Why I think The National Parks are The Best Wedding Venues for Your Dream Elopement

Groom rests his head lovingly on his new brides head.

Incredible Experience at incredible price

For those star-crossed wanderers who want a wedding experience that is both adventurous, and truly romantic, the National Parks make the ideal destination for elopements and weddings. With sixty three National Parks in the US ranging from the towering peaks of the Great SmokyMountains, the quiet dunes of Death Valley, to the near magical shores of Acadia, you’re guaranteed to find the perfect setting to make your dream elopement a reality. There simply isn't a better venue for an elopement than the great outdoors, sorry Vegas.

But how much does it cost?

Surely a wedding venue this spectacular must cost a fortune right? Wrong. Wedding permits range from $100 - $200. Really makes that multi thousand dollar price tag for the country club down the street seem silly doesn’t it? Now that I’ve got your attention let’s dig deeper into getting married in the parks.

The best things about getting married in the National Parks

Fancy saying I do on the beach? The Redwoods have yo covered. How about tying the knot atop a mountain with stunning views? Yosemite is calling. Maybe you want something quieter like a tranquil forest complete with hanging moss and a carpet of ferns? Olympic national park has it all. Prefer desert vibes, sand dunes, cracked lake beds, eroded sandstone? Death Valley could be your dream destination. My point here is that whatever you can dream up there’s a national park that has it all.
There are plenty of killer landscapes outside the national parks. So why do I not recommend them over the parks? Simple. The national parks not only have the beautiful views they have hotels, cabins, most have nearby airports. It’s just a lot easier to get in there and have an amazing wedding. And even the busiest national parks has plenty of remote spots devoid of the usual crowds.
I’ve photographed weddings for 16 years in Southern California. Everywhere from historic hotels to posh country clubs. And at almost every one of those, by the end of the day the couple couldn’t wait for it to be over. But that is something I’ve never heard at a national parks wedding. It’s literally the opposite. Everyone can’t believe the day is over. You can really have as much fun as you can handle. Go for a hike, rent a canoe, take a horse ride. The parks offer so many activities. And those things all make for some killer photos.

Some of My favorite wedding destinations

Yosemite

Discover if Yosemite is the wedding destination for you

Zion

Elope to the Red Rocks of Zion

A bride in a white wedding dress and a groom in a black suit with a red tie standing on reddish rock formations with mountains and trees in the background during sunset.

Olympic

Wander through ancient rainforests and along scenic beaches

Rain covered bridge in Olympic national park

Joshua Tree

Say I do among the boulders of Joshua Tree

Glacier

Two women in white dresses holding floral bouquets, standing hand in hand overlooking a serene lake surrounded by mountains at sunset.

Get hitched under the big sky of Glacier

A bride and groom share a kiss on a snowy dock by a frozen lake, with snow-covered mountains and cloudy sky in the background.

2026 & 2027 National Park elopement packages

Bride and groom kissing under a rainbow-colored umbrella in the rain, outdoors with mountains in the background.

This isn’t just a service I provide, this is something I am passionate about, and you’ll see the difference. I provide everything from multi-day coverage elopements in the backcountry to only a few hours to make the most of the sunset’s golden light. So be it from sunrise to twilight or just the golden hours, we will create stunning images that capture all the day’s many joys and the deep love you have for each other.

Every package always includes:

Text-based advertisement for a photography service, highlighting adventure photography, no travel costs, photos on a USB drive, private online gallery, and print services.

A couple in wedding attire stands on a rock ledge overlooking a river and mountains at sunset.

bride stands on clouds rest for yosemite elopement

    Wedding & Elopement Package Pricing Rundown
    
            Package
            Price
            Coverage
            Avg Photos
        

    
            Golden Hour
            $3,500
            1.5 Hours
            100
        

            Wayfarer
            $4,000
            3 Hours
            250
        

            Wanderlust
            $5,500
            6 Hours
            400
        

            Grand Adventure
            $6,500
            All Day
            600
        

            Expedition
            $7,500
            Two Day
            1,000
        

One hour national park elopement photography package

Photograph of a photography service price list with details about a $4000 package, three-hour coverage, print credit, and location recommendations, with a stylized tree graphic on the top right.

Advertisement for a photography adventure called Wanderlust, costing $5,500, offering six hours of coverage at sunrise, sunset, or both, to explore and find the best spots for outdoor photography. Suitable for multiple locations in the park, ending on the cliffs, with digital images delivered on a custom USB drive.

National Park all day elopement photography package

What Sets my elopement photography apart

After choosing to elope to California's Yosemite National park this couple picked Fifth Photography to capture their magical elopement.

The sky is pretty much the limit. Drive up to Yosemite National Park to spend the day exploring the valley? Get the weddings rings, I'm on my way. Maybe that's not adventurous enough for you and you'd rather backpack into the wilderness and have an elopement atop a soaring granite peak in Glacier National Park? When do we leave? Jumping in Tenaya lake? Camping on Rialto beach? Kayaking the Swiftcurrent Lake? Let's go! No matter where your destination is or what we may be doing, let's have a fantastic time. Wander off the beaten path and enjoy the indescribable joy of eloping with your best friend to the National Parks.
Magic like this only happens once in a lifetime, after all. Besides, we probably don't want to scale that peak in our formal attire again. Well, at least not for a redo. While of course your elopement package can be adjusted to fit your exact needs, there are a few things every elopement photography package of mine includes.
All travel expenses are already included in your package. I spend a minimum of three days at your destination. One is of course for the elopement. The second is a day to scout the locations you have selected. I want to be sure I'm familiar with every location we go to. The final day and night is for travel. In an absolute nightmare scenario of canceled or delayed flights as well as other travel crisis, an entire day can be lost to delays and I will still arrive for your elopement with time to spare.

Winter elopements can be a magical experience it only requires a little extra planning so talk to your elopement photographer.

But that also doesn't mean I just throw every image on my memory card onto a drive and send it off. I carefully curate a selection of images giving you everything you'd want to see. No repetitive duplicates. From that point every image is given my unique color processing then individually edited to be its absolute best. You won't find any lazy batch editing here. For the most part I do not heavily retouch images unless they absolutely need it. They aren't just your elopement photos but my artwork, I will not stand for them being anything less than perfect.
Every package includes print rights as well as the ability to share images on social media (apparently some photographers don't allow this). My only request is that you do not edit or apply filters to my work when sharing. Your web gallery will always be accessible to you for viewing or sharing with friends and family.
I am a self professed hoarder of photographs. I not only have each and every high resolution JPEG that I've delivered to every wonderful couple I've photographed since my very first wedding in 2009, but all the RAW files I took as well. Not only that but it is all carefully backed up on multiple drives. So let's say in 10 years your laptop, along with all your elopement photos, is mangled by a hungry bear raiding your cabin. Let me know, and I'll make sure you get a new copy of them right away. No one should have to worry about losing their elopement photos to bears.