How To Elope at Cathedral Rock
Cathedral Rock is one of the most popular destinations in Sedona, Arizona and it’s not at all hard to see why! This iconic sandstone butte is beautiful to look at from afar AND you’re rewarded with an amazing view once you hike to the top. Getting married here means epic photos, of course, but it’s the whole experience that comes along with it that makes it an awesome place to elope! Below, I walk you through everything you need to know to plan an elopement at Cathedral Rock, from legalities and logistics, to personal recommendations and tips from my experience as an Arizona elopement photographer!
What do you need to legally get married at Cathedral Rock?
One of the cool things about Cathedral Rock is that you don’t need a permit to have a ceremony or take photos here! I recently confirmed this info with a forest service ranger and while it’s possible things may change in the future, as of now, if you have less than 75 people with you, you can literally just show up and get married here whenever you want!
Keep in mind that they do have some guidelines you must follow for ceremonies on National Forest Land:
There can be no structures erected for the ceremony, tables, chairs, arches, pedestals, etc.
No throwing of seeds, rice, flower pedals, or anything of that sort to reduce spread of non-native plants as well as to protect the wildlife and the landscape.
You cannot reserve the area, parking spots, or any specific locations on the ground so you must be mindful of other visitors as they have every right to be there at that time as you do.
Since you don’t need a permit to get married at Cathedral Rock, the legal requirements you have to meet are the same as they would be anywhere in Arizona:
Marriage License. You can pick this up at any Clerk’s Office in Arizona up to 12 months before your wedding date. Make sure to call ahead of time to check office hours and see if you need to make an appointment in advance. Your officiant will need to mail it back in within 10 days of your ceremony.
Officiant. In order for your ceremony to be legal you will need to have an officiant solemnize your marriage, sign your license, and return it to the Clerk’s office. You can either hire a local officiant or have a close loved one get ordained and perform the ceremony for you. If I’m your photographer, I can also officiate for you since I’m ordained. Just let me know if this is something you’re interested in and I can chat with you about what that will look like!
Two witnesses. You will also need two witnesses to sign your marriage license in order for it to be legal. If you’re not having any guests at your elopement, don't worry! At Cathedral Rock there will be plenty of other visitors around who would be happy to sign as a witness.
How to Plan Your Elopement at Cathedral Rock.
Choose a date / time of year that you want to get married.
When it comes to your elopement and choosing a date, I recommend starting with picking the time of year that fits your wants best and then narrowing things down from there! Sedona is beautiful all year round, but each season comes with a few things to consider.
Summer: As you can imagine, summer in Sedona can get very HOT and hiking around the desert on your elopement day might be a little less fun if you’re sweating the whole time. Also, Arizona’s monsoon season is in July & August, so storms and rain are common in the afternoons. I personally don’t recommend eloping in Sedona in the summer.
Winter: Winter is a great time to elope if you don’t mind chillier weather and you want to avoid crowds as much as possible. A winter elopement at Cathedral Rock may mean getting to see the beautiful red rock dusted in snow, but accumulation isn’t super common. You will definitely want to plan to bring layers if you get married in the winter since mornings and evenings can be significantly colder than mid-day!
Spring: Spring is Sedona’s most popular season because the weather this time of year is PERFECT. You also get the added beauty of the desert flowers coming into bloom.
Fall: Another favorite season in Sedona is the fall! The weather is not too hot or too cold, there are lots of fall-themed activities to do, and the fall colors against the red rock make for a pretty amazing backdrop.
I personally think the best months to elope at Cathedral Rock are March and November because you get the perks of Spring and Fall, respectively, but with less crowds!
What day of the week is best?
Due to the popularity of Cathedral Rock and the limited parking available, I highly recommend planning your elopement on a Monday, Wednesday, or Thursday, no matter what time of year you choose. Weekends will be very crowded on the trail and on Tuesday there’s a free local event that might bring more visitors than on the other week days.
Reach out to an Arizona elopement Photographer!
If you’re eloping, your most important vendor will most likely be your photographer since your photos will be the only way you’ll be able to share your day with others so I think it’s super important to make getting the perfect photographer for you a priority! Obviously you want to find someone whose work you really love, but also make sure they’re someone you can see yourselves being comfortable around and fun to hang out with on your wedding day! Trust me, when it’s just the two of you and your photographer, they will play a huge role in the experience of your day. I recommend looking for your photographer as soon as you pick your location and have a general idea of when you want to elope - from there chat with them about their availability to narrow down your date more specifically! If there is a super specific date that you want, I would reach out to your dream photographer as early as possible to make sure they’re not already booked.
If you’re looking for a down-for-adventure elopement photographer with experience shooting at Cathedral Rock, reach out to me here :)
Find a place to stay during your elopement trip.
Sedona is a popular destination and places to stay book out fast, so once you have your date set, you’ll want find your accommodations as soon as possible! I recommend looking for an Airbnb that fits your vibe! An Airbnb will most likely mean more privacy and space than a hotel and this is your wedding trip so it’s 100% worth it to splurge a little for a cute place that feels like a home away from home! Plus, it will make for better getting ready photos :)
Here are some awesome Airbnb options in Sedona!
If you can find what you’re looking for on Airbnb, here are some other accommodation options available!
Book your other vendors.
Elopements are pretty simple when it comes to vendors since you’re not decorating a big reception or feeding hundreds of people, but there are a couple of vendors (besides your photographer) that you may want to have as part of your day.
Officiant: Like I mentioned above, in order for your ceremony to be legal, you will need to have an officiant — you can hire someone local, have a close loved one get ordained, or have your photographer sign your papers if they’re also ordained (like me!).
Florist: Having a bouquet isn’t necessarily a MUST, but it’s something I highly recommend! It’s a fun way to incorporate your personal style into your day and they always look amazing in photos.
One bonus of booking your photographer asap is that they should be able to help you out with vendor recommendations! I have a list of people I can recommend based on my own personal experience and research :)
Buy your wedding outfits.
Whether you’re wearing a dress, suit, jumpsuit, or a Winnie the Pooh costume, picking out your wedding outfits is one of the most fun parts of getting married! Choose outfits that feel like YOU and that will be comfortable to hike in because you’ll be doing some climbing to reach the top of Cathedral Rock. Don’t forget about accessories, too! Think about adding a veil, a fun tie, your favorite wide brim hat, or a cool jacket to complete your look.
Prep your details.
Once you have all your necessities covered for your elopement day, start thinking of other fun details to include — these can be significant to your relationship, tie into your elopement destination, or anything else you can think of! Here are some ideas:
elopement announcement or sign
personal vow books (looks cute in photos, but are also a precious keepsake for you to have)
fun socks with your pets face on them (or your favorite sports team, superhero, etc.)
for a cool flatlay, think about picking up a map of Sedona or keepsake sticker to have your photographer include in photos with your other details
Plan out your day
If you’re eloping at Cathedral Rock, I highly recommend planning to end your day taking sunset photos at the top of the hike since this will be the best light for photos! This means you’ll want to have your ceremony at the base of the rock a few hours before sunset time so that you can have time to do the hike after your ceremony, stop along the way, and take photos at the end. Of course, you can also include some other fun things into your day, like a picnic, champagne pop, photos with any loved ones who are joining you, etc. Also think about how you want your morning to look! There are tons of other amazing locations around Sedona that you can visit before Cathedral Rock or you can plan a chill brunch at your Airbnb before getting ready for the day. Literally anything you can think of that you’d love to do on your wedding day, DO IT. Your day should feel like you and be as stress free as possible :)
THE REST OF YOUR TRIP
If you’re traveling to Sedona for your Cathedral Rock elopement, don’t let that be the only place you go! Sedona is FULL of fun hikes, places to eat, and things to do! There’s also tons of incredible locations just within driving distance. Most couples who elope at Cathedral Rock add on an adventure session the day before or after to capture them in a more casual outfit exploring together! If you book me as your elopement photographer, I have an entire guide to locations in Sedona to help you pick out the best spots for photos (which are also just great recommendations to check out, even if we don’t take photos there). I’ve also photographed couples in other locations all over Arizona if you want to include a little road trip into your adventure. :)
If you’re planning an elopement at Cathedral Rock, I hope this guide was helpful and I’d love to hear from you about capturing your epic day!
