Elopements

An Intimate Wedding Ceremony at The Surgeons House in AZ, Featuring the Jerome Grand Hotel

Becca and Javier wanted to have an elopement in the ghost town of Jerome Arizona. They chose the Surgeons House for their wedding ceremony due to the unique and eclectic feeling of the location that overlooks the valley leading into Sedona. They also chose to take portraits and eat dinner at the Jerome Grand Hotel due to their love for the Wes Anderson film “The Grand Budapest Hotel”. This was a huge inspiration for their couple portraits.

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Planning Your Intimate Wedding Ceremony at The Surgeons House and Jerome Grand Hotel

Photography by Elita Coralee

“At the surgeon’s house (ceremony location) and the Jerome Grand Hotel (portraits location) there are no permit requirements but you do need to ask for permission to photograph there, so call ahead of time and tell them your plans. As always leave no trace.

My top tip is to be aware of the sunset- the sun sets behind the mountain so the sunshine leaves Jerome very early. For Jerome Grand Hotel note that it is a functioning hotel; so there will be other guests there, whereas you can book the whole Surgeon’s House for yourself. For this reason, I recommend having your intimate ceremony at the Surgeon’s house and having dinner and portraits at the Jerome Grand Hotel.

There was this cute little couch in the restaurant of the JGH my couple wanted photos at- we made sure to call ahead of time to ask to use it. It is a very tight space with very low lighting so make sure your photographer knows so they can bring the correct equipment. Along with that, plan your parking accordingly. At the Surgeon’s House parking is very limited, though it is better at Jerome Grand Hotel.

This town is on a mountainside with one basically road that goes through it. If you hate driving on windy roads on the cliffs of a mountain or are worried about weather conditions then I recommend driving through Cottonwood and Clarkdale to get to Jerome. If you are coming from the greater metropolitan area your GPS will automatically route you through the mountain drive. Beautiful drive but can also be intimidating.” [Elita, the photographer]

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About This Wedding Day

“Becca and Javier were a fun-loving couple who I really enjoyed working with. The couple chose to have their closest family there and that was just so sweet because everyone was pretty much balling their eyes out during the ceremony. Becca’s father officiated their ceremony which was really special. The men and Becca all wore Vans which was such a sweet fun touch. Ultimately this elopement was all about the love the couple shared and how much love everyone shared for the couple.
Something else that really stood out to me was their sense of humor.

Their beloved cat couldn’t be there for the actual day but Javier was sure to make him a part of the day by getting socks with pictures of his face all over. Then to Becca’s surprise on the back of Javier’s vows was a giant picture of their cat- so when Javier held it up Becca could look at their kitty. It for sure created some good laughs while also adding so much sweetness to the day. Another funny thing was they had a tiny plastic hand that made its appearance in the day, even placed strategically in some of the photos, again lots of laughs. I love when couples love to have fun and make jokes on their day.” [Elita, the photographer]

Memorable Moments During This Elopement

From the photographer:

“Definitely when Javier’s brother was holding Javier’s vows and Becca saw them. Lots of laughs. Also when Javier brought out the tiny hand specifically during the certificate signing; another time with a lot of laughs. Beyond that, during the ceremony, everyone was obviously so moved, and a lot of tears- I couldn’t help but tear up myself. After the ceremony, everyone pretty much just cried and hugged each other for a while- a truly special moment.”

Details From This Wedding

“I loved the matching vans. Becca made a little clutch for her mom out of some of the fabric from her mom’s wedding dress. The Surgeon’s House was also very eclectic. It was so unique and felt very true to my couple. Along with that when my couple said Jerome Grand Hotel, I immediately thought of The Grand Budapest Hotel by Wes Anderson. They picked the Jerome Hotel for that reason so it was a perfect collaboration and another way some things that my couple loves just showed through.” [Elita, the photographer]

Final Words of Advice From The Photographer Regarding Elopement Location

“Jerome is perfect for those who want to elope in a unique spot and who also don’t want a hiking elopement. I recommend always going to the place you want to elope before eloping, but especially with Jerome; it’s quite an unusual town (in the best way). Before going I had never really seen another town like it. It’s known for its ghost tours and can be a big tourist location during certain parts of the year, but when it’s cold out the town can feel very empty.

It’s small and easy to explore with lots of potential photo opportunities beyond the Surgeons House and Jerome Grand Hotel. But if you’re only going to choose two places to go elope within Jerome I highly recommend the Surgeon’s House and Jerome Grand Hotel as they create beautiful and unique photos. If you do have time on your day I also recommend a little drive up the mountain, it has quite amazing views of the valley and even Sedona.” [Elita, the photographer]

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Vendors

Photography | Elita Coralee

Venue | The Surgeons House

Photo Location and Dinner | Jerome Grand Hotel