PHOTOS BY PALERMO PHOTO

Las Vegas has always been a go-to destination for those looking to tie the knot on the fly. But what if you could stay closer to home without having to settle for City Hall?

That’s the idea behind Fairmont Pittsburgh Hotel’s elopement package.

“I think we have seen in the weddings world that elopements are on the rise,” says Andrea Stehle, public relations manager for the Fairmont. “They have become more popular than ever, so we are catering to what the industry is calling for. We have also had so many requests from the vendors [who said] we should think about doing the package.”

Statistics point towards couples wanting less expensive weddings as well. According to The Knot’s 2018 Real Weddings Study, the average cost of a wedding was $33,931, and even Pinterest recently reported that searches for elopement photography ideas increased by 128 percent.

The Fairmont’s elopement package, starting at $2,999, provides the couple the opportunity to be married with an officiant on the grand staircase of the hotel. The newlyweds receive an hour of photography, a seasonal bouquet and boutonniere, a one-night stay, a Swedish couples’ massage, a four-course meal, and a customized wedding cake by the in-house pastry team.

“Everyone these days is about creating an experience … so we are the next level up of having that intimacy and simplicity but not taking the elegant factor out. You still have the Fairmont vibe,” says Strehl.

The details of the package can be customized for each couple to fit their elopement dreams. Meredith Celko and Caleb Lunsford eloped Nov. 3 with their parents and siblings as guests.

“We were looking at all of our options, and I am from Pittsburgh and [knew] I wanted to get in the city somewhere,” says Meredith. “We looked everywhere, and we got really overwhelmed whenever we made a list. It just got bigger and bigger. So we took a step back and decided to just do parents and siblings.”

The couple tied the knot in a private room in the Fairmont rather than the grand staircase to accommodate their small guest list. Celebrations continued with a brunch.

For Meredith, it was an intimate time to start their life together and not have to entertain guests and bridal party members.

“I think intimate ceremonies are awesome because now people get caught up in the wedding details and there is less a focus on the love,” says Meredith. “I think if we did it again we would just do the two of us.”