What is Elope?
The meaning of ELOPE is to run away secretly with the intention of getting married usually without parental consent.
Places To Elope In South Africa
The Styling Shed.
Emily Moon River Lodge.
The Conservatory Franschhoek.
Boschendal wine estate.
Colourlab Rooftop Venue.
Lion’s Head.
Zorgvliet Wines Venue.
Tinga Legends Lodge.
What do you need to elope in South Africa?
South African couples with residency or citizenship will need an abridged marriage certificate.
However, foreign couples may need an unabridged marriage certificate or an apostille.
Where is the cheapest to elope in South Africa?
Elope Cape Town
Areas served: Cape Town
Hours: Open ⋅ Closes 4 pm
Phone: +27 63 085 1931
Pink Book Weddings
Address: 4 Bloemendal St, Bloemhof, Cape Town, 7530, South Africa
Areas served: South Africa
Hours: Open ⋅ Closes 5 pm
Phone: +27 21 206 7872
Appointments: pink-book.co.za
Micro Weddings. Elopement Weddings
Address: Wemmershoek Rd, Paarl, 7646, South Africa
Areas served: Western Cape
Hours: Open 24 hours
Phone: +27 82 787 8166
Appointments: forms.app
How much does it cost to elope in South Africa?
The cost of a wedding
Costs vary greatly depending on the size and location of the wedding.
According to professional wedding planners, Great Occasions, the average cost of a wedding in South Africa is between R70,000 – R80,000 for 80 to 100 people.
However, the group notes that these going prices per head (R700 to R800) could easily escalate to R1,500 or R2,000 per person (R200,000 for a wedding).
According to Great Occasions, a wedding budget is typically broken down into the following:
50% of the budget goes to the venue – including hire costs, food, and alcohol.
10% of the budget goes to the Wedding gown and accessories
15% of the budget goes to photography, music, flowers, and decor
10% of the budget goes towards invitations and table gifts
15% should be budgeted for unforeseen costs, such as traveling expenses, service providers, and consultation fees.
Working within the bounds of the group’s wedding cost range of R70,000 – R200,000, this translates to:
R35,000 – R100,000 for the venue;
R7,000 – R20,000 for the dress;
R10,500 – R30,000 for the extras;
R7,000 – R20,000 for the invites and gifts;
and R10,500 – R30,000 for everything else.
However, there are other factors to consider.
Financial journalist, Maya Fisher-French broke down wedding costs further, including items such as wedding rings, honeymoon, and even lobola.
According to Fisher-French, citing survey data from Visa in 2012, on average, couples plan to spend R27,000 on a honeymoon, and R20,000 on an engagement ring. For traditional weddings, lobola comes to about R40,000.
Even these costs can escalate, though, with some respondents saying they would pay as much as R100,000 for the ring, and R250,000 for the lobola.
With these extra costs taken into account, the price can escalate significantly to between R120,000 (excluding lobola) and R290,000 (all included).
Fisher-French said that while these prices are average, they can easily double.
Wedding and lifestyle group, Yes Baby Daily also broke down the “realistic” costs of a wedding, finding a low-end average at R55,000 and a high-end average at R270,000+ – all-inclusive.
According to Fisher-French, if couples take out a loan to fund an “average” R150,000 wedding, they would need R5,500 a month (if not more) over the next three years to repay the debt.
That equates to a 10% deposit on an R1.3 million home – or if invested, could grow to be R500,000 in 10 years, she said.