June 11, 2026
Orlando gets a bad rap as an elopement destination. Which is wild, because some of the best places to elope in Orlando are sitting right under everyone’s nose.
Theme parks. I-4 traffic. Tourists in matching shirts. Everyone assumes if you’re getting married in Central Florida, you’re either doing it in a giant ballroom or in front of Cinderella’s castle.
The truth is, those spots are some of the most underrated in the entire state. Quiet springs. Wild state parks. Hidden gardens tucked into the middle of the city. A courthouse that’s actually beautiful. And yeah, if your love language is Butterbeer and roller coasters, we can absolutely make Universal happen.
I live here. I shoot here. I’ve spent years scouting the corners of this city that most photographers don’t bother with. So if you’re trying to figure out where to elope in Orlando without ending up with the same photos as every other couple, this one is for you.
Why Orlando Is Actually a Great Place to Elope
Let’s get this out of the way. Orlando isn’t just theme parks.
Within an hour of downtown you’ve got crystal-clear natural springs, thousands of acres of state parkland, oak-shaded gardens, sandhill lakes, and one of the most paperwork-friendly courthouses in the state. Flights into MCO are some of the cheapest in the country. Which means if you’ve got people coming in from out of town, you’re not asking them to take out a small loan to be there.
As an Orlando elopement photographer, here’s what I tell every couple who reaches out. Pick the place that feels like you. Not the one that photographs best. Not the one that’s on every Pinterest board. The one where you can actually breathe.
These are my five favorites.
1. Kelly Park Rock Springs
If you’ve never been, picture this. Water so clear it looks fake. A natural spring pumping out 26,000 gallons a minute at a steady 68 degrees. Cypress trees. Spanish moss. A current that gently floats you downstream through one of the prettiest spots in Central Florida.
This is one of the best places to elope in Orlando if you want something that feels wild without driving three hours to find it.
What to know before you book it
You have to arrive early. Kelly Park has a daily capacity limit and they stop letting people in once it fills up, usually before 10am on weekends. Weekdays are your friend here. Permits are required for ceremonies and any kind of professional photography, and they don’t issue them last minute.
This is exactly the kind of thing I handle in the planning process so you don’t have to.
Who Kelly Park is perfect for
- Couples who want something outdoorsy and intimate without a full destination trip
- Anyone who wants to actually get in the water after the ceremony (you should, by the way)
- Couples who want a backdrop that doesn’t look like every other Florida wedding
2. Lake Louisa State Park
Lake Louisa is 4,500 acres of sandhills, pine flatwoods, and lakes about 40 minutes from downtown Orlando. It’s where I take couples who want big sky, big light, and the feeling of being somewhere remote without actually being remote.
Sunrise here is unreal. The light comes in long and gold across the water and the cypress, and if you time it right, you’ve got the place almost entirely to yourselves.
What to know about getting married at Lake Louisa
The park requires a wedding permit for ceremonies, and they have specific spots set aside for it. The lakefront, the meadow, and a few clearings near the cabins are all options depending on how many people are coming and what kind of vibe you want.
You can also stay on-site. There are cabins, glamping tents, and lodge rooms, which means your entire elopement weekend can happen in one place. Get ready in your cabin. Walk to your ceremony. Walk back. Pour a drink. Watch the sun go down over the water.
Best for
- Couples eloping with a small group of family or close friends
- Anyone who wants a “Florida that doesn’t look like Florida” feel
- Sunrise people. This place was made for it.
3. Harry P. Leu Gardens
Right in the middle of Orlando, tucked off Forest Avenue, is 50 acres of botanical garden that most locals haven’t even been to. Camellias, palms, roses, oak trees draped in moss, a butterfly garden, and one of the prettiest little gazebos in the city.
If you want to elope in Orlando without leaving the city, Leu Gardens is the move.
Why it works for elopements
It’s small enough to feel intimate. It’s well-maintained enough to feel polished. And because it’s a city-owned garden, the booking process is actually straightforward compared to some of the private venues around here.
The Garden House and the Rose Garden are both popular ceremony spots. The Rose Garden gets my vote for golden hour. The light through the trellis is the kind of thing you don’t have to manufacture.
Want to see what Leu Gardens actually looks like with a real couple in it? Take a peek at Megan and Ferdinand’s engagement session here. Same light. Same garden. Same feeling.
Heads up
The gardens close at 5pm to the public, which means after-hours ceremonies are an option and they are gorgeous. You’ll have the place to yourselves. Worth every penny.
4. The Orange County Courthouse
Hear me out on this one.
When most people think “courthouse wedding,” they picture fluorescent lights and a stack of paperwork. The Orange County Courthouse is not that. The building itself is gorgeous, the downtown surroundings give you all kinds of options for portraits after, and the whole thing can be done in about an hour from “I do” to walking out the doors.
Why a courthouse elopement might actually be the move
If you hate the spotlight. If you don’t want a big production. If you just want to marry your person and go eat tacos after.
This is for you.
I’ve shot a lot of these. And I’ll tell you what nobody else will. A courthouse elopement can be one of the most beautiful days I shoot all year. It’s just the two of you. Nobody performing for an audience. The real moment hits different when there’s no one to perform for.
Bonus. I’m an ordained officiant. If you want it to truly be just you, your person, and me, I can sign the paperwork and shoot the photos. We’ve done it. It works beautifully.
What you’ll need
- A Florida marriage license (3-day waiting period for FL residents, no waiting period for out-of-state couples)
- Two forms of ID
- An appointment with the clerk
- Anything else you want with you. That’s it.
5. Universal Studios (Yes, Really)
I know. I told you Orlando isn’t just theme parks. Hear me out.
If you’re the couple who met in line for the Hogwarts Express. If you’ve got matching Stranger Things tattoos. If you plan your anniversary trips around new ride openings. Why on earth would you get married anywhere else?
Universal allows wedding ceremonies and elopement-style shoots inside the parks, and I’ve shot some of my favorite alternative elopements of all time there. Walking through Hogsmeade in a wedding dress. First-look in front of the castle. Vows on the New York street set. Butterbeer toast at the Three Broomsticks.
If you want to see how creative a theme-park-inspired session can actually get, this Disney Up inspired engagement session is one of my favorites. Same energy. Same “we’re going to lean all the way in” approach. Same result.
What to know
This is not a “just show up and shoot” situation. Universal has specific packages, approved photographers, and you need to book through their events team. I can walk you through what’s possible and what’s not.
Who this is for
- Couples who don’t care about traditional and want their day to actually feel like them
- Theme park people who have been together long enough to know this isn’t a phase
- Anyone who hears “wedding at a theme park” and feels relief instead of dread
What If None of These Feel Right?
Then we keep looking.
Orlando has more options than this list covers. Wekiwa Springs. Mead Botanical Garden. Bok Tower (a little drive, very worth it). The waterfront in Winter Park. The rooftop of the Grand Bohemian. Dickson Azalea Park, which is a tiny hidden gem most people drive past every day without noticing. A few hidden lake spots I’m not putting in a blog post because they’re mine.
If you want a wider breakdown of where to shoot around the city (works for engagements, elopements, and everything in between), I put together a whole Orlando photo locations guide that goes deeper.
If you have a vibe in your head but no idea where it lives, that’s exactly what the planning process is for. I scout. I research permits. I make the calls. You show up.
Still deciding between an elopement and a venue?
It happens. A lot. Sometimes a couple comes in thinking elopement and ends up wanting something a little bigger. Sometimes it goes the other way. Either is fine, and I shoot both.
If you’re not sure where you land yet, I also put together The 23 Best Wedding Venues in Orlando so you can see what’s out there before you commit.
How to Actually Plan an Orlando Elopement
Here’s the part where most blog posts get vague. Let me get specific.
A real elopement planning timeline looks like this.
- Pick your date and your photographer first. Everything else flows from these two decisions. If you’re trying to plan around availability for 12 vendors, you’ll lose your mind.
- Get your marriage license. Florida has a 3-day waiting period for residents. None for out-of-state.
- Choose your location. This is where I come in. Some places require permits months in advance. Some are walk-up. Knowing which is which is the whole game.
- Build your timeline. Sunrise or sunset. Travel between locations. Eating. Resting. The day should feel good, not rushed.
- Backup plans. Florida weather is a wild card. Every plan I build has a backup.
- Show up. That’s your only real job.
This is what’s included in The Full Planning Experience that comes with every Love Like Wild elopement package. Location planning. Permitting. Custom timeline. Weather backups. Vendor recs. Unlimited planning calls. You don’t have to figure out a single thing about the logistics.
If you want the full breakdown of what it looks like to work with me as your Florida elopement photographer, it’s all spelled out here.
That’s not a sales pitch. That’s the actual job.
The Real Reason to Elope in Orlando
If you’ve made it this far, you’re probably already most of the way there.
You don’t want the 200-person wedding. You want to marry your person. You want photos that actually feel like the two of you. You want a day where you’re present, not performing.
The best places to elope in Orlando aren’t really about the location. They’re about the kind of day you get to have when you stop overthinking it.
Let’s make your dreams a reality.
See the full Florida elopement experience →
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do I need a permit to elope in Orlando?
It depends on the location. State parks like Lake Louisa and Wekiwa Springs, county parks like Kelly Park Rock Springs, and most botanical gardens require a wedding permit for ceremonies. Public sidewalks and the courthouse do not. I handle the permit process in the planning experience that comes with every Love Like Wild elopement package, so you don’t have to figure out which is which.
What’s the cheapest place to elope in Orlando?
The Orange County Courthouse. You’ll pay for the marriage license and the clerk fee, and that’s it. The building itself is gorgeous, the process is fast, and the downtown surroundings give you some of the best post-ceremony portrait spots in the city.
Can I elope at Disney or Universal?
Universal Studios allows ceremonies and elopement-style shoots through their events team. Disney has wedding packages but is more restrictive about elopements and outside photographers. If you want a theme park elopement in Orlando, Universal is the more flexible option, and yes, you can absolutely toast with Butterbeer after.
When is the best time of year to elope in Orlando?
October through April. The weather is cooler, the humidity drops, and you’re outside of hurricane season. May through September is doable but plan around afternoon storms, and budget for a real backup plan no matter what month you pick.
How long does an Orlando elopement actually take?
The ceremony itself is usually 15 to 30 minutes. The full elopement experience (getting ready, ceremony, portraits, eating, celebrating) typically runs 4 to 12 hours depending on the package you book. The Full Day Adventure is the most popular for a reason. It gives you space to actually live it instead of rushing through it.
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