melt! If you’re thinking of eloping in the spring, I recommend May to Early June.
Summer (June-August): The summer is the busiest season of them all here in Wisconsin, and it can get pretty toasty. If you’re wanting a summer elopement here, I recommend eloping in June or the end of August! July can be a pretty hot & humid month, even if you’re up on Lake Superior.
Fall (September-October): This might be my absolutely favorite season here!! You’ll be spoiled with vivid foliage, crisp air, and all things fall! The fall is also another busy season, so make sure you plan for that! But imagine all the fun fall activities you could include like apple picking, haunted corn mazes, fall festivals, Oktoberfest, bonfires, and SO much more! (NOTE: Take note of hunting season as WI state parks allow hunting)

WANT TO AVOID CROWDS AND HAVE MAXIMUM INTIMACY?

If you’re wanting to avoid crowds and have max privacy, I highly recommend eloping on a weekday and during sunrise, early morning hours!

HUNTING SEASON

Here in Wisconsin, the state parks allow for hunting during hunting season. This is something you’ll want to be aware of when choosing your elopement date. Deer hunting spans from mid-September to early January. Turkey hunting is from late April to late May. Click here for more information on hunting season in the state parks!

NEED AN ELOPEMENT PLANNING CHECKLIST!? SAVE THIS & PRINT IT OUT!