I was one of the original photographers to start specializing in elopements in Boston back in 2016, before “elopement” was even a word most couples were searching for. Since then I’ve photographed hundreds of them, and after 11 years and 500+ wedding, elopements and engagements in total, I can tell you that some of my favorite days behind the camera have been the small ones. Two people, a handful of guests (or none at all), and a city that quietly shows up as the best backdrop in New England.

One more thing before we get into the list: I’m ordained, which means I can legally marry you AND photograph your elopement. One vendor, one point of contact, and a ceremony that feels personal instead of transactional. It’s my favorite way to work, and it makes eloping at any of these spots even simpler.

This list isn’t pulled from Pinterest. These are the spots I keep coming back to, with the real-world details you actually need.

1. Arnold Arboretum

If I could only recommend one place, it would be this one. The Arboretum is 281 acres of Harvard-curated landscape in Jamaica Plain, and it never looks the same twice. Lilacs in May, roses in June, fiery maples in October, and quiet snow-dusted conifers in winter.

My favorite move: meet at the Forest Hills Gate, wander up toward Bussey Hill for the view, and hold your ceremony tucked into the Rosaceous Collection. It feels like a secret garden that happens to be ten minutes from downtown.

Good to know: This one is a dream logistically. Eloping at the Arboretum is completely free, no formal permit required, and you can bring up to 40 guests. They don’t reserve specific locations, so all you need to do is give them a heads up in advance by emailing arbweb@arnarb.harvard.edu or calling 617-384-5209 to coordinate your date and time. Weekday mornings are blissfully empty.

Featured blow is also a Super 8 video of a couple who eloped at The Arboretum. I also married them!

2. Boston Public Library

Getting married inside the Boston Public Library sounds impossibly fancy, and here’s the secret: it’s $200.

The BPL’s One-Hour Wedding Ceremony package gives you an hour in the gorgeous Guastavino Room, with 12 chairs and ceremony decor already set up for you. You can bring up to 12 guests, and your photographer and officiant don’t count toward that number. After the ceremony, photos are permitted in the Guastavino Room and outside at the McKim Building and Copley Square, which happens to be one of the most beautiful architectural backdrops in the city.

Here’s the catch, and it’s a big one: these ceremonies happen on select Mondays only, and dates fill fast. So fast, in fact, that the BPL now runs an application lottery. Applications open three months ahead on the first business day of the month, the window is only open from 8:00 to 10:00 am, and after that every application goes into a random lottery. Mark your calendar and set an alarm.

Good to know: The rules are strict but simple. No food or drink, no live music, no extra decor, petals, confetti, or props, and no on-site prep space, so arrive dressed and ready. Photo access does not extend inside the rest of the building, including the courtyard. And here’s where I come in: the BPL does not provide an officiant, and your vendor list is limited to one officiant and one photographer. Since I’m both, you use one of those two slots and get both covered. Questions go to the Special Events team at events@bpl.org

3. Boston City Hall

The classic for a reason. Boston City Hall ceremonies are quick, affordable, and refreshingly unfussy. Yes, the building is Brutalist concrete. That’s part of the charm, and honestly, the architecture photographs in a moody, editorial way that surprises people.

The real magic is what happens after. You walk out those doors married, and Faneuil Hall, Quincy Market, and Beacon Hill are all within a few blocks for portraits. One of my favorite garage rooftops with a sweeping city view is across the street. Oh, and the detail that seals the deal for so many of my couples: YOU CAN BRING YOUR DOG. Yes, really. Your pup can be there when you say “I do,” and as someone with a very good dog at home, I promise those photos will be some of your favorites.

Good to know: Ceremonies cost $75, cash only, and appointments open 60 days in advance (book through the Registry’s online booking calendar, and if you don’t see a time that works, email marriage@boston.gov because they can sometimes accommodate you anyway). Each ceremony runs about 15 minutes: vows, optional ring exchange, and the pronouncement, officiated by a Registry Justice of the Peace. They even have interpreters available at no cost, and they’ll stream your ceremony for you, so family and friends who can’t be there in person can still watch you say “I do” live. You’ll need your marriage license in hand before your appointment. And if you’d rather skip the JP route entirely, remember that I can officiate and photograph a ceremony for you anywhere in the city, no appointment slot required.

The real star of a Boston City Hall elopement? A very good boy, front and center, with their pawrents’ feet in a supporting role 🐾

4. Cambridge City Hall

A vibe. That’s the whole review.

Okay, a little more: Cambridge City Hall is a gorgeous Romanesque brick building with a sweeping lawn and serious character, and it carries real history. This is where the first same-sex marriage licenses in the country were issued in 2004. Getting married on those steps means something.

And can we talk about the Sullivan Chamber? I love that room. Rich wood, real gravitas, the kind of space that makes a ten-minute civil ceremony feel monumental. You’re lucky if you get to use it, and I mean that literally: the rooms in City Hall are reserved for city business first, so there’s no guarantee the Sullivan Chamber (or any specific room) will be available for your ceremony. If you land it, savor it.

Good to know: You’ll need to complete your marriage intention before you can schedule your ceremony online, and ceremonies are by appointment only. The Justice of the Peace performs a civil ceremony with standard vows, and the whole thing takes under ten minutes. Inside, photos are only allowed in the room where you’re married, not in the hallway or on the interior stairs, so we make the most of the ceremony room and then head outside. The exterior front steps and lawn are where the portrait magic happens anyway, and Harvard Square is minutes away if you want to keep shooting somewhere with energy.

5. The Kelleher Rose Garden in the Fens

Tucked into the Back Bay Fens is a formal rose garden that most Bostonians have never visited, which is exactly why I love it. Hedged walls, fountain centerpiece, and hundreds of rose varieties at peak bloom in June. It feels European in a way that surprises couples every single time.

And here’s the part almost nobody realizes: the garden sits right behind the Museum of Fine Arts, and the back of that building makes for incredible portraits. You get a lush secret-garden ceremony and grand museum architecture in the same session, without moving your car.

Good to know: For private events and weddings in the garden, call 617-522-2700 for info. Mid-June is peak bloom, and early mornings give you the softest light and the most privacy.

6. The Rose Garden at Christopher Columbus Park

Waterfront, wisteria-draped trellis, harbor breeze, and the North End right behind you. This park sits between the harbor and Boston’s best Italian food, which makes the post-ceremony plan write itself: vows by the water, then dinner in the neighborhood. My couples’ favorite spot for an intimate celebration dinner afterward is Mamma Maria, a few minutes’ walk into the North End, and it never misses.

Good to know: Permits for the park go through Boston Parks and Recreation’s online portal. The trellis is iconic and popular, so sunrise or a weekday is your friend here. Spring brings the wisteria bloom, and summer keeps the roses going.

7. Boston Public Garden

The one everyone pictures when they imagine eloping in Boston, and honestly, it earns it. Weeping willows over the lagoon, the little bridge, swan boats gliding past your ceremony. It’s romantic in a storybook way that never feels tired in photos.

My go-to flow here: ceremony and portraits inside the park, then a lower Beacon Hill loop right after. Gas lamps, brick sidewalks, tucked-away doorways, all steps from the Garden gates. And the move after that? Dinner at Contessa. Trust me on this one.

Good to know: Ceremonies here require a permit through Boston Parks and Recreation’s online portal, and the Garden gets busy. I steer couples toward early morning, when the light is golden, the paths are quiet, and the willows are all yours.

8. Fenway Park

For the couple whose love story includes a lot of games at America’s most beloved ballpark, there is nothing like saying your vows with the Green Monster behind you. Fenway hosts private events and small ceremonies, and the emotional payoff for lifelong fans is off the charts.

Good to know: Private events at the ballpark go through Evergreen at Fenway Park, where you can browse the venue spaces and start the conversation with their events team. It comes with a real price tag, and availability revolves around the Sox schedule. If it’s you, it’s worth it. You’ll know if it’s you.

9. Rose Kennedy Greenway

The Greenway is a mile and a half of gardens, fountains, public art, and that dreamy carousel, threading right through downtown. It’s the pick for couples who want the city itself in their photos: skyline, energy, movement, all of it.

Good to know: Ceremonies and events on the Greenway go through the Greenway Conservancy’s event planning page, where you can find the details and start your request. Because it’s a long linear park, we can build a mini location tour into your elopement, moving from gardens to fountains to skyline views without ever getting in a car.

10. Deer Island

The wild card, and one of my favorites. Deer Island sits at the edge of Boston Harbor in Winthrop, with walking trails, open ocean, and a full-skyline view of the city floating across the water. There’s way less foot traffic than anywhere else on this list, and honestly, it feels like a national park that somehow ended up 30 minutes from downtown. It’s windswept, dramatic, and almost always empty.

And yes, I know this island in every season. I’ve hiked up it in the winter and skied back down. That’s the level of commitment we’re working with here.

Good to know: Ceremonies here go through a state parks special use permit, which is a straightforward application through Mass.gov. Bring layers. The wind off the harbor is real, and it also gives you those cinematic veil-in-the-breeze moments. Sunset here, with the city lighting up across the water, is unreal.

Bonus: The Seaport

Because I couldn’t stop at ten. The Seaport is Boston’s newest neighborhood and it photographs like a dream: sleek modern architecture, the Harborwalk stretching along the water, and skyline views from Fan Pier that make the city feel brand new. If the rest of this list leans classic and historic, the Seaport is for couples whose style is clean, contemporary, and a little editorial.

Full disclosure: I have a bit of a home-field advantage here. I’ve photographed many commercial events for the Seaport’s neighborhood marketing team, so I know every nook and cranny over there, including the tucked-away corners and angles that most photographers walk right past. (i.e The I LOVE YOU Mural) When we shoot in the Seaport, you’re getting insider access to the neighborhood, not a photographer wandering around looking for a backdrop.

It’s also endlessly walkable, so we can move from waterfront to glass-and-steel backdrops to cozy corners without ever calling a car, and you’re surrounded by great restaurants and rooftop bars for whatever celebration comes next.

Good to know: Much of the Seaport is privately managed, so where and how you can hold a ceremony depends on the exact spot. This is one where I’ll help you plan the location and logistics so everything goes smoothly.

A Few Things I Tell Every Eloping Couple

You still need a Massachusetts marriage license. Apply together at any city or town hall in the state, wait out the three-day waiting period, and your license is good for 60 days. Build that timeline into your plan.

You do not need a witness in Massachusetts. Truly. It can be just the two of you and your officiant, which means your elopement can be exactly as private as you want it to be.

Permits matter more than people think. Most public parks in Boston require one for a ceremony, even a tiny one. It’s usually simple and inexpensive, and I help my couples navigate it so nothing derails the day.

You can have an officiant and a photographer in one. As an ordained officiant, I can legally marry you and photograph the whole thing, which keeps your elopement small, personal, and easy. It’s genuinely my favorite way to work.

Dreaming about eloping in Boston? [Let’s talk.] I’d love to help you find your spot.