People are starting to realize that there is another way to get married than having a traditional wedding and I believe the greatest way to get married!

Elopements are all about starting your lives together as a married couple in an adventurous way that truly reflects who you are as a couple. While there are loads of incredible places all across the states and the world, one of the more popular states to elope in Utah! I’ve put together a list of the best places to elope in Utah along with a bunch of advice and my Utah Elopement packages!

Utah is filled with incredible national parks like Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Arches National Park. Utah really has a little bit of everything from plush mountains, stunning canyons, red rocks, cliffs galore, salt flats and so much more.

I know, I know. How can you decide between all these places to elope in Utah?! I’m here to guide you through it all. I’ll touch on Utah marriage laws, go over the best places to elope in Utah, and dive into what the seasons look like in this gorgeous state!

>>View Utah Elopement Packages Here<<

The Best Time of Year to Elope in Utah

Utah has every season in full blast! If you’ll get flowers during the spring, the sun shining during the summer, snow during the winter, and gorgeous fall colors during Autumn! You truly can’t go wrong. It just comes down to the type of activities and vibe you want during your Utah elopement!

Utah Summer Elopement (June-August)

Southern Utah gets pretty dang hot during the summer, but if you’re wanting to involve water in your elopement then it might be a great choice for you! Think of locations like Lake Powell! Northern Utah gets warm, but it’s not as hot as the southern part which is mostly desert. If you want to elope during this time of year before it gets too hot then opt for a June or September elopement!

Utah Fall Elopement (September-November)

Utah shows off with some gorgeous fall colors during this time of year in the mountains! The temperatures will have gone down where you’ll be comfortable! In Southern Utah, temperatures will be cooler and national park visitors will be a bit less.

Utah Winter Elopement (December-March)

Utah winters are full of snow and so beautiful! If you want to include winter sports such as skiing or snowboarding then you can’t go wrong when choosing a winter elopement in Utah! The southern part of Utah, the dessert, does get snow, but it’s typically not nearly as much as the mountains! Eloping in popular parks like Zion National park or Arches National Park during the winter is a great choice because the crowds will be gone and you’ll be able to drive where normally shuttles are only allowed.

Utah Spring Elopement (April-May)

Spring is a fairly popular time for visitors in the national parks as the temperatures are warm, but not unbearable and the flowers are starting to bloom! During this time of year, you can get pretty warm weather in the 90’s or even more mild weather in the 70’s.

 

Elope in Utah: Utah Marriage Laws

Every state, of course, has it’s own marriage laws. While it’s not overly complicated, there are some legalities that you need to go through if you want your ceremony in Utah to be legal.

If jumping through these hoops doesn’t sound fun to you, then you totally don’t have to have your ceremony in Utah be legal. You can have it be symbolical and get legally married before or after where you live! What really matters is the day you say your vows to each other. Sure, signing a marriage license is what makes you legally married in the eyes of the state, but what really matters is the day you celebrate and say your vows to each other. That’s what your wedding day is really all about.

• You need to have an officiant

If you want to be legally married in Utah you will need to have an officiant who is legally ordained.

• You have to apply for your marriage license in person

Unfortunately, you do have to apply in person and can’t do it online. So, you will have to plan on stopping by the county clerks office to get your license.

• There’s no waiting period

This is definitely a bonus! Once you apply for your license you can go out and get married that day if you wanted.

• You need to have two witnesses

If you wanted you could bring along those who really mattered to you such as your parents or closest friends. However, if you want to have a ‘just us’ elopement I can sign as a witness, and then we can find someone along the way to sign! Yup, it’s happened before!

What you need to apply to Elope in Utah

• License Fees are different in each county, but it varies from $40-$60.
• Be sure you take your social security cards/numbers along for both of you.
• Be sure to have the name and birthplace for each of your parents. This includes your mother’s maiden name!
• Take along a valid photo ID for proof of age such as a passport, birth certificate, driver’s license, or State ID Card.
• If you’ve been divorced you will need to have a copy of your recent divorce decree.

You can check out a full list of county clerk’s offices here and for more information about getting legally married in Utah check out the official website here.

Utah Symbolical Ceremony

P.S. You can have a symbolical ceremony so you don’t have to worry about dealing with the legalities of eloping in Utah if you’re from out of state!

How does this work? You just get legally married wherever you live and deal with the paperwork there. Then, for your elopement ceremony, you can customize every aspect of your it to the two of you and you don’t have to worry about an officiant and witnesses! When couples go this route they typically don’t care about being legally married on their elopement day, because to them the day that they say their vows to one another is the day they actually get married!

 

Places to Elope in Utah

There are so many incredible places to elope in Utah that this list could go on and on. These are some of the more popular locations in Utah to elope, but for a good reason! The hikes and trails located in these parks are endless. There are many, many options for no matter what type of scenery you’re looking for! Also, staying at an Airbnb is always such a great choice when picking out your place to stay for so many reasons. Be sure to head on over to my Airbnb Elopement page for tips and places to stay in Utah!

1. Zion National Park

Zion National park is a legendary place to visit and is one of the top five most visited national parks. Of course, with such a popular park comes with crowds, but with views like this, it’s totally worth it. You can avoid crowds by having a sunrise or sunset elopement, which is what I recommend anyways. Just be prepared to run into people at some point, but there are many trails throughout the park where you can get more privacy as well! Another great way to avoid crowds is to have a winter elopement! It’s an absolutely amazing time of year to visit Zion!

2. Moab

Moab is a fun town that is filled with endless adventure. Rock formations are everywhere for the rock climbing enthusiasts and great places to go off-roading! You’re close to Canyonlands National Park which is home to famous landmarks such as Mesa Arch and Grandview Point. It’s also right by the Colorado River! This park is another busy one and winter is a great time to elope here as well as winter in Southern Utah typically isn’t anything too crazy.

3. Arches National Park

Arches is located in Moab, but it deserves its own title here. It is an INCREDIBLE place to see! Full of red rocks and crazy rock formations that form arches. You won’t regret eloping here for a fun and unique day!

4. Bonneville Salt Flats

The salt flats are quite a sight! You’ll get a gorgeous sunset and backdrop here for you as you say your vows. It’s a great location if you wish to take some friends and family along to celebrate! When it rains you can get a mirrored effect as the flats fill with a thin layer of water. If you want to try to get this then a winter or spring elopement would be best!

5. Goblin Valley State Park

Goblin Valley is pretty far out there and I would consider a remote part of the desert. The hiking is never-ending and you’ll see some pretty cool rock formations here as well!

6. Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area

Flaming Gorge is filled with stunning canyon overlooks much like Zion National Park. The views and locations here provide lots of places to adventure around! You’re right by the Wyoming border as well!

7. Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument

Want to take a wild guess as to how many acres are in this National Monument? There are over a million acres dedicated to this monument. This is the place for any adventure you’re looking for whether you want to hike to a viewpoint, adventure to a waterfall, or slot canyon–the options are truly endless here.

8. Bryce Canyon National Park

The 18-mile main road takes you winding through the vistas, viewpoints, and forests. Go for a hike and rim walk through the gorgeous park to explore parts you never would’ve seen! If you’re up for camping you can stay at one of their campsites!

9. Wasatch Mountains

The Wasatch Mountains are full of lakes and gorgeous hikes! Go here during the spring to see gorgeous flowers blooming and the fall offers fall colors galore. There are incredible hikes and locations that you can go to to have the private ceremony you want!

10. Lake Powell

Lake Powell borders Arizona and offers stunning views of canyons and vistas! You can take a dip in the blue lake to cool down or even take on some water sports. You can climb, hike, camp, or backpack through the backcountry.  There is so much land that you can explore here!

 

Utah Elopement Packages

I’m here to be more than just a photographer for you.

I’M GOING TO HELP CRAFT AND CREATE A DAY THAT REFLECTS THE TWO OF YOU. I’ll WORK CLOSELY WITH YOU TO HELP PLAN YOUR ELOPEMENT FROM START TO FINISH. I TAKE MY ELOPEMENT EXPERTISE AND YOUR VISION AND TURN IT INTO A FULL-FLEDGED PLAN TO CREATE THE ELOPEMENT DAY OF YOUR DREAMS!!

If you want to start off your marriage on an epic adventure with the backdrop of your dreams with just the two of you or even your closest loved ones then let’s do this!! I’m here to help you create a day that you’ll never forget.

• Starting at partial day of documentation
• Personalized Elopement Coordination and Guidance
  • Get you know you and your vision questionnaire
  • Personalized location list
  • Custom timeline creation for the best experience
  • Gear and clothing guide
  • Day of coordination to keep everything running smoothly
  • Unlimited Zoom calls chat about details and to create your dream elopement
• High-Resolution Images in an online gallery to share with friends and family
• Travel costs to anywhere in Utah included!

Starting Price: $3000

Contact me >HERE< to inquire about your Utah Elopement!

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7 Signs You May Want to Elope