canyonlands national park elopement | moab elopement photographer
Canyonlands National Park | Moab, Utah
the hearnes » adventure elopement photographers
morgan + jack's elopement in canyonlands national park | mesa arch elopement | moab adventure wedding photographer
Morgan and Jack’s elopement in Canyonlands National Park was such a magical day!! These two chose to elope in Utah, sight unseen, and trusted our ideas + guidance 100% of the way. It was so amazing to get to help them plan their beautiful intimate wedding day and watching everything come together so perfectly. The morning of their wedding, we met up in the parking lot just as the path was getting enough light to see. Full disclosure, this spot is famously crowded at sunrise because it comes out right under the arch, but thankfully Morgan and Jack were smart enough to hire some experienced adventure photographers that were really familiar with the area AND hiked out to the arch a few days before specifically to scout for their wedding (hey hey), so we took them right around a corner where it felt like we were the only people around despite the crowd of tripod dads lined up 100 feet away.
They shared their first look on the edge of the mesa as the skies turned to dramatic pinks and oranges and the wind picked up around them. We spent some time taking portraits around the area, then made our way to the arch for some photos after the crowds thinned out. As the sun crested the clouds, their parents and officiant joined us for their sweet ceremony back by the private first look spot. It was insanely windy, much to Morgan’s delight, and they exchanged the most heart-felt vows. After their I Dos and a few family photos, we went back over to the arch and had it all to ourselves for a few final portraits before heading back to town for breakfast at Love Muffin (classic Moab!) and then a break for naps and some exploring.
After getting some rest (waking up AND being portrait-ready at sunrise all the way in Canyonlands is exhausting), we brought them up to a secret valley near Moab for sunset portraits. It was so wild taking photos up above the desert as a storm seemingly rolled through but never touched us! We popped some sparkling white wine to celebrate and then spent the rest of their day walking around the gorgeous valley and soaking in the wild weather. Morgan kept saying how much she loves the color orange, wind, and clouds, so I’d say she picked the perfect place to elope!
These two had such an epic wedding day, but no visit to Moab is complete without skydiving!! We were so stoked these two decided to do tandem jumps the next day at Skydive Moab, we even got to go up in the place with them…and then Morgan kicked us out!! 😉 You’ll have to scroll to the bottom of this post to see the photos. It was epic.
If you like the idea of an adventurous elopement but still want to invite some close family and/or friends, eloping in a National Park is a really good option! Almost every park has a list of ceremony locations, and almost all of the suggest ones are easy to get to and don't have very much hiking involved, some of them are even wheelchair-accessible. Morgan and Jack chose a location that was a short hike to a rad overlook, so it felt adventurous for their guests, and allowed them to take some really epic portraits. We're always happy to reccomend locations and can help you plan an adventurous wedding that is accessible for any loved one!
desert-colored wedding bouquet: Val Hunter of Tellurian Events
custom pink elopement wedding dress designer: Barbara Kavchok Wedding Dresses
wedding dress shop: London and Lace Bridal Boutique
wedding ceremony location: canyonlands national park
post-elopement day adventure: tandem skydiving (photos via skydive moab)
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The Hearnes Adventure Photography is run by Abbi and Callen Hearne, a husband & wife wedding photography team with an emphasis on adventure. They live on the road as full-time nomads in their big white van, allowing them to serve a large portion of the western US including California, Utah, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Colorado, and Wyoming. They believe love is the greatest adventure and strive to create photos that are epic, romantic, true, and timeless.
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