How to Elope in Joshua Tree National Park // Planning your tiny California Wedding

PLANNING TIPS FOR YOUR DREAM ELOPEMENT OR TINY WEDDING IN THE BEAUTIFUL DESERT OF JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK— let’s do this!

If you’re dreaming and planning your elopement or tiny wedding in Joshua Tree National Park, then I’m SO glad you’re here!! I’ve put together some of the important “need to knows” on getting married in this magical desert location! You’ve probably seen a MILLION pictures on the ‘gram of the quirky Joshua Trees, the stacking boulder sculptures, and the golden and pink sunsets! It’s a popular location for a reason — it’s STUNNING and truly one of a kind! So, how do you elope there? I got you. Let’s dive in!

1. CHOOSING YOUR DATE

Picking your date is important to think about when choosing Joshua Tree — we want to try and pick the best time to avoid crowds, crazy weather, and try and choose the best time of day! Let’s start with Time of Year: summer in Josiah tree can be wildly hot, so it might be best to avoid those months. The nicest times of year in the park are typically March-May and September-November, however, everyone else is also eyeing those dates. So, if you want to pick a date in there, I recommend choosing a weekend to do your best at avoiding crowds. Another tip: make sure not to pick a holiday week and check what schools’ spring / fall breaks are and avoid those too! Certain ceremony locations will also be unavailable during peak season. I’ve spent time in Joshua Tree National Park in February and have always had nice weather with warm days, so if you’re open to an “off-season” date, you might want to consider that as an option. Now, for Time of Day: I am always drawn to a sunrise or sunset, not only is this stunning lighting in the park, but it tends to be a bit emptier from park goers. However, your timeline can be creatively and uniquely designed to piece together all the moments you want to have!

2. GETTING A PERMIT

This is the “not so fun” part, but equally important. We don’t want your ceremony to get interrupted by a park ranger, so let’s get you a permit! To hold an elopement or wedding ceremony in Joshua Tree National Park, you must acquire a Special Use Permit — this costs $120 and allows for 25 guests or less. A larger wedding has a few more restrictions on locations and has an additional $200 fee.

Two other park related fees —

• Photography / Videography Permit: Costs $120 and you can apply HERE

• Park Entrance Fee: You can either pay the $30 per vehicle fee for 7 days, for $80 for an annual National Park pass. Each is valid for one car.

3. CEREMONY LOCATION IDEAS

Since Joshua Tree is a National Park, there are a handful of selected locations that a ceremony can be held (and this will be connected with the permit you apply for). These spots are slightly different, so you may want to look up some detailed images of each one, but they are full of panoramic views, desert rock formations, and wide open Joshua Tree cacti fields:

• CAP ROCK: Under a mile trail // super cool rock formations

• HIDDEN VALLEY PICNIC AREA: 1 mile trail // lots of rocks, beautiful at sunset

• SPLIT ROCK: 2 mile trail // a little bit higher views

• PORCUPINE WASH: 8 mile trail // a bit further out, wildflowers

• TURKEY FLATS: 2 mile trail // more wide open desert

• LIVE OAK: 1.5 trail loop // more greenery and desert plants

• INDIAN COVE AMPHITHEATER: For larger gatherings — 26-100 people

You can also check the NPS for more updated locations and info HERE.

IF you want to do a wedding ceremony elsewhere and then just go into the park for photos, here are a few other ideas (some of these are also locations you can stay) —

// Your Airbnb — make it a weekend with your people // Tumbleweed Sanctuary // Desert Sage House // Sacred Sands House // Rimrock Ranch // Joshua Tree Spanish Estate // Villa Kuro // Mid Century Modern Ranch // White Cactus House //

4. PLACES TO STAY

I highly recommend making a whole trip out of this special event — bring your family and friends or just yourselves and enjoy a weekend or more in the beauty of Joshua Tree! There are plenty of locations to camp within and around the National Park, but I recommend getting a house through Airbnb or something similar — this way you’ll have a “hub” to get ready in before your elopement, host a dinner or small reception in afterwards, and just have a place that you can celebrate for a day or two! Here are a few favorites you can check out:

// The Joshua Tree House - my personal fave // Mojave Desert Cabin // Joshua Tree Tiny House // Desert Air Casita // Nature Lover’s House // Little Jo Cabin // Desert Wild + pool & hot tub // High Desert Paradise //

These book up fast! So, I recommend reaching out to them and getting your date on the calendar sooner than later!

5. FINDING VENDORS

Starting the search for the dream team to make the magic of your day in the desert come to life? I know Joshua Tree tends to be a destination for weddings, so you may not know where to begin in looking for vendors. Well, I am MORE than happy to help you connect with creatives who can help with each aspect of your elopement. Scroll down and message me below and we can chat through ALL those details! 👇 Whether you’re looking for a florist, caterer, planner & stylist, hair & makeup artist, or rentals - I gotchu.

6. THINGS TO BRING & TIPS FOR THE PARK

Here are just a few other things to consider when prepping for your elopement in Joshua Tree National Park —

• Marriage license: Be sure to either set up an appointment in CA locally or plan on having a ‘legal ceremony’ near you before traveling. This also determines IF you want an officiant or not.

• Wedding attire: Wear what feels most YOU for your special day — just remember that there will be lots of walking around (and may climbing on rocks). Bring something like a jacket or shawl incase it gets a bit windy or chilly (especially at sunrise and sunset).

• Visit the park before: I highly recommend spending a bit of time exploring the park the day before your elopement or wedding, this way you get to see it in a more relaxed state and also get a feeling for where you might want certain photos or backdrops to be.

• Bring water and snacks: It’s a desert, so stay hydrated and keep you energy full with water and snacks! There isn’t much once you get in the park, so be sure to bring what you need!

• No cell service: Prepare to have little to NO cell signal, aka download maps and know where you’re going and who you’re meeting up with where/when beforehand.

7. LEAVE NO TRACE

This is an important point, something we should all care about to take care of beautiful locations like Joshua Tree National Park. Let’s make sure that our celebrations are respectful to the land and keep it around for years and years to come and to enjoy. So, a few things to remember directly from the NPS website:

Items that ARE Permitted For a Wedding:

// Arch, must be free-standing // Small table for guest book // Cooler with water (it gets hot) // Live flowers // Battery-powered candles // Runner // Rug // Cake // Champagne //

Items NOT Permitted For a Wedding:

// Drones // Dried flowers // Non-battery powered candles // Bubbles // Any live animals, including doves, butterflies, etc // Confetti // Rice // Birdseed // Balloons // Smoke Bombs //

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A FEW OTHER HELPFUL RESOURCES —

WHY I LOVE ELOPEMENTS & TINY WEDDINGS

TIPS FOR PLANNING A MICRO WEDDING DAY

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JOSHUA TREE ELOPEMENT PACKAGES —

Hi, I’m Corrie! I’m a traveling wedding and elopement photographer, and I’ve spent a good amount of time exploring Joshua Tree National Park! So, I’m glad you’re here and can’t wait to hear about YOUR special day ideas and help guide you through all the info of eloping in this beautiful location!

A peak at what you’ll get —

- Customizable hours based on what you need (I’ve never been a believer in one size fits all), I even have whole weekend package options

- A guide full of tips and ideas to help you through each step of the process

- Unlimited time in planning, dreaming, discussing your ideas together — I’m here for you through the WHOLE journey!

- A gallery full of high resolution hand edited photos (with printing and sharing rights)

CONTACT & LEARN MORE

Sunrise Elopement in the Columbia River Gorge // Portland, OR

A beautiful, sunrise elopement in the Columbia River Gorge just outside of Portland — and an amazing story to go with it!

Oh man — this story will go down in the books for adventurous and SPONTANEOUS elopements! These two lovely humans slid into my DMs around 11pm on a Friday night, asking “Hey what are you up to Sunday at sunrise?!” A few messages back and forth later, and they had tickets from MISSOURI to OREGON for the next day!! They sent me a selfie of them on the plane, IN THEIR WEDDING CLOTHES (can you say, hello free upgrades) and they were heading my way!

Even though they had a bigger wedding planned for the following weekend, they wanted to elope — their hearts needed this kind of space, to breathe and to recenter on what they were choosing together.

We met on a very chilly morning, just before the sun came over the mountains. It was calm and clear. It was so evident that their hearts were bursting for each other, and the joy on their faces from this decision was beaming! Elopements are so incredibly special, it’s a unique kind of space, and the sacredness is almost tangible in the air. I’m always grateful and in awe of the people who make the brave (and sometimes spontaneous) choice to speak their promises in this kind of way.

Adventurous Crook Point Elopement // The Oregon Coast

An adventurous elopement on the Southern Oregon Coast at Crook Point.

Oregon showed up in its truest way on this elopement day — the hills and coast covered in low clouds, misty air, and rolling stormy waves. It was a beautiful fall day for an adventure elopement at Crook Point!

Dianne and Jeff are true champions at embracing every aspect of their day, even the weather! The drizzly skies didn’t steal their joy one single bit, and the excitement they both had was so contagious. Dianne told me, “he is the hum to my soul.” Jeff had a smile on his face every second of the day, and laughed with pure happiness the second they were announced as husband and wife. Their kindness and love is something I’ll always remember.

They rented an airbnb on a clifftop for the weekend (talk about a DREAMY getaway spot), and scouted out a bluff overlooking a private cove for their intimate ceremony.

It was just the two of them. Small, intimate, and so meaningful.

We hiked the trail in the rain out to a grove of trees where they said their vows to each other. Then, the rain stopped for 10 minutes for us to walk out to the point for photos and to soak up the view before returning to their airbnb for some bubbly and cake. They even hired a private chef to prepare them a romantic dinner to celebrate!

Every little piece of this day was beautiful.

DETAILS

DRESS // WILLOWBY WATTERS
SUIT // MACYS & NORDSTROM
LOCATION // AIRBNB & OREGON COAST
FOOD // BLACK MARKET GOURMET
FLORALS // ABUNDANT BLOOMS
CAKE // COASTAL MIST

Cannon Beach, Oregon Coast Elopement // Kaci & Dallin

WE CHASED THE SUN FROM ROCKY COASTLINES, TO COASTAL FORESTS, TO GOLDEN BEACH SUNSETS — THIS OREGON COAST INTIMATE WEDDING WAS PURE MAGIC!

These two travelled across many states to have their intimate wedding elopement day on the Oregon coast! Surrounded by just family (with the Pacific Ocean as their witness), they said their vows and spent the rest of the day frolicking along the beach, exploring lush coastal forests, eating fish tacos, and having cake and donuts as the sun set! My. Kind. Of. Day.

The Oregon Coast — especially Cannon Beach — can get pretty crowded in the summer months! But, these two scouted out the perfect little cove for their wedding ceremony, and had the whole corner just to themselves! I love when ceremonies have a unique aspect to them — in the middle of the ceremony, these two had everyone (including themselves) go and find a rock or pebble to bring to the “alter” and surround them with. A family roundedness for their promises. Then, they kept the rock they had chosen — a pretty special souvenir if you ask me!!

I adore these two — and being a part of their day was so incredibly special. They have such warm hearts, and I immediately felt like I was a part of the family! They truly embraced their day and went with the flow of whatever happened next. Every single second of it was soaked up to the fullest! If you’ve read my blog post on “Why Eloping or Having a Small Wedding is so Special” then you know my thoughts behind these special kinds of days — and Kaci & Dallin REALLY REALLY lived into all of it. It was beautiful.

I’m grateful I got to savor this piece of their story.

xx

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DAY DETAILS —

GETTING READY SPACE // AIRBNB
CEREMONY LOCATION // CANNON BEACH, OR
FLORALS // SOLABEE, FLOWERS & BOTANICALS
DINNER // TOM’S FISH & CHIPS

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Why Eloping or Having a Small Wedding is so Special

ARE YOU ON THE FENCE ABOUT CHOOSING TO ELOPE OR GOING IN THE DIRECTION OF A SMALL, INTIMATE WEDDING? WELL, LET ME SHARE SOME OF MY THOUGHTS ON WHY THESE KIND OF DAYS ARE SO SPECIAL.

I know, this is a BIG decision for some people — even a tricky one at times! Maybe, it’s not even a choice, maybe COVID-19 has made the decision to downsize for you. And, while I still LOVE big wedding days and totally support anyone who does and can choose that, I just wanted to share a few things that I love about small, intimate days and why they are so incredibly special.

I. IT’S MORE INTIMATE.

There is something so sacred about a small group witnessing your special day — or even JUST YOU TWO having saying your vows and celebrating together! With an intimate setting, there is more room to fully be present. With fewer distractions, you’re able to be more intentional during the day and soak up each moment to the fullest!

II. LESS ROOM FOR STRESS.

I believe NO wedding day has to be stressful — regardless of the size — but, on some bigger days with more moving pieces, it can be hard to avoid the little moments here and there that carry stress. Smaller days have much more of a “go with the flow” mentality — there’s room for adaptability if a “planned” piece of the day needs to change a bit.

III. IT’S AN EXPERIENCE.

I always say that eloping is more of an experience than just a wedding day — and the same goes for intimate weddings. You have SO many options to structure your day, and NOTHING is off limits. This kind of day is more about the journey than a strict timeline. If you want to stop on the way to your ceremony spot and get tattoos — you do it! If you want to go bungee jumping after you say your vows — you do it! If you want to hike up to a secret look out point and camp there the night before your elopement — you do it! You call all the shots on this day! You can make it whatever you want — make it an experience to remember.

IV. AMAZING LOCATIONS.

With bigger wedding days, there are some limitations on locations. BUT, with elopements and small weddings, the world is your oyster! There are some AMAZING spaces for elopements where a larger wedding wouldn’t work! You could say your vows in the middle of the desert, on the peak of a mountain, on the mossy floor of a forest, on a cliff overlooking the ocean, on a rooftop in the middle of the city, in a tropical paradise or in front of snow covered mountains — you could travel across the globe or explore somewhere new in your own State. Smaller days allow for some amazing locations!

V. LAST MINUTE PLANNING.

This is a big one. ESPECIALLY with COVID-19 being a part of our current season of life — last minute planning seems like a new way of living at this point. With smaller weddings and elopements, last minute planning is just fine! I’ve had so many elopements and “micro-weddings” book just a month or two out due to the ever changing wedding plans of 2020. And, you know what? THAT’S OK. With a smaller day, it’s easier to do it on a less busy day (aka a weekday). This means, less crowds, more space to yourself, and more chances that your photographer will be available last minute as well. There are less details and moving pieces to these intimate days, making it so much easier to plan!

(Scroll down to check out my Elopement Planning Guide)

This day can really be whatever YOU want and need. There is something so special about these intimate experiences — each one is fully unique and sacred. And, if you have any questions, I am always here to help guide you along with the small bits of planning to piece together a day that feels fully YOU — whatever that may look like!

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A FEW RESOURCES THAT MAY BE HELPFUL —

— YOU CAN ALSO CHECK OUT MY BUCKET LIST FOR INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL IDEAS

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Desert Evening Elopement // Central Oregon

ALL THE GOLDEN HOUR, DESERT ADVENTURE ELOPEMENT VIBES FOR THESE TWO! THE PERFECT SUMMER NIGHT, AMAZING VIEWS, AND INCREDIBLE PEOPLE — SOME OF MY FAVORITE THINGS!

We arrived at the desert butte and grasslands just as the sun was starting to make the canyon glow! Kyra & Michael got ready in the parking lot (with the final touches being lint rolling puppy hair off his suit jacket haha)! They put on their old wedding clothes — almost two years later — and we captured some magic in the desert!

It was such a beautiful evening, running from one amazing view point to the next! Summer exploring is one of my favorite things, and good company makes it even better!

Excited for many more summer evenings to come!

DRESS // A&BÉ BRIDAL SHOP
FLORALS // UFLORA
EARRINGS // AMANDA MICHELLE HANDMADE

Adventure Elopement in Joshua Tree National Park // Boho Modern Inspiration

An adventurous evening in Joshua Tree National Park for this styled adventure elopement! Check out all the moments to get ideas for your own special day!

Joshua Tree National Park had my jaw dropping within the first few minutes! I was captivated by the large, unique rock formations, the one-of-a-kind Joshua Trees themselves, and the overall golden desert vibe!

This adventure elopement was styled for our Makers & Movers Workshop, and was so fun to capture! It’s full of boho modern pops to fuel your elopement ideas and planning!

Check out these amazing vendors who played a part in making this creation come to life:

WORKSHOP // Makers & Movers Workshop

COUPLE // Danielle & Rodney

DRESS // A&bé Sacramento

JEWELRY // Serpentine & Fair

FLORALS // With Flourish

HAT // Equal Uprise

TUX // Zara

Enjoy all the pics, and dreaming about your own desert elopement!

Dreamy 70s Retro Vibe Elopement Inspiration // Joshua Tree, California

IF YOU’RE ON THE SEARCH FOR SOME RAD 70s RETRO ELOPEMENT INSPIRATION, THEN YOU’RE IN THE RIGHT PLACE!

The desert vibes of Joshua Tree California paired with some fun 70s styling created this magic for our Makers & Movers Workshop styled shoot!

This amazing shoot could not have been done without the collaboration of these incredible team members! We couldn’t have imagined everything coming together any better!

Excited to share these photos to power your imagination and inspire you with ideas for your own special day! If you’re thinking of eloping in Joshua Tree, check out these vendors to build your vision:

WORKSHOP // Makers & Movers

COORDINATION & DESIGN // Wilder Events Co.

COUPLE // Katie & Joe

DRESS // Lovely Bride LA

JEWELRY // Serpentine & Fair

WEDDING BANDS // Sharon Z Jewelry

CALLIGRAPHER // Summit & Sage

FLORALS // Bluebell Florals

CAKE // Fantasy Frostings

H&MU // Chelsea Nicole

RENTALS // Otis & Pearl

TUX // ASOS

We began with a bit of cozy in home time in our desert airbnb! Joe and Katie spent time getting ready together before we headed out on gorgeous property to hang out with the Joshua Trees.

California Clifftop elopement // Diana + Daniel

ohhhhh california, your golden clifftops and earthy tones steal my heart every time!!! after spending the afternoon wine tasting in Sonoma, i couldn't have pictured ending the day in a more magical way! running up and down these ocean cliffs was a DREAM. We sprinted down the warm sand beach and they kissed till the sun went down. Now, that's a day well spent!

california coast elopement // Half Moon Bay

John Day Fossil Bed Elopement

Worth every second of a 10 hour driving day to hang out with these two at this AMAZING location!

Central oregon has so many little gems for eloping! there are just so many spaces with epic locations that it makes me giddy! andddd, blue sheep rock was just one of so many!

Oregon, ya keep blowing me away!!
 

dress: Lulus
hair + MUA: Sarah Rose
florals: Foraged Blooms
cupcakes: Love+Flour
suit: Men's Wearhouse

Portland Studio, Urban Elopement

Burgers, milkshakes, and a WHOLE lotta' love! i've always been in love with all things urban - the textures, the window light, old hardwood floors, harsh shadows. there's so much room for creativity. so, heck yes, an urban wedding is a road straight to my heart! not to mention, the most beautiful portland studio! if you're looking for a good industrial space for an intimate wedding in the pdx area, you have to check it out! this day was just a whole lotta goofy, cuddling love!

VENDORS:

venue: The Portland Studio
florals: Edelweiss Floral 
designer + coordinator: Ashley Spence
banner: Seek Paper Co.
make-up + hair: Alyssa Fitchie
dress: BHLD Weddings

Moroccan + Woodsy Elopement

THIS STYLED ELOPEMENT SHOOT WAS MAGIC!! 

So grateful for the amazing group of people who made this possible! Scroll on down through the day to see the list of these incredible creatives! It felt like we could've been anywhere - Ireland, Yosemite, Iceland - it was the dream!

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PT. 2 - ALTERNATIVE BRIDE SHOOT

THE TEAM

Designers: Mod + Maple
Florist: Nature Rules
Couple Model: Dallas & Stephanie (Cedar and Swoon)
Model: Simone Denny
Rentals: Something Borrowed PDX