Zion Elopement: Planning, Locations, & Tips

If you’re getting married and looking for an unforgettable elopement experience, Zion National Park is the perfect place to say “I do.” With its dramatic cliffs, slot canyons, and red rock formations, Zion is a breathtaking backdrop for your special day. With our experience in elopement planning, we can help you plan the perfect Zion Elopement package that fits your needs and budget.

What is Eloping?

Elopements are becoming more and more popular and for good reason. They offer a unique and intimate experience that is perfect for couples who want to celebrate their love beautifully and memorably. But what is an elopement, exactly? And what should you know before planning one?

Elopements are becoming more and more popular for couples who want to celebrate their love in a unique and intimate way. An elopement is simply when a couple gets married without any guests or very few. It’s a great option for couples who want to avoid the stress and hassle of a traditional wedding. By eloping, you can skip the months or years of planning and save money on what a traditional wedding would cost. Eloping also offers a more intimate experience, as you’ll be surrounded by just your closest friends and family.

People who elope in the modern day don’t just pack their bags and head off with their significant other and get married in Vegas. (Although that sounds fun!) A modern elopement has some planning involved but typically is for people who are looking for a unique and memorable way to get married.

Eloping in Zion National Park in the corner of Southern Utah is the perfect option. With its stunning scenery and wide range of outdoor activities, Zion is the perfect place to celebrate your love. With its epic landscape, slot canyons, sandstone, red rock, and unreal scenery. It’s one of the coolest places that you could choose to get married. But how do you plan it, and what could it look like?

Planning a Zion National Park Elopement

Zion National Park is a large park, and there are a lot of areas where you could choose to elope in Zion. If you’re looking for something quiet and intimate, the Kolob Canyons area is a great option. For those who want a more dramatic setting, the Zion Canyon area is perfect. You’ll also need to decide on a location within the park, as well as what type of ceremony you’d like to have.

Our recommendations for spots are:

• Kolob Canyon
• Timber Creek Overlook
• Temple of Sinawava
• Menu Falls
• Zion Lodge Lawn
• Nature Center North Lawn
• South Campground Amphitheater

If you are looking to elope in Zion there are some things you’ll need to consider when planning your zion elopement. The date, time of year, and the number of people involved are the three main ones. We recommend no more than a maximum of 10 guests with you. You are always welcome to invite more but the options for locations do become limited.

Eloping with a small group of friends or family is a great way to have an intimate and special ceremony. Zion National Park offers some beautiful locations for your Zion elopement. If you’re looking to elope with a large group, there are many areas where a large gathering would be disruptive. That’s why Zion National Park has several locations within the park that can accommodate larger groups, but they tend to be more popular for everyone so crowds tend to be more common.

Another thing we ask you to consider is how many people you invite will have to pay the entrance fee to get into the park. “Vehicles entering the park for the wedding are subject to the entrance fee. ($35 per private, non-commercial vehicle).” * per stated through Zion National Park’s website 2022. So if you have more than the recommended maximum of people coming in from out of state or even out of the country, that’s something to take into consideration.

Zion National Parks Locations

Here are some more details as to the incredible locations you could elope in here in Zion National Park. We are always scouting as well, so new spots might just pop up, it takes time as we have to check with the park rangers as nature and the environment can change drastically. Some of our favorite spots include Timber Creek Overlook, Temple of Sinawava, Menu Falls, Zion Lodge Lawn, Nature Center North Lawn, and South Campground Amphitheater. No matter what you choose, you’re sure to have an unforgettable experience at Zion National Park Elopements!

Kolob Canyons Area: The Kolob Canyons area of Zion National Park is a great option if you’re looking for something quiet and intimate. This less-visited area of the park offers stunning views of the surrounding canyon country.

Timber Creek Overlook: For those who want a more dramatic setting, the Timber Creek Overlook is perfect. Perched high above the Virgin River Valley, this location offers panoramic views of Zion Canyon and Watchman Peak.

Temple of Sinawava: If you’re looking for a picturesque location that’s close to the entrance of the park, try the Temple of Sinawava. This spot features a beautiful red sandstone cliff in the background with the Virgin River running through it below.

Menu Falls: Located near the Temple of Sinawava, Menu Falls is another great option for those wanting a pretty backdrop with rushing water in the foreground. It’s also a great spot for cooling off on a hot day!

Zion Lodge Lawn: The Zion Lodge is a historic lodge located in the heart of Zion Canyon. The lawn in front of the lodge is a beautiful spot for an intimate ceremony with the towering cliffs of the canyon as your backdrop.

Nature Center North Lawn: For a ceremony with a more natural setting, try the Nature Center North Lawn. This spot is located in a meadow near the entrance of the park and features beautiful views of the surrounding mountains.

South Campground Amphitheater: The South Campground Amphitheater is another great option for those wanting a natural setting. This spot is located in a meadow near the South Campground and offers stunning views of the nearby mountains.

When deciding on a date, keep in mind that summer is the busiest time of year at Zion National Park and the hottest. There is also the chance that there will be a flash flood during monsoon season. If you’re looking to avoid crowds, monsoon season, and the heat we recommend eloping in the spring or fall.

Winter is also a great time to elope in Zion National Park, but just know that you do run the risk of potentially having snow on the ground. But we have found that it makes for some of the most incredible images with the red rock being covered with white snow. So if you are willing to bundle up and have an epic winter zion elopement, then we would love to chat with you!

Zion National Park Elopement Packages

We offer two types of Zion elopement packages: a half-day or a full-day package. An elopement in Zion can be tricky due to the desert sun being so harsh so it’s best to do it earlier in the morning or later in the day. Early morning could give you more space to elope in Zion with fewer crowds, but you might not get the grand angels landing at sunset that most everyone wants. Most of our half-day packages look like the below:

A typical Sunset Zion elopement could look like this:

• 2 PM – Getting Ready, Hair & Makeup
• 4 PM – Head out to Zion
• 6 PM – First Look, Portrait Session, Family Photos
• 7 PM – Ceremony Start Time
• 8 PM – Sunset Portrait Session
• 9 PM – Leave Park – End of Day

A typical Sunrise Zion Elopement could look like this:

• 3 AM – Getting Ready, Hair & Makeup
• 5 AM – Head out to Zion
• 6 AM – First Look or Sunrise Portrait Session
• 7 AM – Ceremony Start Time
• 8 AM – Family Photos, Morning Portrait Session
• 9 AM – Leave Park – End of Day

Our Zion elopement packages provide great value for couples looking to get married in Zion National Park. The half-day package includes everything you need for a beautiful, intimate ceremony. For those who want the full experience of eloping in Zion National Park, we have a full-day package that allows for more time to explore the park and take photos & videos all day long. Both packages include permits, hair and makeup, and transportation within the park.

There are add-ons to help you get all the photos you want from the park, like a day before or after the adventure session in Zion National Park. Or if there are areas we can’t get to the day of we could do so in the adventure session in the surrounding areas of southern Utah.

We recommend this as an easy way for couples to get the images and experience they want with just the two of you.

Places to Stay in and out of Zion National Park

For those who are traveling and choosing to elope in zion national park and choosing this as their destination elopement spot. We have multiple recommendations for places to stay in southern Utah.

• Zion Park Hotel
• Cliffrose Lodge & Gardens
• Desert Pearl Inn
• La Quinta Inn & Suites Springdale Zion National Park
• Thunderbird Lodge at Zion National Park
• Hampton Inn & Suites Springdale/Zion National Park
• Cable Mountain Lodge
• Red Rock Motel
• Under the Eaves Bed and Breakfast
• The Lion’s Den Bed and Breakfast
• Godsey’s Country Cottages

If you’re looking for a more unique experience with your Zion elopement, consider staying in an Airbnb. There are many great options available, and you can often find some amazing deals. We recommend checking out airbnb.com for listings in the area. But here are our favorite Airbnb locations that give you a more intimate place to stay than hotels/motels.

If you’d prefer to see the list on Airbnb you can do so here.

No matter what your preference is, there are a lot of great options around the Zion area to stay. And many of these places are within a few minutes of the park, which makes it easy to be able to spend more days after your Zion elopement exploring the Zion National Park area.

Zion National Park Permits

A Zion elopement is a special place to get married. Zion is a marriage of light and stone, desert and water, ancient and contemporary. It inspires awe and requires contemplation. The serenity of the park affects all who take the time to experience wonder. An elopement in Zion is a smaller affair conducted amidst the natural beauty of one of the jewels of our nation. Lovers of nature and beauty may choose this place to wed because they are drawn by the splendor and natural silence of this majestic landscape.

When anyone inquires to elope in any of our national parks or public lands, we know that there is permitting that needs to be done to make your Zion elopement happen. Some people think that paying the park entrance fee is enough for eloping there. But the parks and rangers ask that we make sure that we follow the necessary procedures so that not only you can have your elopement there but also future generations can elope there as well.

Our team is all about leaving no trace and making sure that whether we are in the slot canyons of the Temple of Sinawava or the peak of Angels Landing that we respect the park and the people working there by leaving it better than how we found it. Our team understands how amazing it is to have your elopement in Zion, so we handle all the permitting necessary for your convenience.

“A permit is required to hold a wedding in Zion National Park. This permit does not guarantee exclusive use of an area. The area will remain open to the public during park visiting hours. Permit activities will not unduly interfere with & condition other park visitors’ use and enjoyment of the area. Visitors will be allowed to watch the wedding ceremony and activities.” Zion National Park said in their permit information sheet.

Our team has a few spots scouted ahead to make sure we know of some quiet places that don’t have hordes of people around for your Zion elopement. We understand that people tend to not want crowds of people around them for their ceremonies. But we have found that anyone around tends to be very respectful and will always cheer and applaud after you kiss!

Best Times of the Year to Elope in Zion

As for what a typical timeline can look like for Zion, it will depend solely on the time of year as times might need to be adjusted for such. As photographers and videographers, lighting is everything to us for your photos and videos. While we know how to shoot in all shooting conditions, we want your day, videos, and photos to be as amazing as they can so we set your timeline to shoot in the best light possible.

During the summer months, the park can get very busy and the sunlight can be harsh. The Slot canyons look amazing and can provide some much-needed shade from the sun and can make for some amazing images. But, we usually recommend eloping from April to May or from mid-October to the middle of November when the temperatures are cooler and the light is more favorable.

However, the winter months offer a special beauty that can be hard to find at any other time. The snow-capped mountains and frozen waterfalls are a sight to behold. And if you are willing to bundle up, it can make for some of the most unique Zion elopement photos and videos. Just note that the park or parts of the park might close due to weather conditions so we make sure that when planning we have backup spots due to the unpredictability of the weather in Zion National Park.

As we stated above most of our packages have either half or full-day elopements, and some people like to have time to explore the area. A Zion Elopement is built out with that in mind once you’re booked and we are planning your day. We create custom packages based on your desires and needs and recommendations for what we have found couples have wanted in the past as well.

Contact us today to learn more about our Zion Elopement packages and start planning your dream elopement in Zion!