How To Plan A National Park Wedding
Planning a national park wedding can feel a little overwhelming and confusing, we know. Don’t worry, we’re going to guide you right through the process!
By Vanessa & Chad; ‘The Outlovers’
24th January 2025
The national park system is often considered one of the US’s ‘crowning jewels’ and we’d be inclined to agree. It really is something special. With close to 100 million acres of land, the national parks offer incomparable beauty and many lifetimes of exploring.
It’s no wonder that more and more couples are embracing adventure on their special day and opting for a national park wedding. It really is a no brainer: why get married inside a stuffy venue when you could share your vows against some of Mother Nature’s finest backdrops?!
(See more from this incredible Moab elopement here)
Before we delve into the nitty gritty details of how to plan a national park wedding, let’s first look at a quick summary of the pros and cons: that way you can decide if it’s something you’d like to know more about.
THE PROS OF PLANNING A NATIONAL PARK WEDDING
- The incredible views!
Whether you’re into mountains, desert, ocean, forest, dramatic cliffs or lakes… You’re going to find it all within the national park system. And there truly is something so romantic about sharing your vows in such awe-inspiring locations.
- The cost!
Let’s be honest, the price tag of traditional venues can be absolutely nauseating. If you opt for a national park wedding, the permit for your ‘venue’ is going to be somewhere in the $80-300 range… What a bargain! This keeps your wedding way cheaper and/or frees up funds to allocate elsewhere.
- The sense of adventure!
Doing something different, something truly memorable for your wedding day means you’re guaranteed to make memories to last a lifetime.
- So many fun activities!
If you’re an outdoorsy couple planning a national park wedding, you’re going to find there’s so many fun activities to enjoy both within the parks and the surrounding areas. From hiking, to off-roading, to horse riding, to kayaking, to star gazing… You’re going to have a blast.
- The photos!
Let’s just be honest, who doesn’t want epic photos of their wedding?! Getting married in a national park immediately checks that box!
- It just feels RIGHT!
If you’re thinking about a national park wedding, it’s likely you’re a more outgoing and adventurous couple than most, and the idea of a ‘normal’ wedding just wasn’t sitting well with you. If this idea sounds more ‘you’, don’t be afraid to follow that feeling and go for it!
(See more from this Arches National Park wedding here)
THE CONS OF PLANNING A NATIONAL PARK WEDDING
- It takes some planning!
Planning a national park wedding is a little bit different to planning a traditional wedding and does take a little bit of extra planning. You’ll need to apply for a permit to hold your ceremony, for example, and the rules can feel a little confusing. Don’t worry though: photographers who specialize in these types of weddings also typically help guide you through the planning process.
- There are some restrictions to be aware of!
When you apply for your permit, you’ll be made aware that there are rules in place which you must abide by. This varies from park to park but could include things like what kind of flowers are allowed, whether you’re allowed an arch and seating, whether you can play amplified music etc.
- Some parks can be BUSY!
Now, this is not the case for all parks at all times of the year and it CAN be avoided with some insider knowledge, but you should be aware that when you have a national park wedding you are getting married in a public space and members of the public can pass on by as normal.
- You’ll be at the mercy of the elements!
Just like any outdoor wedding, you’ll need to be prepared for whatever weather Mother Nature throws your way. But unlike a normal outdoor wedding, there’ll be no venue for you to retreat into if needed. That’s why it’s important to know what kind of weather to expect at what time of year and to dress accordingly. And, don’t worry, please trust us on this one: ‘bad’ weather makes for the BEST photos. We love a bit of wind and rain, it adds so much drama!
- You’re typically not allowed dogs!
If having your furry best friend present is important to you, then a national park wedding might not be the best choice. Instead, you might want to consider state park, national forest or BLM (Bureau of Land Management) locations in the same general area. You can find very similar views and typically dogs ARE allowed!
Ok, so that gives you a little overview into the pros and cons of planning a national park wedding.
If you’re feeling like it might be the right choice for you, read on!
We know when you start researching, it can all feel a bit confusing and overwhelming, especially if you’re planning for a location you’ve never even visited before.
Don’t worry, we’re here to help! As elopement photographers ourselves, we have helped plan a LOT of national park weddings.
So, let us answer all your burning questions…
Q. Where do I even start?!
A. Book your photographer!!
Seriously, when you’re planning a national park wedding, booking your photographer should be one of your very first steps.
Why?
Because, typically, they will help you a ton with the planning, so once you’ve got them locked in everything becomes waaaaay easier and less overwhelming.
We would suggest you book a local photographer or one who works often in the park you’re considering: that way, they’ll know all the rules and regs and can also guide you to the best spots for your ceremony and photos.
To find your national park wedding photographer, try searching on Google, using hashtags on Instagram or browsing on Pinterest. You can try a specific search term like ‘Canyonlands national park wedding photographer’, but you might find this is a little too specific, and something more general like ‘Utah elopement photographer’ works better. We’d suggest using the term ‘elopement photographer’ as most national park weddings are pretty small and would fit within that definition well!
(See more from this Capitol Reef National Park elopement here)
Q. What are the best national parks to have my wedding at?
A. It depends.
Sorry, we know that’s an annoying answer, but it’s the truth!
It depends on what landscape you enjoy, how far you’re willing to travel, what time of year you want to get married, what level of accessibility you need etc. There are so many different factors that come into play! Along with a whole lot of personal preference. There’s no ‘best’ park.
Personally, here’s just a few of our personal top recommendations…
If you like desert… Canyonlands National Park, Utah.
If you like mountains… Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.
If you like the ocean… Olympic National Park, Washington.
If you like forests… Redwood National Park, California.
If you like dramatic cliffs… Yosemite National Park, California
If you like pristine alpine lakes… Glacier National Park, Montana
If you like glaciers… Denali National Park, Alaska
If you like the idea of getting married in the desert, you might like to check out our blog How To Elope In Utah! (All the same info would also apply to a micro wedding, not just an elopement).
Or if the mountains are more your vibe, here’s our Colorado guide!
Q. Do I need a permit for my national park wedding?
A. Yes!
All national parks that we know of require you to have a ‘special use’ permit in order to hold your ceremony there. Every park has different rules: the easiest thing is to Google something like ‘Canyonlands national park wedding permit’ to find a link to the correct page on that park’s website.
The cost of the special use permit varies from park to park, but you can expect to pay somewhere in the $80-$300 range.
You will need to apply for your permit in advance, usually a minimum of 4 weeks before, though earlier is better. In fact, some parks are so popular that permits are limited for the year and sell out MONTHS in advance. So, we’d suggest doing your permit research long before your planned wedding date. If you’ve got a set location in mind, permit availability may even be a factor in choosing your date!
TOP TIP: work with a local photographer! For our couples, we help them fill out all their paperwork, they literally just have to sign it and make the payment.
Your special use permit will be for a designated time and place for your ceremony. Some parks – typically the busier ones – have very strict rules on where exactly you can hold your ceremony. Others are more relaxed, and you can hold your ceremony in a much broader range of locations, as long as you’re not doing any damage or impacting other visitors. Bear in mind, this is for your ceremony, portrait photos before or after can be taken elsewhere.
Before you apply for your permit, make sure you know and understand the rules. By signing the application, you are agreeing to those rules. If you break them on the day – eg. you play loud music when it’s not allowed, or you set up an arch when you’re not supposed to – a park ranger could viably ask you to leave the park mid-ceremony, forcing your national park wedding to a sad end. You might even find yourself fined!
Talking of rangers, at some of the busier parks, you may find that a ranger is present for your ceremony. From our experience, they’ve always been very respectful, keeping a distance. They’re just there to oversee the event and make sure the environment and other visitors aren’t impacted!
TOP TIP: bear in mind, your special use permit is NOT the same as an entry ticket. You and all your guests will still need to pay the standard entry fee. Personally, if you travel even a little, we highly suggest picking up an annual park pass, which allows you into ALL the national parks for just $80!
Q. Who should I invite to my national park wedding?
A. Only your absolute nearest and dearest.
If you opt for a national park wedding, the reality is that it’s going to have more of a ‘micro-wedding’ or ‘elopement’ vibe.
You simply cannot invite 200+ people.
- Parks do not allow that many people to attend.
- It’s going to be absolute CHAOS trying to coordinate such a large group in a public space.
Instead, you’re going to want to keep your group size small: personally, we think no more than 20 people keeps things manageable and won’t cause you to lose your mind in the planning process.
You can take larger groups to certain parks: just remember to check the rules before you start inviting everyone! And bear in mind, the larger the group, the more complex the logistics: accommodation, catering, parking, toilets, accessibility, weather contingencies etc. Do you want to spend your wedding day enjoying yourselves and relaxing, or do you want to spend it herding cats?!
When you’re writing your guest list, you really need to think very carefully about whether each individual can realistically handle the kind of wedding day you’re planning: it’s simply not for everyone.
So, truly, we suggest keeping it strictly to your absolute nearest and dearest who you simply cannot imagine getting married without.
Q. When’s the best time to hold my national park wedding?
A. It varies from park to park.
Since there are national parks across the entirety of the US, it only makes sense that some are better at different times to others.
For example, your more mountainous regions – Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Washington, Alaska etc – are going to be best from June through early October if you want fair conditions and fully accessible locations, but are also beautiful through Winter if you want to brave the snow.
On the flip side, the desert regions – southern Utah, southern California, Arizona etc – are AWFUL in those same months and would be much more enjoyable in the Spring, Fall and Winter months.
Aside from the best season, there are a few other things to think about…
We always advise holding your wedding on a weekday if you can. This will massively help you avoid the weekend crowds!
Check for things like public holidays or spring break: these will always be busier times and you might want to avoid them.
Consider a sunrise wedding if privacy is important to you!
TOP TIP: This is another reason to hire a local photographer! They’re going to share all their insider knowledge and talk you through all these factors and more to help you figure out the best date for YOUR national park wedding.
Q. How do I find vendors for my national park wedding?
A. Google, Pinterest and social media.
Finding vendors for your national park wedding can be a little trickier than if you’re in a big city. A lot of the national parks are in pretty remote places, close only to small towns if anything at all, meaning there’s not always a large choice of vendors to choose from.
Because vendors are in short supply they can also book up quickly so, as soon as you’ve booked your photographer and know your date, start booking things like your florist, baker and hair and makeup artist.
Some couples decide to forgo vendors altogether! Instead, they might buy faux flowers on Etsy, pick up a simple cake at a local bakery, and do hair and makeup lessons back home so they can DIY it on the day.
If you DO want vendors, Google, Pinterest and social media are the best places to look. If you’ve already locked in a photographer they’ll likely have recommendations for you, too!
When you’re searching, you’ll likely have most success using search terms relating to the nearest town base: for example, rather than searching for ‘Canyonlands hair and makeup’ try ‘Moab hair and makeup’.
Q. How long should I plan to take for my national park wedding?
A. As much time off as you can afford!
Pleeeeeeeeeease don’t plan to spend just a day or two in the area.
You’re going to want to arrive at least a day or two early, so you can settle in, disconnect from work/life, and really get into vacation and WEDDING mode!
And, to us, it seems an awful shame to leave straight after.
The national parks are some of the most beautiful lands in the US, with so much to see and do.
We’d suggest treating the trip as a wedding and honeymoon combined and really making the most of it, staying for as long after as you can wangle off work.
Q. What will my national park wedding cost?
A. Considerably less than a big traditional wedding!
There’s a huge range of costs involved in any wedding day – depending on your taste and budget – but we can pretty much guarantee getting married in a national park will cost waaaaay less than hosting a big wedding at a traditional venue!
Here are some of the costs you might want to factor in:
ITEM | LOWER END COST | HIGHER END COST |
Flights x 2 | $1000 | $2000 per person |
Accommodation | $600 ($150 per night x 4) | $2800 ($400 per night x 7) |
Rental Car | $300 ($75 per day x 4) | $700 ($100 per day x 7) |
Special Use Permit | $80 | $300 |
Park Entry Fee | $30 | $80 (for annual permit) |
Marriage license | $30 | $50 |
Outfits x 2 | $600 (using something like Lulus, Amazon, The Suit Shop etc) | $2500 (for a custom gowns/suits) |
Rings | $500 | $4000 |
Photographer | $2000 (for 2-3hrs, we personally wouldn’t recommend a lower price point than this to ensure quality) | $7000 (for a full day of coverage from two photographers) |
Officiant | $0 (have a friend get ordained!) | $600 (remember places are remote so prices are higher!) |
Hair and Makeup | $0 (DIY) | $1000 (if traveling from further away city) |
Flowers | $150 (Faux on Etsy) | $500 (fresh from local florist) |
Small Cake | $50 (local bakery) | $300 (pro wedding baker) |
TOTAL | $5340 | $21,830 |
Obviously, this is just a starting point.
You can pick and choose from this list, based on what’s important to you. Maybe you don’t care for flowers, but would rather spend more on your outfit, for example.
There may also be other items you want to add to this list. Some form of celebration, for example! Are you and your guests going to head out for dinner after? If so, are you covering that cost? Or do you want to splurge on a private chef to cook for you all?
Do you want to add in any paid activities in the days before and after or are you happy with all the free options on offer: hiking, picnicking, stargazing…
Just remember, the average wedding in the US now costs $34 000: your national park wedding is going to cost far less, and nothing about it is going to be average!
TOP TIP: you might want to choose vendors that check multiple boxes. If you work with us, for example, all our packages include planning AND free ceremony officiation!
Q. What’s a realistic timeline for the day-of?
A. Approximate how much time you THINK you need. Now double it!
We’re joking with you a bit here, but the point is that things take waaaaaay longer than you anticipate and you never want to feel rushed or running late and therefore stressed.
It’s so important to build in plenty of buffer time, just in case things go a little awry: maybe there’s a long queue of cars waiting to get into the park, for example, or maybe you can’t find parking immediately, or maybe your grandma needs to use the restroom five times before the ceremony!
You’ll also need to account for travel time. Often, national parks are pretty remote, so you may find you have to drive an hour from your accommodation to your ceremony spot. Then, driving from one photo spot to another can also take a good chunk of time.
Your photographer should be able to help you map out a realistic timeline for you, but here’s a sample sunrise to sunset national park wedding to give you a little idea of how things might flow:
FROM | TO | ACTIVITY |
5.30am | 6.00am | Meet your photographer at the trailhead and hike out a mile to an epic viewpoint |
6.00am | 7.30am | Change into your wedding outfits and enjoy a sunrise first look |
7.30am | 8.30am | Share private vows and celebrate with a breakfast picnic |
8.30am | 9.30am | Hike back out in your wedding outfits, fun ‘in action’ shots along the way |
9.30am | 10.30am | Drive to your ceremony location, meet your guests and get everybody in place |
10.30am | 11.00am | Your ceremony, let’s get you MARRIED! |
11.00am | 11.30am | Cut a small cake and get photos with your guests |
11.30am | 12.30pm | Drive back to your accommodation |
12.30.pm | 2.30pm | Private chef lunch with your guests to celebrate |
2.30pm | 5.00pm | Time out to relax and decompress |
5.00pm | 5.30pm | Drive to sunset location to meet your photographer |
5.30pm | 7.00pm | Sunset photos, just the two of you |
Q. What should I pack?!
A. Not just your wedding stuff, but a variety of outdoor gear.
First up, a bit of advice when it comes to packing your wedding stuff… If you’re flying you MUST put everything critical – outfits, rings, vows – in your hand luggage. Do not let it out of your sight!
Aside from your wedding attire, you’re also going to want to think along more practical lines, too.
What are you going to wear on your feet, for example? This is not the time for high heels! The terrain will be rough and uneven, potentially with some steep drop offs. We recommend something flat with a good tread: hiking shoes, Converse, Blundstones or Thursday Boots, for example.
What are you going to wear over your outfits if it’s cold? You’re going to need a variety of layers – warm, perhaps waterproof – depending on where you’re getting married and at what time of year. Somewhere like REI is a great place to shop for these! And you’re also going to want to think about cute layers that you wouldn’t mind having photos taken in if needed. Think shawls, wraps, fake furs, jumpers, fitted puffer jackets etc.
If it’s going to be pretty cold, you might want to get some nude colored fleece leggings to wear under your dress. They’re super easy to find on Amazon!
Top tip: it’s a great idea to send out a little info pack to your guests well in advance, letting them know this is not a ‘normal’ wedding and they must dress accordingly. Give them permission to choose a more comfortable, practical outfit.
Q. Where are the absolute best national parks for a wedding?!
A. UTAH!!!!
Without a doubt, hands down, if we had to pick one state for your national park wedding it would be Utah. Utah is known for its ‘Big 5’ national parks: Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyonlands. If you have a week or ten days, you can road trip around them all and they are out-of-this-world beautiful!
We specialize in super small weddings in this area and offer packages that include planning, photography, ceremony officiation and videography.
Reach out if you’d like more info!
ALTERNATIVES TO A NATIONAL PARK WEDDING
So, after reading this, maybe you’re totally set on a national park wedding and feeling like it’s 100% the right choice for you. Awesome!
Or maybe you’ve read through the details of planning one and are feeling like there’s some things that don’t work for you. Maybe you don’t want to deal with getting a permit, for example, maybe you don’t want the crowds that national parks can attract, or maybe you really want your dog to be there with you!
That’s ok, national park weddings aren’t the right choice for everyone.
Instead, here’s some alternatives you might want to consider:
- State parks. These parks can still be busy and will maybe require a permit, but they typically DO allow dogs on leash!
- National Forest land. Typically, these areas are way more relaxed, more off the beaten path, without the crowds and not requiring a permit. Better yet, doggos can run free most of the time!
- BLM land (Bureau of Land Management). These huge areas or remote public land are STUNNING and with minimal people around. Depending on the location and the size of your group, you may need a permit but remember your local photographer can guide you through that.
Often these areas are in the same vicinity as national park land and have very similar views, so you won’t be sacrificing any of the beauty.
However, some of these areas may be less developed, so you may lose out on some of the infrastructure of a national park: access to toilets, for example. And some of the best locations may be found ten miles. down a dirt track, so you need to be willing to embrace the adventure aspect!
There will be pros and cons to whatever you choose, so it’s just determining what matters most to you.
Being transparent, many of the photos in this blog are from national forest and BLM land! We have so many hidden gems that we love to share with our couples.
We’re a husband and wife team offering elopement planning, photography and ceremony officiation, with an optional video add-on.
We are local to Utah and Colorado, and travel back to Vanessa’s home country of Scotland every year.
If the desert and the mountains sing to you, and you want to share vows against nature’s finest backdrops, we would love to create an epic elopement experience for you!
Get in touch to start brainstorming with us…
Chad & Vanessa, ‘The Outlovers’
Let’s do this thing!