When two people start building an elopement day it’s always best to begin with a loose plan. From there, we can either add or subtract from it by building upon this basic framework. The first question I always ask my couples is “guests or no guests?” These two initiated a simple plan without guests that ended up including a group of family members. See how we found a happy middle ground between their final plan and original desires in this Grand Canyon elopement at Yavapai Point.
Making a Grand Canyon Wedding Day Work For Everyone
When they first reached out, Sydney and Loveraj shared that they wanted a very relaxed, zero-guest elopement. We planned for a Grand Canyon sunrise elopement at Yavapai Point with very loose specifics until everything changed.
Once the family heard about the elopement plans, they decided to join the couple! The original plan would never work with this many people involved so we immediately had to pivot. That’s when I stepped in to make sure this would work out in the best way for everyone!
We decided to give the entire family a view for the sunrise wedding ceremony. It was still pretty cold this morning even for Grand Canyon weather in June. My assistant (also the wedding officiant) made everyone comfortable by providing hot beverages. She also went the extra mile by having on hand more than enough furs for the women to wear. This allowed the ladies present to both look beautiful and feel comfortable even in the colder early-morning weather.
One wedding tip I was reminded of this day is that when the guest count increases more time must be added to the elopement timeline. More people means slower movement and even walking a short hike together can take longer than planned. I will even have couples create a printed itinerary and map to share with guests guiding them to the ceremony spot in the canyon. Make sure you always factor this in when planning an elopement with guests!
Capturing Sunrise Love at Yavapai Point
Yavapai Point is located at the northernmost tip of the Grand Canyon’s South Rim. These expansive views are truly the best out of the entire South Rim! Generally, sunset gets busy both here and at the nearby Grandeur Point. Sunrise is usually less crowded which is why we opted for a sunrise Grand Canyon elopement. We were very lucky to have such a quiet morning with the space to ourselves.
As one who captures this area often, in my eyes, the lighting for the photos was perfect. The couple was easygoing and open to getting the wedding portraits they imagined by running around quickly to the different landscapes. We even had them travel below the rim to capture some stunning distance shots!
Sydney and Loveraj also found ways to incorporate family through some personal touches. This first started with the bride’s mom tying a special charm onto her bouquet. Also, in honor of the couple’s Indian heritage, they carried on the tradition of the groom’s family presenting the bride with a dupatta (or chunni). The gift is a colorful shaw-like scarf that they place over the bride’s head as a sign of welcoming and accepting her into the new family.
Loveraj’s father passed the scarf gently around his son and then to Sydney’s father—a quiet and moving gesture symbolizing the bond between families. It was a key moment that represented such a beautiful day covering both time with family and private moments between just the newlyweds.
No matter how much you have figured out, let’s get your elopement planning started!
Vendors
Ceremony | Grand Canyon National Park
Photographer | Terri Attridge Photography
Wedding Officiant | Sarah Kay
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