The Truth About All-Inclusive Elopement Packages in Australia
The Rise of “All-Inclusive” Elopement Packages
Elopements are booming in Australia — and for good reason. They’re quick, affordable, and focused on what really matters: your love. But with that popularity comes a new trend: companies offering “all-inclusive” elopement packages with everything from hair and makeup to flowers and photographers bundled in.
On the surface, it sounds dreamy. One payment, everything organised, minimal stress… right?
Well, not always.
The Hidden Catch: Outsourced & Unvetted Suppliers
Here’s what many couples don’t realise: a lot of these new elopement companies aren’t working with their own in-house team of suppliers. Instead, they’re outsourcing your wedding day essentials to:
Airtasker
Facebook Marketplace
Unvetted freelancers
That means you’re paying a premium price for services that haven’t been vetted for quality, consistency, or professionalism. On your wedding day — one of the most important moments of your life — that’s a huge gamble to be taking!
Why This Can Go Wrong
No consistency: You don’t know if your hairstylist is a seasoned wedding pro or someone who just downloaded an app.
No guarantees: If a supplier flakes, the elopement company often scrambles last-minute to replace them.
Paying inflated prices: You’re charged a premium while the company pockets a margin — but adds no real value.
No quality control: They’ve never worked with these people before, so they can’t promise standards.
Why Couples Choose I Do Drive Thru
At I Do Drive Thru, we do things differently. Our team isn’t a mystery bag of randoms — they’re hand-picked professionals we’ve worked with hundreds of times.
✅ Celebrants – all fully government-authorised, top of their game and experienced in our casual approach to weddings and keeping things low-key
✅ Photographers – professional, experienced, and talented at elopement photography
We don’t offer make up or floral services, as we operate across Australia, this would be a HUGE task to personally vet these additional suppliers, and we find that make up and florals are actually an art form, people liking the outcome of these elopement services are a matter of personal taste, and that why we leave providing these services to the professionals, because we know about Celebrants and Photography but we have never even done a Youtube make up tutorial or tried arranging flowers and we would never outsource to people we don’t personally know and trust.
This means when you book with us, you’re not just paying for a service — you’re paying for peace of mind, we only work with the best of the best, professional seasoned Celebrants and Photographers, people that have completed hundreds if not thousands of elopements and are our personal friends and contacts.
What You Should Do Instead
If you want flowers, hair, or makeup:
Work with us and ask your assigned Celebrant or Photographer for recommendations in their area
Ask past marrying couples for their preferred suppliers in your area
Read real reviews and check Instagram portfolios
Final Word
Don’t fall for the “all-inclusive” trap if you don’t know who’s actually behind the package. When it comes to elopements, simplicity, honesty, and trust matter more than fluff.
At I Do Drive Thru, we deliver real weddings with real professionals — no Airtasker roulette required.
FAQ Section
Are all-inclusive elopement packages worth it?
Only if you know exactly who the vendors are. Otherwise, you risk paying premium prices for unvetted services.
Do I need makeup and flowers to elope?
Not at all. Elopements can be as simple as “celebrant + photographer” — the rest is optional. We find a beautiful outdoor backdrop is all you need.
How does I Do Drive Thru choose suppliers?
We hand-pick celebrants, photographers, and vendors we’ve worked with hundreds of times to guarantee quality and reliability. We all work from I Do Drive Thru paperwork and systems to ensure our delivery of services is the best!