Chapel of the Flowers, a wedding chapel in Las Vegas, recently conducted research to find the most popular places in the world to elope, and the results are in. After analyzing Google search data and global elopement trends, the world’s most popular destination to elope is *drumroll please* LAS VEGAS!
Could have guessed that one, right? But what may come as a surprise to you, is that NYC ranks in at the tenth most popular place to elope worldwide.
Every month, nearly 12,000 searches are made for ‘Vegas elopement’ and ‘elope in Las Vegas.’ The Instagram hashtag #Vegaselopement alone has 24,000. And though NYC may not have the little white chapels and Elvis impersonators, the city still gets around 3,000 searches monthly regarding elopement.
According to the study, elopement searches are breaking records, increasing 203% since 2004. Data shows that those making such searches tend to be millennials, opting for more affordable and intimate weddings.
Following behind Las Vegas as the top five destinations comes Italy, Scotland, Ireland and Spain, in that order. Of the top 10 international places, four of them are in the United States: Las Vegas (#1), Nashville (#6), New Orleans (#7), New York City (#10). From this, the study concludes that the United States is the most interested in elopement.
Still waiting to meet that special someone? Well, you’re in the right place. New York City was actually voted the top city in the world to meet your soulmate.