So, you’ve decided on an elopement or micro-wedding!

Congratulations, I think you’ve made an incredible decision already. If your vision for your elopement day includes the desert (think red rocks, cacti, dramatic cliffs) as your backdrop, you’ve come to the right place. In my opinion, Phoenix, Arizona is the most ideal place to start when planning a desert elopement for so many reasons, and number one on that list is convenience.

Phoenix is the fifth largest metro area in the United States, and with that massive expanse comes hundreds of square miles of preserves, state parks, and BLM land to keep as much of this desert metropolis what it is, the natural desert. In Phoenix, you are getting so much more than just an elopement destination— it is a booming city with tons of diverse things to do, to make your whole elopement experience one to remember, it is a gateway to so many other popular destinations throughout the Southwest, and it has so many conveniently located natural landmarks to create a stunning backdrop for your wedding day.

In this article, I’ll discuss how to get to Phoenix, where you can go from here, and of course, my favorite locations to elope in the Valley! With each location, I will include information on permits or passes needed to get married in each of these places.

Traveling to Phoenix

Flying Here—

As I mentioned above, Phoenix is one of the largest cities in America, and is served by two airports that make it incredibly easy to get here.

Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport is the main airport in the area, located just a few minutes from downtown. Sky Harbor is a hub for both Southwest and American Airlines, meaning you can catch a direct flight here (or, at most, a one stop journey) from almost anywhere in the US! Because this airport is so centrally located, you have easy access to virtually every part of the Valley and beyond, whether you want to start your elopement adventure at one of Scottsdale’s resorts, or more remotely.

Phoenix also boasts a smaller airport, Mesa Gateway (AZA), serviced by budget airlines like Allegiant, with flights to smaller cities in the US not commonly serviced by the Sky Harbor airlines. We love flying out of this airport when we visit some of our favorite places, like Kalispell! Mesa Gateway airport is located in the east Valley, away from downtown, BUT very close to most of the elopement locations we’ll be recommending in this guide! While most budget airports are a bit more inconvenient and out of the way, we love that this one puts you smack in the middle of all the action when it comes to the best open spaces in the Phoenix area. For reference, this airport is located about 40 minutes from downtown Phoenix.

One of the biggest reasons we chose to live in Phoenix is because of how easy it is to get in and out of here. If you’ll be inviting a few additional guests to your elopement, they’ll be able to conveniently travel here too. Because this city is so big, there are so many unique hotels and Airbnbs scattered throughout the Valley, making for the ultimate elopement destination.

Staying Here—

Phoenix is a huge city, with so many neighborhoods to stay in. Downtown Phoenix and Scottsdale are well known for their nightlife. Scottsdale and Paradise Valley are home to most of the area’s more ritzy resorts, spas, and golf courses, if your ideal wedding experience includes these kinds of accommodations. There are Airbnbs scattered throughout the various areas of the city. North Phoenix (Peoria, Cave Creek, etc. area) and the East Valley border BLM and Forest Service land, which offer reserved campsites, as well as free dispersed camping options if this is more your speed. Because the Phoenix metro area is massive, we recommend finding accommodation close to where you’ll be eloping, to save you long travel times on your wedding day.

How to Get Legally Married in Arizona

One other thing I wanted to touch on before we get into the fun part of this article is all the legal stuff to be considered for your elopement or micro-wedding!

Your Marriage License— You’ll need to get one of these from one of Arizona’s Superior Court Clerk offices up to twelve months before you are married, regardless if you live in Arizona or elsewhere. If you’ll be getting married in Phoenix, you’ll find it most convenient to visit one of the four Maricopa County Clerk Offices scattered throughout the Valley. Marriage licenses are typically given by appointment only, and the application will need to be filled out in person if you aren’t a resident of Arizona (Arizona residents are able to apply online).

To be legally married, you’ll need an officiant’s signature, as well as that of two witnesses (your photographer counts as one of those!). After your wedding, you’ll mail the license back to the clerk’s office for processing, and then you’ll be legally wed!

Permits— * Some * areas of the state, like the national parks, state parks, and national forest land, may require recreational or special use permits to be married there. More information on permits will be provided on a location-by-location basis later in this article!

Eloping on Public Land

I must exercise my due diligence here and chat a little bit about the locations I am about to provide you with.

As an Arizona elopement photographer, I could not be more grateful that we are allowed to photograph weddings on our state’s gorgeous public land, however, these privileges can be taken away at any point. To prevent this from happening, there needs to be an agreement between all eloping couples, their guests, and their vendors to Leave No Trace when using these public lands for your celebrations. This means taking a number of things into consideration—

When you’re planning your elopement, please abide by all the rules created by the governing bodies of the land you choose. These rules exist for a reason, often to protect the natural habitats present on these lands. Please, stay on marked trails, don’t bring an excess amount of decor, clean up after yourselves, don’t play loud music, and do your best not to introduce non-native plants to the environments. Leave No Trace goes so far beyond these simple things, and some of the basics can be referenced here as you prepare for your wedding.

The Best Time to Elope in Phoenix

Phoenix is the desert, and time of year definitely is something to consider when traveling to Arizona to get married. My favorite seasons here are the early spring and late fall. Winter also tends to be gorgeous here, though some of the desert plants do go dormant this time of year. Here are the average high and low temperatures by month in Phoenix. If we experience a rainy winter in the Valley, a good number of my favorite locations boast colorful wildflowers in March and April, and the golden light we enjoy in October and November make fall an incredible season around here too. If there is any one thing to note, Phoenix (and the desert as a whole) offers vibrant, colorful sunsets year round, so you can never go wrong with this place!

In this section, I also find it best to discuss when to elope on our public lands if you are looking for as private an experience as possible. Because these lands are beautiful and, well, public, they bring in tons of visitors every year. To mitigate crowds, I would suggest eloping on a weekday as opposed to the weekend. Many of the parks also open before sunrise, and if getting up early to exchange vows is your idea of the perfect day, this is another incredible way to avoid random people watching you get married. Most of the locations I’ve included here do face East, meaning you’ll have beautiful back-lit photos if you choose to hold your ceremony at sunrise!

The Best Locations for Phoenix Elopements

I’ve narrowed this down to my absolute favorites, and have done my best to include a wide amount of diversity between the landscapes!

LOST DUTCHMAN STATE PARK

This park is iconic to anyone who knows Phoenix. This state park butts up against the jaw-dropping cliffs that are the Superstition Mountains, and the miles of trails within the park meander through all kinds of cacti and desert shrubs. The striking mountains create, in my opinion, the perfect backdrop for an elopement ceremony and photos. In my opinion, this park is best photographed during sunrise, and after sunset during blue hour. There are so many options to spend a day here, with the ability to travel to other scenic locations nearby!

The park sits adjacent to Tonto National Forest land and BLM land, meaning you can dispersed-camp on these lands for free, if that is your thing. Otherwise, the nearby cities of Mesa and Apache Junction offer other accommodations.

Permits and Costs: Lost Dutchman has three areas in the park suitable for weddings, and are reserved on a first come, first serve basis. Interested couples are instructed to fill out the wedding application and pay the special use permit fees upon reservation. Permits cost anywhere from $280-$1130, depending on which location you choose, how many guests you’ll be inviting, and how long you plan on occupying the space for your wedding. These costs include entry fees for you and your guests, as well as a photography permit for your photographer. A few of these locations are situated on the boundary between the state park and Tonto National Forest land. If you choose to hold your ceremony beyond the boundary, on the forest land, you will have to apply for additional permitting. Lost Dutchman offers a virtual tour of each space on a special app.

All of this information, the application, and additional special rules for the park can be accessed here.

THE SALT RIVER

A river that meanders through the east Valley and into Phoenix itself, and a popular spot for Phoenix residents to enjoy the outdoors. I just love the many bends of the Salt, and the dramatic cliffs and cactus fields alongside it. To some people’s surprise, there is water in the desert, and it can be found here! Maybe your ideal elopement day includes floating the river when all is said and done 😏. This area is also home to wild horses, and every now and then they will come near the popular parking and camping spots along the river.

The main photo locations I use along the Salt River are located on Tonto National Forest land. Contact me about your elopement to learn more about where I like to photograph couples along the Salt River most! Because this is, again, public land, this natural space is very popular among locals and visitors alike. I would highly recommend a sunrise ceremony at the very least when getting married along the Salt, to mitigate crowds around this special moment. The only way to ensure some privacy at other times of day would be by reserving a campsite along the river for your ceremony or other celebrations.

Permits and Costs: Regardless of where you get married along the Salt River, you will need a Tonto Day Use Parking Pass. These can be purchased at a large number of gas stations and retailers in the area (see a list here). Some locations require additional permitting or reservation, though the forest service’s website is not super specific about what those are. To make sure all your wedding plans are done legally, please view Tonto NF’s weddings page and contact a ranger to verify your plans. Wedding requests must be made 30 days in advance of when you want to get married.

PHOENIX MOUNTAINS PRESERVE

A natural area quite literally in the middle of everything, this open space boasts hiking trails up to tall summits in the Phoenix area like Piestawa Peak, while also preserving the natural, cactus filled desert landscape. Whether a hiking elopement is your thing, or you’re just hoping for an easy walk to some gorgeous, quintessential desert scenery, this spot is perfect, this location is the perfect springboard to a wide array of other activities the central and north Valley have to offer.

This preserve is located close to Scottsdale and Paradise Valley, home to so many resorts and some more off the beaten path adventures, like hot air ballon rides!

Permits and Costs: The city of Phoenix operates this preserve, and has no posted fees or permits required to get married in this outdoor space. YAY!

Popular Destinations Outside Phoenix

Phoenix isn’t the only beautiful part of Arizona. Because Phoenix is the easiest city to reach in the state, it is often a springboard for other adventurous destinations. Consider these for your honeymoon, or for a next day bridal portrait session!

Sedona- The red rock capital of Arizona! Just two hours outside Phoenix, this area hosts a bunch of spas, state parks, nearby hiking trails, and all kinds of gorgeous views year round!

The Grand Canyon- I mean, duh. This is often the first thing people associate with the state of Arizona. Grand Canyon National Park is a place that will literally take your breath away, and gives you the opportunity to really immerse yourself in nature. GCNP is four hours from Phoenix, and the drive will take you past Sedona, and through Flagstaff!

Saguaro National Park- One of Arizona’s three national parks situated right in Tucson. There is so much opportunity for hiking here, and contains the largest concentration of Saguaro cacti I’ve ever seen. Tucson is also home to some beautiful resorts if you’re wanting to relax a bit before or after your elopement. Located 2 hours south of Phoenix.

Payson- A little mountain town on the Southwest’s Mogollon Rim, only an hour and a half from Phoenix. A gorgeous drive up into the mountains leaves you at this little town with miles of trails and dirt roads to explore.

Prescott- Another of Arizona’s towns at elevation, with tons of outdoor space, as well as nightlife with Whiskey Row’s bars and live music. Located 2 hours north of Phoenix.

Page/Lake Powell/Antelope Canyon/Horseshoe Bend- Northern Arizona’s gem along the Utah border, this region was made popular recently, and for good reason. Red rocks, the winding Colorado River, slot canyons, and so much more located just under 5 hours from Phoenix.

Phoenix Elopement Photographer

Hi! My name is Katie :)
I’m an Arizona-based elopement photographer who has fallen head over heels in love with the many gorgeous desert landscapes in this state, and, of course photographing wildly in love couples amongst it! The first place that quite literally ~ took my breath away ~ was the Grand Canyon, and that day I knew I had to someday live near it, and only dreamed of somehow making a career that involved it.

A few years later, I am thrilled to call Arizona my home and to be making a living capturing elopement and wedding days in a raw and honest way!

My goal is to spend as much time outside exploring new places as I possibly can, so this lovely alternative to a standard desk job is truly my dream. Some of my fondest memories include road trips across the southwest with my friends and husband, hiking miles through hoodoos and slot canyons and all the red rocks, and laughing all the way. After photographing hundreds of traditional weddings, I am so grateful I’ve been able to make the move toward more outdoors-focused adventure elopement days!

When I am not working, I love nothing more than building community. My husband, Joseph, and our friends have become people who truly are our chosen family, and spending as much quality time with them as possible is at the top of my list of priorities. I also am one of those nerds who loves working out (I teach spin classes for fun!), learning all kinds of science (wine and viticulture is my current point of deep fascination), and whose favorite season is football season (I always cry when the Lions lose).

I am so excited to help you craft the best day of your life, one that fits your unique loves and interests, and that leaves you with memories that will last the rest of your story together. It’s an honor to be considered to come along this journey with you, let’s get this party started!

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