How to Elope in Arizona | Arizona Elopement Photographer
As an Arizona Elopement Photographer – i’m here to give you the scoop on how to elope in Arizona and all of the tips and tricks you will need to make the most of your time in the beautiful Grand Canyon State. Arizona is filled with so many epic locations, whether you are wanting a private elopement or an easy space open to the public to host your intimate ceremony, this guide on How to Elope in Arizona is the perfect place to kick start your planning! In this guide I will show you Arizona’s top Elopement locations, the best time of year to Elope in Arizona, the best activities to include and how to do it all legally!
When you are first looking into how to elope in Arizona, the first thing you will want to determine is location. Arizona is filled with vast mountainscapes, stunning desert views and red rocks that will take your breath away. Once you’ve determined your desired location you will want to find the nearest airport, transportation companies (if needed) and lodging. The major airport a majority of our traveling couples use is Phoenix Sky Harbor airport, this airport is generally 2-4 hours on average away from most of the desired locations. Transportation can be fairly easy if you will not be having a location that requires off-road travel, 2 wheel drive vehicles can be rented straight upon arrival to the airport but for more intense travel consider renting a 4×4 vehicle or hiring a travel company that can get you to your desired location.
A big question that comes to mind for many couples who are looking into how to Elope in Arizona is “how much will it cost?” On average our couples spend $500-$20,000 on their Elopement day. The cost varies mostly on experiences you will want to include on your big day. You can expect a majority of your budget to be spent on hiring a Photography team or travel guide with the remaining budget going to experiences, attire, hair, make up and florals. To make it legal in Arizona, you will need an Officiant and two witnesses. This can be taken care of back home at the courthouse if you would prefer your adventure to be solo!
Now that we’ve gotten logistics out of the way…. let’s talk about the exciting part of how to Elope in Arizona. Locations like these are the reason so many of our couples fly to Arizona to say “I do.” Arizona Scenery is unlike any other, you can truly find the most magical places within a short drive making it ideal for couples who want to experience the most on their wedding day. You will want to keep in mind when making decisions that every part of Arizona has it’s on and off season that can affect how easily you will be able to Elope in certain locations, that’s what i’m here for!
How to Elope in Arizona : Mogollon Rim
- Location
- Payson, Arizona – 2 hour drive from Sky Harbor Airport. The best time of year to Elope in Page is March-October.
- Permitting
- Small cost for parking at this location
- Accessibility & Crowds
- Certain areas at this location are accessible with 2 wheel drive. Most areas at this location will have either a paved or dirt parking lot but there are more areas within this location that require a bit of a bumpy drive. You can easily spend 3-4 hours at this location just exploring. This location is busier on weekends but there are hidden pockets to escape the crowds.
- Nearby Activities
- Hiking, camping, stargazing, off-roading, kayaking, fishing, paddle boarding.
How to Elope in Arizona : Cathedral Rock
- Location
- Sedona, Arizona – 2 hour drive from Sky Harbor Airport. The best time of year to Elope in Page is September-April.
- Permitting
- Parking passes are $5 for this location, you can obtain this from the kiosk in the parking lot. Arches, decor or set up of any kind is NOT allowed per Sedona’s latest rules. Follow leave no trace guidelines.
- Accessibility & Crowds
- This location is fairly accessible by car – however, as of the last year this location has become increasingly popular and it is extremely difficult to get a parking spot here. If you are planning a sunrise Elopement you will have a better chance of getting into the parking lot but keep in mind that if you are dead set on a sunset Elopement, weekends are nearly impossible and week days may be doable IF you are able to get a Sedona Uber or shuttle service which is also very difficult with the lack of Uber services in Sedona. This location also requires a steep hike on all fours to get to the lookout – it’s worth the view but no easy task!
- Nearby Activities
- Hiking, camping, off-roading, star gazing, wineries, jeep tours, hot air balloon rides.
How to Elope in Arizona : Superstition Mountains
- Location
- Apache Junction, Arizona – 40 minute drive from Sky Harbor Airport. The best time of year to Elope in Page is September-April.
- Permitting
- There are several different locations near the Superstition Mountains. If you are going into a recreational area like Lost Dutchman you will need to pay for a parking pass, photo and wedding permit. You can access their permit information and application here! Other areas around the Superstitions will be more private and you may not necessarily need to pay for a permit for these locations.
- Accessibility & Crowds
- Lost Dutchman will be one of the only locations in the Superstition Mountains that will be accessible by 2 wheel drive. Make sure you ask your Photographer about certain locations, if you can carpool or if you’ll need to rent a different vehicle to get to more intense locations. On weekends more popular areas around the Superstitions will be a bit more packed than a weekday with hikers, it isn’t unbearable though and there are plenty of more hidden gems that your Photographer can take you to to avoid these crowds!
- Nearby Activities
- Hiking, off-roading, camping, stargazing, hot air ballon ride, rock climbing, breweries, spas, resorts.
How to Elope in Arizona : Horseshoe Bend
- Location
- Page, Arizona – 4.5 hour drive from Sky Harbor Airport. The best time of year to Elope in Page is September-April.
- Permitting
- $10 per car entrance fee
- $200-$300 wedding permit from Glen Canyon
- Accessibility & Crowds
- There is a paved parking lot with a path down to the rim, about 1.4 miles roundtrip. It is not a very long walk down but the hike back up can seem grueling in the warmer seasons. Make sure you bring good shoes and water! This location is extremely crowded during weekends. Consider having a sunrise ceremony or booking a tour with Horseshoe Bend Tour Company for a private ceremony.
- Best Time To Elope Here
- The best time of year to Elope in Page is September-March
- Nearby Activities
- Boating, helicopter tours, kayaking, hiking, off-roading, camping, stargazing. You can also do a same day trip to Slot canyon to experience the most at this location!
How to Elope in Arizona : Merry Go Round
- Location
- Sedona, Arizona – 2 hour drive from Sky Harbor Airport. The best time of year to Elope here is September-May.
- Accessibility & Crowds
- For this location, the road is extremely rough, unpaved and has large rocks that you will need to crawl over in a high clearance 4×4. You can absolutely use one of Sedona’s many jeep tour companies but the down side is that you will not get to choose how long you spend up there. It’s best to rent your own vehicle and make the trek up. You can expect about 45 minutes of rock crawling to get to the top of Merry Go Round. Crowds are very manageable here with how tough of a location it is to get to!
- Nearby Activities
- Hiking, off-roading, camping, wineries, breweries, spas, resorts, stargazing, hot air ballon ride, rock climbing.
These locations are just a few of the many incredible spots Arizona has to offer. There are tons more that are hidden gems that we like to keep secret for just our couples! Make sure you let us take you there 🙂 Cheers to planning your epic Arizona Elopement! If you are loving the Sedona look in Arizona, make sure you check out our blog on eloping-in-sedona-arizona!
