The best elopement days are the ones where you start at sunrise and end at sunset. Moab is a uniquely beautiful and incredible place to visit with so much to see and explore in just one day. That’s why, when Kelly and Schoppe were looking at places to elope, Moab made the most sense. See how they spent their wedding day having a Moab adventure embracing the beauty of the Utah desert from dawn to dusk!

Why You Should Plan A Moab Adventure Elopement That Requires a Nap

Moab, Utah is one of this couple’s favorite places that they had visited often. Its many beautiful parks and vast canyons made it easy to plan out an entire day of adventures. From sunrise to sunset, we explored the canyons, the cascading rock towers, and of course, the out-of-this-world arches of Arches National Park. I’m a huge advocate for spending all day doing what you want to do, and that’s exactly what Kelly and Schoppe did.

When initially planning this Moab adventure elopement, the couple knew they wanted to visit all of their favorite spots. That’s why we scheduled it out from early morning to late sunset (with a nap in between), and it did not disappoint! It may seem silly to take a rest on your wedding day, but when you’ve been up since before sunrise a nap can really make all the difference!

Your Full-Day Moab Adventure Elopement Plan

Surprisingly, the elopement day actually begins the night before. One thing I do with all of my elopement couples is meet them for a meal or coffee the day before their adventure. It’s fun to get to know each other a little more so that the elopement day isn’t our first time meeting in person.

This couple’s Moab adventure officially began before dawn the next morning at Dead Horse Point State Park for the elopement ceremony. This park overlooks a giant canyon above the Colorado River and it is much easier to obtain a permit since it’s a state and not a national park.

We waited for the sun to rise a little bit before they had a first look and then jumped right into the ceremony. They were joined by Shoppe’s dad as the officiant and both Kelly’s mom and Shoppe’s sister as the witnesses. They exchanged vows in front of this small group as the sun continued to rise and light up the canyon. The sun changes the canyon colors from blue to purple and finally to orange. It’s just so pretty and special!

After a short nap back at our lodgings, we met up at noon in Castle Valley, a smaller Utah town located 20 miles north of Moab that is independently run outside of the parks. Kelly and Schoppe had a blast walking around as I captured them in epic landscape photos.

Next up was Arches National Park for sunset portraits. Moab is unlike any other place on this planet, and the arches are an anomaly that just blows you away. I caught these two basking in the sunlight as the sun went down taking photos at some of the best arches. We waited for the sun to go completely down to take some photos under the stars.

Timeline For an All-Day Moab Elopement

• Meet at Dead Horse Point State Park for sunrise first look & ceremony
• Return to lodging for a quick nap
• Meet up at noon in Castle Valley for portraits
• Go to Arches National Park for sunset portraits
• Wait for the sun to go down for starry sky shots

Top Elopement Planning Tips for a Moab Adventure

The most important thing to remember is there is no “right” way to do a Moab adventure elopement. Tailor your full day of adventure to be completely the way you want it to be!

Elopements: A Great Excuse to Drag Your Family Someplace Beautiful

Eloping doesn’t mean it has to be just the two of you. You can elope and still include your favorite people to cheer you on and celebrate the best day ever! It not only gives you a way to show them some beautiful places in the world, but it also can help you feel even more loved and celebrated. Bringing your family along is so fun as long as they don’t get in the way of the photos! Kelly and Schoppe’s family were just off in the background experiencing Moab for themselves.

Your Elopement Doesn’t Need To Be Short

Take a moment to just experience the day starting with the early morning. Watch the sunrise beginning to peak and breathe the crisp air on a beautiful clear morning with absolutely no clouds. The benefit of booking an all-day elopement package is that the two of you just get to soak it all up. It’s always worth having these memories forever from your whole day.

We laughed, danced, climbed some rocks, and celebrated with some of their favorite people while exploring an incredible place. Moab will forever be special and I love making my couple’s dreams come to life!

Are you wondering how to make an all-day elopement possible? Let’s start planning an adventure together.