4 Key Things to Know About Eloping In A National Park
For couples who love adventure and are drawn to stunning views of natural beauty, eloping in a national park can be an awesome way to journey off the beaten path and discover an unforgettable wedding ceremony that’s completely unique to you. As an added bonus, national parks are usually quite accessible and the process is usually straightforward and low-stress.
However, there are a few things you’ll need to know about how to plan a national park elopement in order to make sure all your bases are covered and there are no surprises during the process. Fortunately, this quick list covers all the essentials.
Here are some key tips for eloping in a national park!
1. Secure The Necessary Permits
While there (thankfully!) aren’t that many hoops you’ll need to jump through when planning your national park elopement, it’s very important to keep track of which parks require permits for elopement ceremonies and to ensure that you secure all the necessary documents before your big day.
While the permits are a small hassle, they serve an important purpose — they help regulate visitors to the park, which in turn helps to preserve the park’s pristine natural beauty and unique wildlife. Obtaining a permit for your national park elopement might not be glamorous, but it’s for a good cause!
Once you’ve identified what permits you’ll need to get married in the national park of your choice, obtaining the document is usually fairly simple as well. Typically, you can arrange with the park to send you the permits over email, though some may prefer to mail you a physical document directly. Again, this mostly depends on the park, though in my experience you can usually count on the permits being obtainable over email.
The types of permits required for an elopement in a national park varies from park to park, but you should be able to find out which documents are necessary by paying a quick visit to the park’s website. Typically, these permits cost between $100 to $400 (though some are as low as $50). Fortunately, these permits usually make up the bulk of the cost of eloping in a national park.
2. Plan Ahead To Escape The Crowds
As you might expect, national parks are an extremely popular destination for nature lovers and romantics alike!
In addition to people who flock to the national parks to experience their natural beauty and catch glimpses of their unique wildlife, tons of couples travel to the parks for their own unique and adventurous elopement ceremonies.
I’ve had many experiences as a national parks elopement photographer where the couple I was shooting was holding their elopement ceremony close by to one (or even two!) other couples holding an elopement ceremony of their own. This is particularly common in ceremony locations in national parks that are particularly famous or popular, such as Yosemite National Park in California and Montana’s Glacier National Park.
Insider tip: To avoid crowds as much as possible, plan your national park elopement for a weekday and to opt for off-peak times of day like sunrise and sunset.
Another good rule of thumb when it comes to how to elope in a national park without getting swept up in a large crowd is to avoid planning your national park elopement ceremony during major holidays. The parks get really crowded during holidays. Choosing a weekday at sunrise or sunset is your best bet for getting a secluded spot to yourself.
Plus, sunrise and sunset provide excellent lighting for some truly stunning elopement photos!
3. What Is The Best Time Of Year To Elope In A National Park?
Ultimately, the best time of year to elope in a national will depend on which park you’re planning on choosing for your elopement.
Some parks, particularly ones located in mountainous regions, can become quite inaccessible during the winter months. The snow and ice make traveling over the mountainous terrain treacherous, and the temperatures can drop to sub-zero levels.
If you’re considering eloping in a national park with lots of mountains, you should pretty much count out scheduling your elopement ceremony in January or February — unless you’re prepared to deal with a lot of snow! Access to parks can be extremely limited during snowy months too, such as Glacier Point Road in Yosemite, Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier, and 75% of Mt Rainier being inaccessible.
On the other hand, if you opt for a national park elopement in the middle of the summer, you might find yourself mired in huge crowds of people who want to take advantage of the peak weather season.
The sweet spot when it comes to the time of year to elope in a national park depends on the shoulder season for your chosen national park. These off-peak times of year are perfect for a national park elopement since it’s a perfect balance of minimal crowds and optimal weather. The shoulder season varies from park to park, but a quick visit to their website should give you all the information you need.
4. Be Aware Of Which Parks Have Limited Ceremony Locations
Some of the more popular national parks only permit you to hold an elopement ceremony in a few specific sites.
High-profile parks like Yosemite, Glacier, Mt. Rainier, and Rocky Mountain National Park need to manage foot traffic to prevent harm to the environment, so they tend to be pretty strict about where you can and cannot hold an elopement ceremony.
When you’re planning a national park elopement ceremony, you should definitely check the website of your chosen park to identify the locations where you’re permitted to hold your elopement ceremony. And with me as your photographer and co-planner, I’ll be by your side to help find that perfect location – making the whole process stress-free!
Your National Park Elopement Awaits!
If you’re considering a national park elopement and are looking for a national park elopement photographer with tons of experience and an eye for timeless photos, then I’d love to hear from you!
Feel free to reach out any time and drop me a line and we can get to work planning a national park elopement that’s perfect for you and your one-of-a-kind love story. I can’t wait to meet you!
Hey, I’m Sally! I’m a destination adventure elopement photographer based in Washington, but traveling worldwide!
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