The answer to this first poll is: 28 year old bride 31 year old groom. This shows the evolution from the XVI century where the average age for marriage was during teenage hood. During the 16th century it was more likely to have teenagers eloping than adults. This has now been reversed giving us a new, slightly different definition for elopement as adults are free to marry whoever they want anyway. This has also changed the reasons for elopement going from 'freedom to marry who i love' in the 16th century too 'Not enough money for proper wedding' nowadays. It is believed that 30-50 percent of current day marriages are performed solely to obtain a green card.
Louis Jamart
http://www.nytimes.com/1991/10/02/garden/forget-the-dress-the-flowers-mendelssohn-just-run-away.html?pagewanted=2