Sunrise to Sunset Desert Elopement in Arizona

Sara and Steve chose Sedona for their sunrise to sunset desert elopement destination because it offered them southwest nostalgia and dramatic beauty. They were drawn and captivated by Sedona for the adventurous hiking journey, accessibility to friends and family, and the most breathtaking, grand, and expansive views they could ever hope for in their elopement.

See more from this sunrise to sunset desert elopement in Sedona below! Here’s a bit of their story:

HOW THEY MET

The couple met in high school and were on the same high school golf team together!

WHY ELOPE?

Steve said: “The reality… pictures! Sara’s background in photography pushed her to strive for stunning locations, that would yield very special and iconic photographs to cherish for the rest of our lifetimes. Hopefully one day our children and grandchildren will cherish them the way we do as well. Eloping is much easier to achieve those looks and moments since you don’t have a big group to coordinate needs and restrictions.

In addition, we are not the type of people that enjoy big groups. They, for us at least, facilitate a lot of distracting emotions… with Sara’s background in wedding photography, she saw all too many brides get swept away by the stress and emotions on what should have been the couples day of utmost love and joy. We wanted to make sure we were in a setting and spending the day together in a way that brings us the most love, serenity, and euphoria we could.”

FAVORITE PART OF THEIR ELOPEMENT DAY

“It is definitely a tie between our sunrise and sunset experiences. Cathedral Rock was magical. We never hiked in the dark before. It is a very exhilarating process of climbing up a hike in the dark in general, but at a place, you have never been before. We couldn’t see anything around us and had no idea what to expect. Arriving at the top to be met with so much expanse and awe, with the sunlight flooding in to reveal the rocks was stunning. It was also where our first look was and really set the tone for the day. Right from the first light our day was charged and infused with so much love, happiness, and excitement.

Merry-Go-Round rock was something out of this world. Again we didn’t know what to expect. Pictures of Merry-Go-Round do not do the views justice of their depth and vastness. Getting up there and seeing for the first time where we were going to be professing our love and commitment was wonderous and felt too good to be true. In addition, we had no idea what to expect with our Native American Shaman that wed us. We hadn’t seen any videos or photographs, nor any real description of what it would be like. It was all brand new. We both aren’t religious, not even very spiritual. The ceremony was so meaningful because we really felt something up there. We felt a strong pull, charged forces, and a presence or energy we have never experienced in our lives. It was really beautiful, powerful, and emotional for both of us. The whole experience with the Shaman and the location was very special.”