Best Places to Elope In Utah That You Probably Haven't Heard Of | Utah Elopement Photographer
Best Places To Elope In Utah | Elopement Locations for Small Intimate Weddings, Micro-Weddings
Tai Lee Photography | Film, and Digital Wedding Photographer
Unique, Artistic Photographs for the Laid-Back, Nature-Loving Couple
So you want to elope in Utah…you have chosen well! Choosing an elopement location in Utah is the hardest part because there are SO many epic scenic options, which also means epic elopement photography. Utah has a variety of landscapes which makes it a great place for a destination wedding. Whether you’re planning a smaller, intimate wedding (or micro wedding), or an elopement, there is a type of scenery that will work for everyone.
So here’s the thing. A quick google search will show you some of the most popular places to visit in Utah and where to plan your elopement, but everybody else is reading all those same blog posts that all mention basically the same locations. If you’ve landed here on my website and like what you see, you are likely the kind of person who is looking for something a little different than what everyone else is doing. You may want an epic location, but not the same epic location that everybody else uses. Zions National Park and Moab are popular locations for a reason, but if you look a little further (or continue reading this blog post), you’ll see several other options that you probably haven’t heard mentioned that are gorgeous, epic, scenic, and may have a little more intimacy and privacy. Also, you’ll come away with photos that are unique and not like everybody else’s.
Before we get to outdoor destination locations you can travel to in Utah, let’s talk about a few things to consider when choosing your elopement location in Utah.
Utah Elopement Packages from Tai Lee Photography
WHEN AND WHERE TO ELOPE IN UTAH
NORTHERN UTAH
Northern Utah is based more in the mountains, so anywhere near Park City, Salt Lake City, Heber, etc, are going to have cold winters. The fall leaves start around mid September and last until mid to late October. It’s not uncommon for Utah to get its first snow around the last week of October. It usually melts within 24 hours, but it starts getting chilly. Spring, summer, and early fall are ideal times for an outdoor elopement in Utah. Spring is nice because it’s starting to warm up (but, again, we can still be getting snow clear into May) and the bugs in the mountains aren’t bad.
Summertime in Utah is gorgeous and green and sunny, but if you are planning a mountain elopement, you will want to consider that there will be mosquitos, mostly near any ponds or lakes.
Fall is the perfect middle ground because it’s colder at night so the bugs aren’t as bad, and the weather is nice, not too hot, not too cold.
SOUTHERN UTAH
Southern Utah, places like St. George, Zion’s National Park, and Snow Canyon, get extremely hot in the summer. Like over 100 degrees hot. It makes for nice camping weather because it won’t get too chilly at night, but spring and fall are ideal to avoid extreme heat (hello, nobody wants to sweat through their tux, or be glistening through their makeup). Moab is very similar in its temperatures, but not quite as extreme as the St. George area. If you do want to get married in Moab during the summer, I would recommend either an early morning or evening ceremony.
PLACES TO ELOPE IN UTAH
Ok, let’s get to the fun part. The locations that you haven’t come across a million times on every other blog post about ideas for elopement locations in Utah.
Church of Dirt
This location is free and there is no schedule, which means you may come upon someone getting married here. A tip is to post a weatherproof notice there of your wedding date and time so anyone who visits may be aware of your plans.
This outdoor makeshift chapel has benches and an arbor in the dirt, surrounded by mountains and grasses.
Recommended Season
Spring, summer, fall
Located in Park City, Utah (Northern UT)
For directions click HERE
Lilly Lake
Located up the Mirror Lake Highway near Kamas & Park City, UT
There is a campground as well as surrounding ponds.
Recommended Season
Spring, Summer, Early Fall
the lilly pads lose their shape early to mid october
Details and Directions
Click HERE
No Hiking or Climbing Required
Bloods Lake
This place is STUNNING!!!!!! I can’t say it enough and I recommend this hike to EVERYONE. The hike isn’t difficult, but can take about an hour. There’s shade along the way, and places to stop and rest, and the entire hike is beautiful. When you reach the top, prepare for your jaw to drop—it is that good. Highly highly recommend this location. Bonus, there are chipmunks (or squirrels, can’t tell the difference) EVERYWHERE and they are so cute.
Recommended Season
Late Spring, Summer, Early Fall
Just keep in mind there are likely to be more bugs in the summertime, and it could be pretty hot.
Details and Directions
Click HERE
This is a pretty popular hike, so a weekday would be the best time if you want to feel like you’ve got the place to yourselves.
Again, hiking required, but it is very do-able. Document the adventure and change into your wedding attire once you reach the top!
Provo Falls
This scenic stop off of the mirror lake highway is easy to get to and is a beautiful mountain creek with layers upon layers of black rock with trickling waterfalls.
Recommended Season
Late Spring, Summer, Early Fall
Also located up the Mirror Lake Highway near Kamas & Park City, UT
Details and Direction
Click HERE
Minimal hiking and climbing
Adams Canyon Lower Falls
Utah has several waterfalls, but this one is one of my favorites. The lower falls are a 2 mile hike and the upper falls are a 3.8 mile hike.
Recommended Season
Late Spring, Summer, Fall
Directions and Details
Located in Kaysville, UT
Coral Pink Sand Dunes
Just as it sounds, these sand dunes have a warm coral pink color to them with a beautiful mountain backdrop and is nearby the Moqui Sand Caves, slot canyons the same color as the sand dunes. This is a little hidden treasure of Utah and is one of Kanab’s best kept secrets.
Recommended Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Located in Southwestern, Utah in Kanab
Directions and Details
Click HERE
Sand Dunes at Little Sahara Recreation Area
These sand dunes are beautiful and white, giving a clean, minimal, modern look to photos and is the perfect backdrop for an elopement where you can also stay in a campsite. Imagine lying in the sand under the stars in the summer.
Recommended Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Located in Eureka, UT
Directions and Details HERE
Capitol Reef
Moab gets a lot of attention (deservedly so), but Capitol Reef has a very similar look and often gets overlooked and is just as stunning. If you’re wanting something more unique but that still has those desert vibes, this place is for you.
Recommended Season
Spring, Fall
Located in Torrey, UT
Directions and Details
Click HERE
Cecret Lake
This blue lake in the mountains surrounded by trees is STUNNING and a perfect location for an adventure wedding or elopement.
Recommended Season
Late Spring, Fall
Mosquitos like water, and in the summertime there are mosquitos. Summertime would be so pretty here, but late spring, and fall are going to be an ideal time to get married in front of this gorgeous lake.
Details and Directions
It’s a 1.8 mile hike in total and takes about 55 minutes round trip to hike. If you aren’t from Utah, this can be harder than it sounds so just be aware that the elevation can add difficulty to any hike.
Click HERE
Located near Salt Lake City, Utah
Amangiri
Romantic, modern resort in the dessert with beautiful pools surrounded by the natural elements of the desert. The perfect desert elopement location for those who want to enjoy all the benefits of a high end resort.
Recommended Season
Spring, Fall, Winter
Located on the Utah Arizona Border
Details and Directions
Click HERE
Snow Canyon
Beautiful desert views with sandstone cliffs and black lava rock surrounded by desert plants
Located in Ivins, UT, near St. George (Southern UT)
Recommended Season
Spring, Fall, Winter
It gets VERY hot here in the summer
Directions and Details
Click HERE
Minimal to moderate hiking. Hikes in this area can be as intensive or easy as you’d like. There are tons of options.
Strawberry Pinnacles
This place is such a hidden secret of Utah! It’s in between Heber and Fruitland and has some Moab vibes with unique red rock formations and cabins avaialbe to camp in.
Recommended Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Directions and Details
Click HERE
HONORABLE MENTIONS
The Salt Flats
I couldn’t write this post without mentioning the Salt Flats because even though they are very popular, they are one of my favorite places in Utah EVER. The Salt Flats have a very clean, modern, minimalistic look with miles and miles of white salt and salt formations. It has a similar vibe to the ocean, but also it’s own unique look that you won’t find anywhere else.
Located just outside of Wendover, NV on I-80
Details and Directions
Click HERE
Recommended Season
Spring, Fall, Winter
It gets VERY hot here in the summer, as in, 100+ degrees
Castle Valley, Utah
I had to mention a Moab location because it also is popular for a reason. Wide open desert spaces with red rock formations in the backdrop, Castle Valley is a stunning location for an elopement.
Located in Moab, UT
Details and Directions
Click HERE
Recommended Season
Spring, Fall, Winter
Amangiri Resort in Utah
Amangiri Property Slot Canyon
Salt Flats Near Utah West Desert
Bonneville Salt Flats Elopement Photography
Utah Photo Locations Guide for Northern Utah
I’ve written a couple of other blog posts with some locations not mentioned in this blog post. I’m currently working on compiling a comprehensive list of all of my favorite photo locations in Utah in one place that you can screen shot or download, but in the meantime, enjoy these other articles with some locations that are a little more popular, and some that are a little more private and won’t have 8 billion other people there.
What’s Next?
Ready to check one more thing off your elopement planning to do list? Click HERE to contact me for elopement packages and photography coverage details and let’s get your date booked!
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TAI IS A WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER LOCATED IN NORTHERN UTAH WHO TRAVELS TO VARIOUS AREAS OF THE STATE TO DOCUMENT WEDDINGS, ELOPEMENTS, AND SMALL WEDDING BOTH IN NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN UTAH.
SHE SPECIALIZES IN DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY THAT TELLS A STORY AND CAPTURES YOUR CONNECTION.
SHE COMBINES BOTH FILM AND DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY TO CREATE BEAUTIFUL IMAGERY FOR HER CLIENTS.
©TAI LEE PHOTOGRAPHY
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