After many new brides told Baillie Buchanan they wished they'd eloped, the Hamilton makeup artist "put her thinking cap on" and came up with a business idea - a 'bespoke elopement' service.
Photo: Kelly Oliver Photography
Baillie now operates the wedding and engagement planning service Let's Get Married NZ.
Weddings can cost $30,000 to $80,000 for a one-day event that is often just to please friends and family and get some social media validation, Baillie says.
Travelling to get married can also be expensive, though. Two of Baillie's good friends spent around $8,000 on elopement weddings in Queenstown.
"I remember thinking flip, man. That's so expensive. There's got to be a gap in the market for something like this."
Elopement weddings can not only save money, they can also save awkwardness, she says.
"WIth a lot of people that don't have family that see eye to eye, it's a really easy comfortable stress-free way to tie the knot in their own style."
Baillie Buchanan and her partner Photo: Kelly Oliver Photography
