What is an elopement? Is eloping the right type of ceremony for you? This is a tough question to answer, simply because everyone is different. Everyone deserves to be authentically themselves on their wedding day and to have a day that feels right for them. Sometimes, for people who don’t connect with large weddings, a ‘traditional’ wedding day can seem like you’ve been put into a box, whereas elopements are all about throwing that box out the window.

Some couples feel that the authenticity—the real reason behind getting married—was swallowed whole by the wedding industry in expectations that didn’t simply make sense to them. We have had couples tell us they don’t want a wedding FULL of ‘cookie-cutter’ traditions that don’t always speak to who they are as an individual or as a couple. When you sign up for a big wedding that doesn’t feel authentically you, you sign up for so much more that you may struggle to connect with.

Big weddings can be expensive and a lot of stress. Maybe you want a small gathering with your closest friends & family, or perhaps even just the two of you! (Yes, we have been the witnesses before!)  It can be easy to get caught up in other people’s expectations, but ultimately, it boils down to what is right for you and your partner. Or perhaps you are downsizing your wedding in the wake of the pandemic, and the thought of having to wait another 6-12 months to get married just doesn’t feel right. These days, you don’t just have to go to a courthouse. Arizona has such stunning natural landscapes to utilize, allowing you to have a more personal, intimate ceremony reflective of you and get amazing photos as well! There is also the group of couples who are adapting to this weird time we are living in right now. Some couples are choosing elopement now and party later instead of changing around any restrictions.

For so many couples, a big, traditional wedding isn’t an honest, true reflection of who they are or what they want, and that’s 100% OKAY! Just like it’s OKAY to want to have a big, traditional wedding, too! Just try to stay focused on what you vision your wedding day looking & feeling like! Now that you have decided what type of ceremony is right for you….let’s talk strictly elopements, because that’s why you are here! 😉

When you elope, you throw out the whole rulebook and get to start from scratch. Eloping means your wedding can more specifically represent who you are as a couple—you can go on a hike with your dog, take a mini-road trip, stop and soak in the views, or end the day by turning on your favorite song and dancing by firelight.

Because, at the end of it all, your wedding day is about the two of you— about the love you have for each other and the life you’re going to build together.

So, if you’re reading this saying to yourself, “Yeah! This sounds like a dream!”, then eloping is absolutely for you!

WHAT IS AN ELOPEMENT, MICRO-WEDDING, INTIMATE OR SMALL WEDDING?

In the technical sense, “to elope” means “to run away,” but modern times have linked eloping directly to weddings and marriage. People use “elope” to describe a few different scenarios nowadays: when couples get married without telling anyone at all until after they are married, conducting the ceremony with just the bride and groom after having informed family and friends about your plans weeks or months prior to the elopement, or having a very small affair with a few close witnesses.

When choosing to elope, ensure you and your beloved decide together which option makes the most sense for you and your families.Most couples choose to elope today because they want a wedding experience crafted just for them. Maybe your families are spread all over the world and the thought of getting them together would cost enough to make Warren Buffet think twice. Maybe the thought of standing up in front of all your family and friends (some of whom you only see a couple times each year) to pronounce your love just feels weird. Maybe you don’t want to play host to all of those people on your special day. Or maybe you’re just worried about family drama! All of these are common reasons that people choose to elope. So what is an elopement… well whatever your reason, just do what feels the most authentic to YOU!

You may hear small weddings being referred to as a million different things from micro weddings to an adventure elopement. They have been on the rise over the last few years and especially now with the current pandemic, couples are choosing to celebrate their marriage in a different way.

We consider a small wedding (or intimate wedding, micro wedding) to be less than 40-50 people but typically has a reception. An elopement, is less than 20 people, often without a reception or a small dinner reception afterwards. Most full day weddings that we photograph are between 50-150 people with our largest weddings at 300+! That’s quite a range of people!

| HOW TO ELOPE IN ARIZONA |

Arizona Marriage Requirements:

• Arizona Marriage License
• Officiant
• 2 witnesses – NOT including your officiant (yes, we can be your witnesses! 😉)

| REQUIREMENTS TO ELOPE IN AZ |

• Both parties must be 18 or older
• You do NOT need to be an Arizona resident to apply for a marriage license in Arizona.
• Both parties must be present to apply for your marriage license
• There is NO waiting period and the marriage licenses are valid for 1 year after receiving it
• You are required to mail the license to the courthouse within *30* days of your ceremony to be properly recorded
• The cost for a marriage license in Arizona is $70-$86 depending on the county fees due at the time of application
• When applying, you’ll need a valid ID for both parties (ex: Driver’s license, passport, military ID)
• Social security numbers must be provided
• See all requirements for Maricopa county here.

Fun fact, Stephen is actually ordained…by the Universal Life Church. Your officiant can be a friend who’s been ordained online, or you can hire one of the many wonderful officiants here in Arizona to perform your ceremony!

Choosing an Elopement Location in Arizona

Ohhhh here is the fun part…we think so anyways! 😉 Choosing a location to elope can be overwhelming for some though, especially in Arizona with so many beautiful natural locations. The location can have special meaning to you, like where you had your first hike together, first date, where they popped the question, or it can simply be a place you just love for no other reason than it’s beautiful! When you elope outside the courthouse, you trade ugly fluorescent lighting for beautiful natural light, the ability to have your ceremony on your own time and in your own way, and do whatever the heck you want!  You aren’t limited to the courthouse’s weekday hours and schedule and a bunch of random strangers watching you say I do!

Phoenix and it’s many surrounding cities; Scottsdale, Gilbert, Chandler, Tempe, Mesa, Glendale & Queen Creek have so many beautiful outdoor scenic areas to elope.  Best of all, they are close! Arizona also makes a stunningly beautiful destination elopement location, which may be our favorite of the bunch! One of our favorite things about Arizona is the ability to drive 2 hours and you go from giant Saguaro Cacti to a lush green forest and towering mountain tops! Sedona, Flagstaff, Payson, and Prescott are all within a 3 hour drive from the valley.

| Phoenix Elopement Photography Locations|

– The Salt River –

There are multiple locations all up and down the salt river that work best at either sunrise or sunset for an elopement wedding!

– Lost Dutchman State Park-

This may be one of our all time favorite locations in the valley if you are wanting the iconic Superstition Mountains in the background. There are many different trails that will lead you to various stunning views of the mountain.

– Various Desert Elopement Locations –

We have a million locations in the ‘desert’ theme that you may be looking for and have an entire location guide that we send to each of our couples that book. It has a more in depth look at all of our locations throughout the valley for stunning views of the landscape. Chat with your photographer and figure out what you are looking for specifically out of your location!

Desert Botanical Garden Elopement

Desert Botanical Garden is located centrally and is gorgeous! You can gain entrance with a nominal entrance fee and it provides a HUGE variety of locations inside that will make you love this option for your elopement wedding. They also rent out multiple locations on the property if you are wanting a larger intimate ceremony as well!

Sedona Elopement Photography

‘The Land of Epic Locations’

Sedona has our hearts because of the wide variety of elopement locations packed into one town. We can list SO many locations in and around Sedona that would make you want to run away for the mountains to elope! We call it our ‘land of epic locations’ for good reason! 😉

Secret tip, there are two sections to Cathedral rock, the bottom lower pad that is easily accessible….

And then there is the EPIC mountain top section that requires a 45 min-1 hour hike UP, but provides these views…

Here are some other locations in Sedona that we love :  Frank + Linkda  |  Kat + Stephen  |  Amanda + Dillon