Lake Powell Adventure Elopement | Page, AZ
The Best Elopement Location in the Southwest United States—
That’s what I’d argue Lake Powell is. Why? I’d point to the wild and rich diversity of the area. Here, you have absolutely everything: a scenic lake with absolutely nutty rock formations, beaches, desert landscapes that look straight up lunar, the towering cliffs the Colorado River has carved over thousands of years, slot canyons, red rocks, basically everything you can possibly think of when you imagine this little pocket of the US straddled between Arizona and Utah. Every time I hear of a couple wanting to elope here (especially when they’ve never seen it in real life), I get so excited for them. There truly is no shortage of things to do that fit every type of interest, and it is so fun to bring people to this area to experience it all! Brianna and Ethan opted to travel all the way from Pennsylvania to get married in Lake Powell, and together we crafted the ultimate adventure elopement day for them—
We began our day in the mid morning a few dozen miles south of Page, in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in the shadow of the Vermillion Cliffs (I could spend all day just staring at those honestly). Brianna and Ethan envisioned doing all the quintessential Lake Powell things, so, of course, we had to find them a winding canyon. Most of the slot canyons in and around Page are on native Navajo land, and require a guided tour to access. However, depending on how much time a couple budgets for their day, and how far they want to hike, there are a couple options for slot canyons further outside the Lake Powell area. This particular canyon we chose was close to the other destinations we planned to hit that day, and led to some epic views without a significant hiking commitment. We descended down a few big rock scrambles and found a spot that left the couple in awe. There, Brianna and Ethan changed into their wedding clothes, and shared their first look. It was sweet and emotional and SO quiet, not another soul was around to witness it. We paused to take photos along the walk back to our Jeeps (these canyon walls are just insane for composition), and headed for our next destination!
Another iconic Lake Powell feature is the now world famous Horseshoe Bend, a hairpin turn in the Colorado River surrounded by thousand foot cliffs. If you’ve never seen this view yourself, I highly highly recommend visiting (yes, it is so worth it, even with the crowds). Something Brianna and Ethan were so excited about when visiting this area was the giant cliffs carved by the Colorado over the years. We scouted a location off to the side of the main viewing platform, out on a ledge of one of these very cliffs, where they could exchange vows without an audience. This was really the only part of the day we made a stop at a location with heavy tourist traffic, but we were still able to find amazing peace and quiet away from the hustle and bustle for this very important part of their elopement day! It is worth noting Brianna and Ethan eloped in early February, which is still very much the off season in Lake Powell. Though the weather is much cooler (read: cold, as most of the area is above 5000 feet of elevation!) than in the summer, I find it to be very much worth visiting (and eloping) here this time of year to avoid excessive crowds, especially if your plans include Horseshoe Bend. The photos of this moment in their day just don’t seem real, and I couldn’t imagine a more epic place to exchange personal vows with one another!
After Horseshoe Bend, we made a pitstop for our picnic lunch, and then it was off to our last, and most epic, location of the day. Across the Utah border on the north side of the Lake are miles and miles of off roading trails in every direction. Equipped with Jeeps, we set out on one to an incredible sunset spot overlooking the lake. To me, Lake Powell is synonymous with the kinds of views found at this overlook (among others dotting the rim of the lake too), and so, since Brianna and Ethan were up for the drive out to it, we absolutely had to include this in their day. The bonus? We didn’t see another soul for the entire almost 50 mile drive we made to reach it. The drive out takes you past towering cliffs and through the most outer space looking landscape I’ve ever seen. There are a million little places to stop and sit in awe, and I really believe you can make a whole day of simply doing this drive and exploring every few miles. At ~the~ spot, we meandered along the cliffs and in the different rock formations common in southern Utah. We watched a golden sunset give way to a particularly colorful blue hour as we took in last light over Lake Powell.
This was truly one of the coolest days of my life, and one I will never take for granted. To be able to say I get to hike slot canyons and drop the Jeep into four wheel drive and witness a couple’s wedding day and call it all work is astounding to me still. I am so grateful to Brianna and Ethan for including me in their adventure elopement! Enjoy the photos!
LOOKING FOR A LAKE POWELL WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER? EXPLORE OUR PACKAGES AND INQUIRE WITH US!
Hi there! We’re Katie & Joseph, a husband and wife team, and Arizona elopement photographers.
We are big fans of documenting marriage in an unposed, raw, genuine, and honest way that allows our couples to maximize their experience on their day while also receiving a gallery full of stunning images that communicate how it felt to be there.
Though we’re based in Phoenix, we’ll travel anywhere for a good love story. We invite you to follow the links below to learn more about us and our services, and to get in contact with us!
