Simplistic Micro Wedding on The Church of Dirt in UT

Who said you can’t keep traditional wedding values during an intimate wedding experience? Jorge and Alyssa’s wedding took place in the mountains at Sunrise in beautiful Utah. Surrounded by their immediate family, they had a bilingual ceremony at the Church of Dirt mountain venue. After their ceremony, they shared some coffee and donuts with their guests, had a big toast, and parted ways to have some alone time.

Are you thinking about including some of your close family and friends on your wedding day? There is no rule saying you can’t if you decide to elope! Use our elopement vendor directory to start planning today.

Planning Your Wedding at The Church of Dirt in UT

So how exactly do you go about reserving your wedding ceremony at the Chruch of Dirt? Unlike other traditional wedding venues, where a deposit, reservation, or at least a permit is required, the Chruch of Dirt is a bit different.

“The way to reserve your date and time at the Church of Dirt is to go to the location and literally write your name, date, and time on a rock/piece of wood, etc. Some couples get creative with this and have a piece of wood-engraved professionally. I’ve even seen half of a ski with the couple’s name on it before. There’s a massive pile of reserved dates at the site – just don’t forget to also write your name in the binder (inside of a plastic bag) with your phone number, so anyone can contact you if needed.” [Kayla, the photographer]

This honor system way of reserving your wedding day is not only stress-free and saves couples some money, but it’s also a great story to tell after their wedding day. Can you imagine telling your kids, kids, “yup, we reserved our wedding day by writing on a rock…”. It doesn’t get cooler than that.

The Chruch of Dirt is near Bonanza Flats and will give you a 360-degree view of the Unita and Wasatch Mountain ranges, perfect for couples who are trying to get that perfect mountain elopement view. There are about 10 wooden benches and a wooden altar for the couple to stand under. This is what makes this location so special for couples who want a more traditional wedding ceremony with an adventurous flair to it.

Utah is filled with gorgeous, remote elopement locations. Check out our Utah elopement packages to find more amazing spots to elope.

Deciding Where to Elope and Planning

The couple tells us they decided to elope in Utah and have a mountain wedding because a big part of their relationship revolved around being in the mountains backpacking and camping together. This is a great reason to pick your elopement location.

After finding Kayla through Instagram hashtags, she helped the couple scout the location, plan a time, and help with recommendations to make their day more personal.

“Planning was minimal. We picked the time, place, date, and sent out 15 invitations to immediate family. Our close friend officiated, and I wrote the ceremony. Jorge and I wrote our own vows. I got a dress online for $60, and Jorge got his suit at Nordstrom rack. Kayla had vendor recommendations for everything, including the bouquet, the ring, vow books, the cake, and they turned out perfect. The rest of the day itself was simply enjoying the high of the moment.” [the couple]

Explore more places to elope.

Transforming a Traditional Wedding Into Your Own

Jorge and Alyssa found it important to keep their wedding ceremony traditional and add bilingual elements to it, so their loved ones could understand. However, they didn’t keep all the elements of a traditional wedding.

Just because you want to have a more traditional wedding ceremony, does not mean you have to include all the elements you may see during a wedding, like a garter toss or traditional cake cutting ceremony.

Jorge and Alyssa actually opted for donuts and coffee since their wedding was at sunrise at the Chruch of Dirt. They then cut a cake by themselves. Another unique request they had was shooting in film during their wedding.

“I will never forget the first phone call with Jorge and Alyssa. Everything was already going great and then Jorge said ‘we were actually wondering if you’d shoot only film at our wedding?!’ to have a couple come to me and ask me for this was honestly the highlight of my year.” [Kayla, the photographer]

Memorable Moments During This Wedding at the Church of Dirt in UT

Photographer’s Memorable Moment:

“I loved how they included all of their guests in their ceremony by having/reading their vows in both English and Spanish. Another highlight was after their guests left, we went off to have a more private moment where the couple cut cake and popped a bottle of champagne. They couldn’t believe they were finally married, and they were just so happy in that moment!” [Kayla]

Couple’s Memorable Moments:

“The day of, seeing everything come into place. The scenery was beautiful, seeing our family there, and the surreal moment of actually getting married. Finally saying ‘I do’ and getting to walk back down the aisle together and the feeling of a new future. There was a feeling of lightness and a possibility. Getting to hold her hand and enjoy the moment together.” [Jorge]

“I wasn’t dealing with the stress of a big event, instead, it was just me and my best friend sharing something beautiful and powerful. I loved the intimacy of the ceremony, seeing Jorge cry, and at the same time looking around me and seeing these majestic views. It just felt right, I wouldn’t change a thing.

My favorite part of the day was when we finished the ceremony, walked back down the aisle, and I felt like I was flying. I had the love of my life, we were in the most beautiful place, and it was all so simple and real. No superficial distractions, just a pure moment of joy.” [Alyssa]

Why Did You Decide to Elope?

So would this be considered an elopement? In so many ways, yes. Couples are starting to realize that planning their wedding day doesn’t have to meet a certain set of rules. The meaning of eloping has also changed, expanding far beyond running off to Vegas to have Elvis marry you.

Now, eloping can mean planning your wedding day at a unique location, away from it all like the Chruch of Dirt in Utah. Eloping can mean inviting your closest family and friends, and sharing donuts and coffee as you celebrate your new marriage.

Jorge and Alyssa tell us their main reason for eloping was dealing with less stress and the expectations of big weddings, which we can 100% see. Instead, they opted for a more intimate wedding experience in an environment they truly loved.

“We didn’t want there to be excessive fanfare and distractions from our special day. Instead, we wanted to focus on being present with each other and having time to soak it all in.” [Alyssa, the bride]

Are you planning to elope? Check out our guide on how to elope to learn more!

Vendors

Photography | Kayla Bertagnolli Photography

Film | The Find Lab

Florals | The Petal Coop

Rings | June Rings

More Photos From This Wedding at the Church of Dirt