5 Epic Locations to Elope in the United States

I’m going to get straight to the point—here are some of the dreamiest places to elope in the US.

1. Grand Teton National Park

Grand teton national park was one of the first places that truly took my breath away.

I have photographed here in the summer and in the winter and it is gorgeous no matter the time of the year.

The Teton mountain range is just INSANE and there are so many spots in the Grand Tetons to have an elopement. Jenny Lake, Glacier View, Schwabacher’s landing, Mormon Row, etc.

You can stay in Jackson or the Teton Village while you’re there! Jackson feels a lot like a “big small town”. It has the small town feels but there is still so much to do there!

Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall—elope here!!

2. Moab, UT

Three words: arches. national. park.

Okay, there are other reasons why Moab, UT is one of the best places to elope. While I absolutely LOVE Arches National Park—there are TWO OTHER parks right by Moab, Utah! All three of the parks are;

Arches National Park

Canyonlands National Park

Dead Horse State Park

That’s THREE parks you can visit all in one town. What?! All of my clients end up having a week long adventure in Moab because there is so much to see! This is a perfect town for a multi-day elopement if you want to check out multiple parks.

And there is so much to do here in Moab! Canyoneering, horseback riding, vintage shopping, off roading, whitewater rafting, stargazing, and so much more.

I get so excited every single time I get to go to this gorgeous little town.

I’d recommend eloping here in the spring and fall! It can get really hot in the summer and also snows in the winter! Unless that’s what you’re looking for—then go for it!

3. Sedona, AZ

Sedona is seriously one of my favorite places for couples to elope.

1. There’s SO much to do here! Helicopter tours, epic dinners, fortune telling, hiking, off roading, cliff jumping, the list goes on and on. I’ve had so many of my couples book a week in Sedona when they get married! They’re able to elope in one of the coolest spots and then have a week long trip FULL of adventure.

2. The weather! You can elope here pretty much year round. Though the summers can be pretty hot! But the winters are usually pretty mild. And if you’re lucky, there’s sometimes a blanket of snow in Sedona in the winter. There’s nothing more beautiful than a light dusting of snow contrasted with the beautiful red rock of Sedona! Spring and Fall are so gorgeous in Sedona and the best time to elope!

3. I have an entire blog on how to elope at my FAVORITE spot in Sedona! Check it out HERE. I also blogged an entire wedding from Merry Go Round Rock—click HERE to read it and see what your wedding day can look like!

4. Page, AZ

Look at this picture. Do I need to say more?

Similar to Moab, UT (as stated above) Page, AZ has SO many sites to see!

I’m talking about Horseshoe Bend

Lake Powell

Antelope Canyon

And even the Grand Canyon isn’t too far from Page, Arizona!

Horseshoe Bend is actually where my husband and I eloped! (And took our engagement photos) So, I may be a bit biased. But seriously, Page Arizona is GORGEOUS!

Photos taken by KMT Photos

It’s a small town but there is so much to see and do! You can even stay in this traditional Navajo hut HERE.

You can take a tour of the incredible Antelope Canyon, you can even take a boat down to the bottom of Horseshoe Bend. What?! So cool! You can do horseback riding, helicopter tours, or rent a house boat and ride around Lake Powell.

This small town has a lot to offer!

5. Literally anywhere in Colorado

Pull off the side of the road and elope

Okay, maybe I am simplifying it a little bit…but seriously! Everywhere you go—Colorado is just breathtaking. Here are some places you can elope in that are so dreamy;

Estes Park

Rocky Mountain National Park

Garden of the Gods

Durango, CO

Telluride, CO

And in Colorado you can LITERALLY HAVE YOUR DOG MARRY YOU!! I don’t think I need to say any more.

But I will.

In Colorado you literally don’t need anyone to marry you! And you don’t need witnesses! Why doesn’t EVERY state do this? I have no idea.

This is probably my favorite reason to elope in Colorado! It makes it so easy for you two to be able to have a “100% just you two” experience. No friends, no family—just me! Lol!

Colorado is also pretty much an “all year round” elopement destination! Yes, it snows in the winter, and yes it can be hot in the summer. But everything is so accessible! It makes it super easy to have a beautiful snowy wedding! Fall and spring are also stunning in Colorado.

Part of what I do for my couples is help them pick the BEST location for THEM! All of my packages are all inclusive so that you’re able to travel anywhere in the United States for your elopement. Whether you want to share your vows by a lake in the mountains or in a lush, tropical forest—I got you. Click HERE and fill out my contact form for a free elopement consultation! Let’s plan your next epic adventure.

4 Tips to Choosing the Best Elopement Location

My husband and I eloped last year, and it was incredible. We had always wanted to go to Iceland or Ireland, elope in the wild, and then have our honeymoon right after. Instead, we ended up getting married at Horseshoe Bend in Arizona because it was closer to home, and left us more time to relax. Our elopement was amazing, and I’m so happy we decided NOT to have a traditional wedding. Elopements are my favorite thing to shoot, and a lot of eloping couples have a hard time narrowing down a location. I’m spilling all my secrets today! Here are my top 4 tips to choosing the best elopement location - and they might surprise you! 

First, I wanted to explain why we opted for an Arizona elopement instead of heading across the Atlantic. We had picked Horseshoe Bend for our engagement photos. We had never been there before, but it looked amazing and we wanted to go somewhere cool and explore.

On the day of our engagement shoot, it was rainy and a bit stormy, but we started hiking anyway. Within a few minutes it got SO cold, but we went for it cause we were committed! Once we arrived at our pre-planned location, we got set up, and our photographer started shooting.

Me + my hubs on our elopement day. Photo by KMT Photos

For like, all of two minutes. All of a sudden there was a torrential downpour! We ran back to our car while water rushed everywhere around us, lightning struck down from the sky and hit the ground around us, and crazy, tornado-style winds threatened to blow us off the cliff…

I thought I was going to die. It still makes me anxious thinking about it. LOL. We only got about five photos, but since we had planned this whole trip just for the engagement shoot, we said NAH. We went back the next day for a reshoot and got fun, awesome photos. 

I didn’t want to have a tainted image of Horseshoe Bend, and we wanted our elopement to be someplace special, so we went back there to get married. On our elopement day, it was the perfect, perfect day. It was so calm, slightly warm with a gentle breeze, and the sun was shining. It was all in stark contrast to our previous visit, and it couldn’t have been a more perfect day. 

You may be thinking, “Rebekah, cool story - but what does this have to do with our elopement?!” 

Hang tight - and keep reading. 

Here are my Top 4 Elopement Location Planning Tips: 

1. Weather

It’s super important to look at what the weather’s going to be like for the location you want to elope in. Obviously if you’re not local to a particular area you won’t know what the weather is going to be like, but that’s why it’s a good idea to do some research ahead of time. 

Also - what do you want out of the weather on your elopement day? 

Are you hoping for a warm sunny day? Do you want to elope in the Grand Tetons in the snow? Even if you DO want snow, you may not want to be completely snowed out! I lived in Wyoming for a year, and when it snows you can’t get anywhere. A nice fluffy layer of snow is cute and pretty, but most people don’t want to be in a white out or blizzard on their elopement day. 

2. Time of the Year 

Think about what time of year you want to elope. You have a bit more flexibility when planning an elopement than you do with a traditional wedding. 

You don’t have to elope within the month, and you also don’t have to wait 2 years. You can elope anytime you want - just make sure that the time of the year or season works for you. 

3. Hiking Elopements 

To hike or not to hike? 

You may see gorgeous mountain elopements and envision yourself doing just that, but a lot of the time it’s a 14 mile hike both ways. If that’s what you want to do, then totally go for it! But consider how much you might be hiking, and whether or not you’re comfortable with that.

Some people want to drive and then just have a short walk instead of a day-long hike. 

Be mindful of the location you’re choosing and how much hiking is involved. Also, is a hike something that really speaks to you and that you want to incorporate into your elopement? 

I offer 2 day elopements if you want to hike somewhere awesome, camp out, and then hike the next day and elope at sunrise. :) 

This Zion elopement required some hiking, but it was SO worth it!

With hiking in a very specific place, you can always ask your photographer for suggestions. If you’ve narrowed down a general area (for example Zion or Yosemite), you can ask your photographer to help you pick a specific spot to elope in. 

Yosemite National Park is a super popular elopement location. It’s beautiful, but it’s SO busy. If you’re comfortable with it not being quite so private, though, then it’s a great spot! 

When we got married at Horseshoe Bend, it was so busy! We even ventured off the main stretch to get away from the crowds, but there were still so many people there. Despite the unexpected guests, we still had a gorgeous day! I’ll be the first to admit though, that it was a little distracting. I prefer more privacy for myself, and I like to have privacy for my couples as well. If you’re a very private person and don’t want the world watching while you tie the knot, that’s something to keep in mind. 

Popular Elopement Spots

You can also have your ceremony in a secluded, private spot and then go elsewhere for photos. If there’s an epic elopement location that you’ve seen and love, it’s not to say that you can’t go there if it’s busy. It may just be a better option to go there after your ceremony in case you run into hikers or people passing by.

4. Elopement Locations -

A new place vs. someplace special 

For your elopement, you have two options: 

1. Pick a place that you’ve always wanted to go to, OR 

2. Pick a place that’s really special to the two of you. 

Someplace special to the two of you 

For example: If you got engaged while on vacation in Ireland, or Redwood National Forest. If that’s your special spot and that’s where you want to get married, awesome! 

If you love Colorado and it’s sentimental to the two of you, then you can absolutely choose that as your elopement location!

Going somewhere you’ve always wanted to go:

I’m a big fan of eloping at a dream destination, because you can just turn it right into your honeymoon! 

If you’ve always wanted to visit Morocco, then that might end up being an epic elopement location for you!

You can elope, celebrate, and then immediately start your honeymoon. You can also have your photographer take cute honeymoon photos the next day. Picture the two of you just chilling, playing on the beach together, exploring… 

To narrow down your elopement location - you don’t have to pick an exact spot! 

Reach out to your photographer and let them in on your must-have list. If you want to hike, but don’t want to hike 20 miles, put it on your list. If you want to get married when it’s cool outside, but not snowing - add it to the list. If you have dream destinations on your list but aren’t sure if it will be perfect for you since you’ve never been, ask your photographer for advice. Elopement photographers are also elopement planners, so you can get way more help with making sure your day is perfect. 

I hope these top 4 secrets to choosing the best elopement locations were helpful! If you need some elopement inspo, contact me and I can help you plan your epic dream elopement!