Joshua Tree Photographer | Joshua Tree Sunrise

Joshua Tree is seriously an amazing and unique place! For outdoor lovers, it is a perfect place for a Joshua Tree Elopement, engagement session or even for a ‘just because’ sunrise or sunset adventure session. Being a Joshua Tree Photographer I have learned that sunrise is usually the best time to go because there will be fewer people there and that means you got more of the awesome scenery all to yourself! However, sunset is just as beautiful and can provide the same solitude!

 

The best time to elope in Joshua Tree will be during the winter, spring or fall to avoid crazy high temperatures during the summer! Having a 100+ degree elopement usually isn’t the best idea and can be unsafe to go hiking in. During winter the temperatures can get pretty cold so if you want desert views in cooler weather then winter is for you! Otherwise, Spring and Fall will have more mild temperatures with the sun shining most days!

Keep scrolling to see the full adventure and get some tips for visiting Joshua Tree!

 

Joshua Tree Photographer

Joshua Tree Sunrise Adventure

Where to stay for your Joshua Tree Elopement or Adventure Session

As a Joshua Tree Photographer, I’ve explored this epic landscape many times and have found the perfect locations for you to say your vows or to go on an adventure with your loved one! I’ve learned that there are many places to not stay in Joshua Tree. When I was trying to find a house to stay for one of my trips out there the owner of the place I was staying at mentions in the description that it was 15-20 minutes away from the West and North Entrance.. that was not the case.  So, I learned my lesson and did my research for all the other times I’ve been and here are some incredible places to stay for your Joshua Tree Elopement or adventure session!

Desert Airstream

This cute place is perfect for two people! This airstream has heat/AC, an outdoor shower, refrigerator, microwave, sink, and hot plate for all of your desert camping needs!

Joshua Tree Tiny House

I don’t think it gets any cuter than this! This place has a beautiful view and a hot tub for a relaxing evening under the stars! This house can fit a total of 4 guests.

5 bedroom Home

This house is perfect if you’re bringing a few others along to celebrate your elopement! There is a pool, a game room, and two kitchens. Perfect for the whole crew!

Desert Air Casita

This clean and aesthetic apartment is only 10 minutes from Joshua Tree! It’s near downtown Joshua Tree and is perfect for two people!

North Entrance & West Entrance into Joshua Tree

There are so many incredible locations throughout Joshua Tree National Park–you seriously can’t go wrong when choosing a spot for your adventure!  I personally would recommend going to the North Entrance because it is WAY less populated and we basically had the terrain to ourselves. You have to drive about 10 minutes into the park from this entrance till you start to see actual Joshua Trees, but it’s so nice having it all to yourself. If you enter from the West Entrance you’ll see a bunch of homes in the beginning and then you’ll start to see some incredible rock formations.  I will admit the terrain at this entrance gets more impressive a lot faster; but what this entrance has in immediate beauty, it completely lacks in privacy. However, areas are beautiful and you could easily drive a loop and hit up both locations!bride and groom get married in Joshua Tree

Best Hikes For Your Joshua Tree Elopement

  • Hidden Valley Nature Trail: This 1 mile loop takes you around Joshua Tree’s beautiful rock formations and get for exploring! This hike is very versatile and is perfect for anybody nobody what your hiking experience is!
  • Split Rock Loop: This is a 2 mile loop where you’ll come across wild flowers and can watch stunning sunsets! You’ll, of course, see epic rock formations and the classic Joshua Trees.
  • The Maze Loop: This 5 mile hike is a bit more difficult, but it’s perfect if you want a more challenging hike and want to all the different types of views that Joshua Tree has to offer!
  • Ryan Mountain Hike: This 3 mile trail is the perfect hike to see Joshua Tree from a birds eye view. There are many spots to stop an overlook the desert landscape!

Joshua Tree National Park Wedding Joshua Tree National Park Wedding

Wedding Permits and Ceremony Locations

In order to get married in Joshua Tree you’ll need to obtain a special use permit. The cost for the application is $120 and you might have to pay additional fees if you have a larger group of people celebrating with you. I highly suggest to apply and get this process done as soon as you can so that you don’t have to rush or worry about not getting your permit in time.

There are certain areas where you’re allowed to have your ceremony and only a certain number of people are allowed at each location so be sure to review this list below!

  • Hidden Valley Picnic Area: No more than 35 people total and up to 8 vehicles.
  • Turkey Flats: No more than 35 people total and up to 8 vehicles.
  • Cap Rock: No more than 25 people total and up to 8 vehicles.
  • Rattlesnake Picnic Area: No more than 20 people and 8 vehicles.
  • Quail Springs Picnic Area: No more than 15 people and 8 vehicles.
  • Split Rock: No more than 15 people and 5 vehicles.
  • Porcupine Wash: No more than 12 people and 4 vehicles.
  • Queen Valley Mine Intersection: No more than 10 people and 5 vehicles.
  • Lost Horse Parking Lot: No more than 10 people and 5 vehicles.
  • Live Oak Picnic Area: No more than 5 people and 3 vehicles.

Joshua Tree Elopement Joshua Tree National Park Wedding

Joshua Tree Photographer

Joshua Tree Elopement Packages

  • Starting at partial day coverage
  • Personalized elopement coordination
  • Get to know you & your vision questionnaire
  • Personalized list of locations ideas
  • Vendor recommendations
  • Custom timeline so you can have a smooth and stress-free day
  • High-resolution images in an online gallery to share with friends and family
  • All travel fees included to Joshua Tree National Park are included!

Starting Price: $3000

If you want more information on eloping in Joshua Tree contact me for more information >HERE<!

Joshua Tree National Park Photographerjoshua tree photographer

 

Have more questions regarding Joshua Tree Elopement or adventure session packages?! Contact me >HERE< and I can’t wait to chat with you!!

Check out these related blog posts!

Eloping in Ireland: The Ultimate Guide

10 Tips for Planning an Adventure Elopement

Glacier National Park Elopement Guide

Elopement Ceremony Ideas

What to Do After Eloping

 

Joshua Tree Elopement Guide | Courtney Lynn

comments +
  1. […] met Brandon and Shannon at the North Entrance of Joshua Tree. Check out this post to see why I suggest the north entrance! We drove about 10 minutes into the park from there and that is where we began our adventure! […]

Courtney made the process SO easy! She does more than just photograph your day. She cares about you having the BEST elopement experience possible! I'll never be able to thank Courtney enough for making our dream day happen!

Contact me about your Elopement!

You probably have a million thoughts running through your head making you a bit overwhelmed.

How does this work? What can I do during my elopement? How do I choose my location? Is the ceremony legal? Can I elope with family?

One of the reasons you're probably eloping is because you want to have a stress-free day, but with so much uncertainty on how to plan an elopement how is it even possible?!

No need to stress, you're in the right place! This is where I come in and do the heavy lifting for you.

I'm Courtney, and I specialize in documenting adventurous elopements for couples who love the outdoors, but role is so much more than just an elopement photographer.

I'm here to guide you through every single step of planning your elopement and to give you a clear path tossing that stress out the window!

So, if you're ready to have a unique elopement experience that's actually focused on you, then let's friggin' do this!!


You know you want to elope,

and you know you want it to be meaningful and adventurous, but where do you start?!

trusted by & seen in

Courtney has a very warm and bubbly personality that shows through her work! She made my husband and I feel SO comfortable throughout the whole day.

We were very confused on how to start planning our adventure and she was there to answer a lot of our questions in the beginning and honestly with a very short time frame! We planned and got married in 6 weeks, because we knew we really wanted her there for our day and that is what she had available! It was a challenge well accepted for all three of us.

Our day was perfect. She captured our true essence of love and laughter and each photo shows it. There weren't very many set up photos unless we asked for them. She just gets you in the moment!

You can absolutely tell that Courtney loves what she does and wants your day to be perfect. She listens to you and really tries to understand you as a couple first and then uses that within her photography skills.

If you are looking for an adventure/elopement photographer I would highly suggest Courtney Lynn. We will be looking at and reliving our elopement forever thanks to her amazing photos. You won't be disappointed!

Amber & Ryan

Courtney was so helpful during the whole process! She helped put together a wonderful day!  She really wanted to make sure our wedding was just right for us. She made our elopement perfectly formulated for us, and I can't think of a more beautiful day!

One of our concerns going into an elopement was wanting to have pictures that let us remember the entire day. Courtney was there from start to finish and captured the whole day! Because of her outstanding work, we can share it with our loved ones, and they can experience the event almost as if they were there. We also really appreciated that she captured genuine moments between us instead of making it a photoshoot.

It felt like we were hanging out with a friend, and we think that helped us enjoy our day to the fullest.
If your dream wedding is an adventurous elopement day, I couldn't recommend Courtney more. She went above and beyond and was such a joy to work with throughout this whole experience.

She made us feel at ease and relaxed. Some wedding photographers are all about capturing posed moments that can be really awkward; that's NOT Courtney's style at all. Not only was she down to do whatever we wanted and go on little side adventures, but she made us feel comfortable.

She captured our true personalities and who we are as a couple! When looking at our gallery, our love for each other and our personalities can be seen in each image! She is extremely talented and did a phenomenal job of capturing the beauty of our wedding location. If you hire her, you will not regret it!

Sadye & Matthew

We are SO happy we decided to go with Courtney for our wedding photos! Originally we were supposed to elope in Italy, and she helped a TON with planning things like travel and what our day was going to look like.

Then the pandemic hit and we realized we probably weren't going to be able to go to Italy. So, we decided to change locations to Glacier!

She made it super easy and stress free, and helped plan what our new day in Glacier was going to look like!

Courtney was super easy to spend the entire day with, very friendly and fun to talk to! Even though our day didn't go exactly how we planned due to the weather, we all just went with the flow of it and it still turned out to be an amazing day!

If you're in doubt, just hire her!! You won't regret it one bit and you will get so many incredible photos to look back on your day!!

robbie & Aryton

When my now husband and I started planning our elopement, we were confused to the max. We didn’t know where to start or how to go about planning anything. We knew we wanted to get married in Ireland, but had too many options on exactly where. After doing some research of elopements, I was scrolling on Pinterest and came across some BEAUTIFUL photos taken by Courtney!

Courtney  made the process so easy! She is organized, professional, sweet, and so so funny!! Courtney does more than just photograph your day, she cares about you having the BEST day! She helped us plan EVERYTHING! Even down to the little details, like what type of shoes to wear! She helped us narrow down where, giving us her informative opinions on each of our options! She gave us cool ideas that we could incorporate into our special day. No idea was too big! When the day came, we had the absolute best time exploring and getting married! After we exchanged our vows, we went to celebrate at a local pub (Courtney’s idea ;) ). It was a blast!!

Our elopement was an absolute DREAM COME TRUE! I will never be able to thank Courtney enough for making it happen. So for anyone on the fence, swaying back and forth about whether or not work with Courtney on your big day, SWAY NO MORE! You’ve found your person!! My day couldn’t have been any better and my pictures are beautiful and capture the fun we had!!! I can’t wait to work with her again!

Taylor & andrew

"Planning for our day and the day itself would have been completely different without Courtney. We only knew that we wanted to share our vows in the Tuscan countryside and have beautiful photos, and Courtney planned the perfect agenda for that to happen.

She coordinated our timing around sunset, and not only were the photos breathtaking, but the actual evening was too. I remember looking out over the vineyards as the sun set, the view becoming more and more stunning by the minute. There were no moments that felt forced or posed, every shot was comfortable and fun and full of love.

Courtney is such a sweet, kind, fun person and we truly enjoyed spending the day with her. Courtney helped us to turn our dreams into reality, and we hardly had to do a thing. She allowed us to be in control of our day but gently took all of our wants and needs into consideration while making everything happen. Lastly, our pictures are just magical. Courtney is an incredibly talented photographer, and I feel so lucky that we were able to work with her. I would recommend her over and over again to anyone eloping."

Ellie & Zac

"Let. Me. Tell. You. It's not the technical aspects of photography that are the most difficult. It's the human aspect. Remembering that as a Photographer, you may be behind the lens but you are still a human, in front of other humans, in some of the most raw and intimate of moments.

Courtney balances both of these necessities (but rarities) with poise, great direction, and an overall kind calmness that just makes you breathe a sigh of relief. If you've come across Courtney's page and see what you like already, BOOK HER NOW. Don't spend another second looking for another Photographer that doesn't bring anywhere near the amazing light and spirit that this girl brings right here. Thank you again Courtney for allowing my husband and I to marry each other all over again! The images are stunning and I can't wait to blow them up and hang them in our home."

Shannon & Brandon

"Working with Courtney was an extremely easy experience, seamless, positive and obviously fun. My wife and I went on our honeymoon and wanted to surprise her with a surprise honeymoon adventure session.

Courtney worked with me to make that dream gift for my wife a reality. Meeting and posing for a photographer for the first time can be intimidating, but with Courtney it was anything but that.

Courtney is extremely positive and helpful and made us feel very comfortable in front of the camera. She played some of our favorite songs and before we knew we were just having fun and she was catching them every second. Perhaps the best part of our session was that Courtney knew all the characteristic and peaceful places of where we were, which made our photos even more extraordinary.

She kept the focus on my wife and me. When we shared our images with friends and relatives, everyone complimented on Courtney's aesthetics and the emotion she was able to capture. I can't thank Courtney enough for exceeding all our expectations with this photo shoot!!"

NINA & JASON

"Pick her -- she's the best! Courtney is amazing! Seriously! If you're thinking about eloping you should snatch her up to capture your day. She makes the entire experience fun and relaxed plus the pictures just blew us away. I will never forget our magical time in Venice and I'm obsessed with the gorgeous photos Courtney took of us. She's so so good!"

Jami & Tim

Courtney is not only a talented photographer, but she makes you feel so comfortable even though being in front of the camera can be nerve-wracking! She did such an amazing job with our day and if I had to pick my favorite photo it would take FOREVER, because I love so many! Definitely consider her if you want adventurous and beautiful photos coupled with an amazing experience!

walker & mac
PR
EV
NE
XT

Don't take it from me,
Take it from my past couples!

You’re in the right place!

I’m here to guide you through EVERY. SINGLE. STEP.

Let’s toss that’s confusion out the window and focus on how you want to get married!

Let me relieve those feelings of being lost, save you time, tell the story of your day and let’s get started creating a day that you’ll never forget!

So, if you know you want to elope,
but feel unsure on where to start, 

contact me & let's get starting creating your dream elopement!

...and you want an amazing storyteller to document your day

SUBMIT

Give me your thoughts on your elopement!*

Tell me about the best adventure you've been on!*

date & location*

Where do you currently live?*

Phone Number*

How'd you hear about me?!*

email*

You & your fiance's full names*

Let's freaking do this!!