Intimate Elopement Ceremony at Quail Springs Picnic Area, Featuring Fun Moments at a Boho Airbnb
Elopements

Intimate Elopement Ceremony at Quail Springs Picnic Area, Featuring Fun Moments at a Boho Airbnb

Natalie and Zachary planned a Joshua Tree elopement ceremony at Quail Springs Picnic Area, where just the two of them exchanged their vows and became husband and wife. Besides spending time exploring the park together, these two took the most romantic getting ready and celebratory portraits after in their boho Airbnb. Get all the details below.

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About This Elopement at Quail Springs Picnic Area in Joshua Tree

“Natalie and Zachary decided to travel from the midwest all the way to Southern California for their Joshua Tree elopement! They rented a gorgeous Airbnb just outside of Joshua Tree National Park where they both got ready separately and then had the sweetest, most genuine first look ever. After, they headed into the park where they had their ceremony at the Quail Springs Picnic Area and then celebrated with lots of photos and popped a bottle of sparkling water to rehydrate (and get some fun photos too!). After taking in the views of the park, they headed back to their Airbnb where they cut a small cake, toasted with champagne, and then spent time relaxing in the hot tub!” [Christie, the photographer]

Explore more places to elope in Joshua Tree here.

Permit and LNT Information For Your Joshua Tree Wedding

“For a while, Joshua Tree had one of the more frustrating permit systems in place due to them requiring two permits: one for the ceremony location + reservation and one for photography. While the ceremony one is still required, as of a couple months ago, Joshua Tree NP stopped requiring the photography permit for any portrait sessions in the park. For ceremonies, the couple is restricted to a selection of pre-approved locations that can be found here; however, for their photos, they may take them anywhere in the park that visitors are normally allowed.

As for LNT, it’s always important to remember to stay on trail and JT is no exception. Additionally, it’s important to not hang, nail, or otherwise damage in any way the Joshua Trees themselves, as they are a protected resource to this desert ecosystem. Lastly, while JT does allow for fresh flowers to be used in bouquets by couples, dried flowers are prohibited.” [Christie, the photographer]

Learn more about leaving no trace during your elopement.

Top Tips For This Elopement Location

“JT can get VERY crowded a good chunk of the year but especially in the fall when the weather cools down. Because most people want to avoid getting married in JT in the summer months when it is excruciatingly hot, early spring and fall become the most popular times. What does that mean for couples wanting to keep things intimate? Pick times of day to explore the park and have your ceremony that are less visited, like early in the morning or late in the afternoon/early evening. For photos, it can be helpful to find less popular trails or even taking a 4×4 on one of JT’s many backcountry dirt roads where you are sure to find at least a little bit of solitude!”

For couples who want guaranteed privacy during their ceremony, it can be best to book a vacation rental that offers a great view or spot to have your ceremony on the property. Of course, always check with the owner to see if they have any restrictions on photography or events; that said, having the most important part of your day at your vacation rental and then going into the park to explore can ease a lot of stress around dealing with crowds. And the best part? JT has some of the best vacation rentals in all of California with pricing that ranges from budget to modest to extravagant. There is literally something for everyone!” [Christie, the photographer]

Memorable Moments During This Elopement

From the photographer:

“Getting ready separately. Natalie was in one room and Zac was in the other and they hadn’t seen each other for hours at that point because they really wanted to keep it a surprise for themselves. They would go to the shared wall to talk to each other and Zac helped grab things for Natalie and passed them through the door to her. It was so sweet and made for an even sweeter first look. Watching Zac’s face when he turned around and saw Natalie was absolutely priceless. There were tears and lots of smiling and it was just so incredibly genuine. It was a perfect moment shared for just the two of them.”

Final Words of Advice From The Photographer

“When we help our couples plan and document their adventure wedding/elopement days, it is so important to remember that they have their reasons for wanting to do things different from the “norm”. It is then our job to bring our expertise in this realm to the table and show them all the possibilities. And always to remember that while our expertise on lighting, locations, and whatnot is a huge component, it is ultimately their day and we should always be supporting how they want to spend that day, no matter what!” [Christie, the photographer]

Vendors

Photography | Summit and Sur Photography
Wedding Dress | ASOS Natalie’s Dress
Suit| Pursuit Yourself 
Veil | David’s Bridal
Cake| Fine Art Cookies 
Cake Topper | TheOnlineArtist (Etsy) 
Flowers | FloralDate 
Airbnb | The Meltdown

Photos From This Elopement

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