On your wedding day, it’s OK to feel a few butterflies. Even though Henry and Mae planned for a winter wedding, the unpredictable Grand Canyon weather still left them feeling a little nervous. Through my best winter tips and our combined preparations, they enjoyed a super beautiful Grand Canyon winter elopement!
How to Prepare for the Grand Canyon Winter
When I first moved from New Jersey to become a Grand Canyon wedding photographer, I was completely unprepared for my inaugural winter. We had three feet of accumulated snowfall which was more than I had seen back east for many years!
Fortunately, with this couple’s concern for the weather and feeling cold, they came wholly prepared. My photography assistant and the couple’s elopement officiant, Sarah Kay, prepared hot apple cider in support of their efforts to stay warm. We also had HotHands Warmers at the ready, with blankets and extra layers to keep them comfortable.
Choosing a holiday like New Year’s Day for a Grand Canyon winter elopement can also add its own particular challenges. Going to any national park on a holiday will provide an increase in crowds that can make it difficult to capture your Grand Canyon photography.
I planned a few locations that would offer a little privacy on a day that can typically be a little chaotic for the Grand Canyon. As a seasoned Grand Canyon elopement photographer, it was a challenge that I knew I could overcome!
When a Grand Canyon Winter Elopement Fits The Couple
I love experiencing the Grand Canyon National Park as a wedding venue. Many think of the park as a busy place that’s easily overcrowded and overwhelming. While at times it can be, there are also miles and miles between viewpoints to explore and find solitude.
Henry and Mae’s playful energy and desire to explore perfectly matched their Grand Canyon elopement location. Having seen some of the previous Moran Point elopement photos I had captured, these two knew this was their elopement destination.
The couple gave me the reins in finding different viewpoints on the South Rim of the park for their elopement ceremony. For those up for scrambling and hiking, there is a short trail below the rim that leads to stunning locations.
Moran Point has about a Class 2 scramble up some ledges on the north facing side of this feature. With the proper footwear and Grand Canyon hiking guide (like me!), it is completely doable! I really enjoyed hanging out with these two and scrambling with them along the edge.
Henry and Mae’s shared love for travel in exploration of new cities and states had brought them to the West Rim of the Grand Canyon a few years ago. They instantly fell in love and the location became a sentimental memory like many similar adventures they have taken together.
When looking for a destination that would be gratifying to both of them, they decided on a Grand Canyon winter elopement. Planning a Grand Canyon adventure elopement was their best excuse to go to the park again!
An Elopement Day Adventure That’s All About the Meaningful Touches
What mattered the most to the couple were the vows, the setting, and the overall good vibes of the day. In their own words, “choosing to elope came from a desire to skip the work and drama of having families involved. We wanted this wedding to be for us, focused on us, and in a place that we both love.”
As they further described, “The vibe we are going for is very playful and joyous. We are both really easygoing people, and I think that will just come out naturally in our pictures.” This was combined with the knowledge that they both would cry during very heartfelt and serious vows. These sets of wedding vows were both handwritten into vow books that Mae found on Etsy.
Even though they elected for an elopement without guests, it was important to to pay homage to their family. Mae’s wedding band belonged to her Grandma and is incredibly sentimental to her and her family. Capturing these intimate and epic moments throughout this Grand Canyon winter elopement made for a day filled with so much love!
Wedding Vendors
Elopement Spot | Moran Point, Grand Canyon National Park
Photographer | Terri Attridge Photography
Officiant | Sarah Kay
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