Elopements

Zion Adventure and Under Canvas Wedding Reception With Family

Mallie and Corey decided to celebrate their wedding day at Zion with their closest family and friends. After some toasts at Observation Point, these two continued their small wedding reception at Under Canvas.

Are you thinking about eloping somewhere in Zion? We wouldn’t blame you. Explore our elopement vendors to get started.

Deciding to Plan a Small Wedding Near Zion

Photography by Vows and Peaks

Mallie and Corey tell us Zion National Park was their first and only pick for their wedding day. Not only did they fall in love with Zion during a previous visit, but during that same trip, they separately both realized they wanted to spend the rest of their lives with each other.

Zion is usually a very crowded place to visit, especially for couples planning adventure elopements. During this elopement adventure, however, this couple got lucky and had limited people around them.

“The place where they shared their first look was the same spot Mallie found out that her mom had cancer. They really wanted to celebrate their love in the same place. It was almost like closing the circle with a rebirth. You can say that they reclaimed the spot for themselves and their love…

Because Observation Point does not allow ceremonies, we decided to do a first look followed by a champagne toast instead. This was super fun because the normal route up to Observation was closed because of a rockslide, which forced us to take the back route to the overlook. The best part about this? The route is outside the park and is more work to get to for sunrise, which really weeds out the crowds. This was perfect because we had the entire overlook to ourselves for 2 hours. How lucky and unheard of in Zion!” [Sean, the photographer]

Planning Your Elopement at Zion National Park

“I would absolutely plan around sunrise or sunset to give yourselves maximum privacy. National Parks, and Zion especially, tend to be more crowded and popular, so planning your day around times when the general population isn’t even awake will give you the privacy and seclusion you’re seeking on your elopement day.

Zion does not require permits within the park unless you are doing an actual ceremony. Mallie and Corey shared a private first look with their families and had some bubbles and breakfast at the top for sunrise. They then rented out Under Canvas to have a private reception afterward and had the space for themselves that night. It’s a perfect venue for those looking to cap off their day outside Zion.” [Sean, the photographer]

Check out our Zion elopement guide to start planning your adventure.

Small Wedding Reception at Zion’s Under Canvas

Mallie and Corey hired a private chef, brought in a rental company, and celebrated under the desert sky, making cocktails with their family. What better way to celebrate your wedding than with a day filled with adventure and an evening filled with emotional speeches and amazing food.

Mallie tells us they didn’t have a wedding planner/coordinator and planned every detail themselves. Even though it was stressful at times to plan, it was so much fun creating a day that truly reflected them from start to finish.

“Mallie and Corey really took a lot of elements of adventure, and intimacy to make this a low-key and zero stress elopement. I couldn’t have asked for a more welcoming and loving couple to work with. It was truly a special time and well worth the trip from Colorado to capture their sunrise to sunset elopement in Zion!” [Sean, the photographer]

Memorable Moments

This intimate wedding in Zion was all about love and family. The couple’s family was with them from start to finish. They even made Sean, the photographer, the guest of honor instead of just their “photographer”.

From the couple:

“Being able to spend the day stress-free and fully immersed in celebrating our love for each other with our immediate families by our side. The memories we all made on our wedding day will be with us for a lifetime!”

From the photographer:

“The fact that Corey and Mallie were able to get their entire families to join them at sunrise was impressive. The entire group was hiking with headlamps and laughing at 4 am in the morning. It’s all part of the adventure and your family should embrace your vision, which Mallie and Corey’s did!”

Vendors

Photography – Vows and Peaks

Dress Designer – Wona Concept

Dress Store – Luxe Bridal Rack Chicago

Suit Designer – Bonobos

Hair & Makeup – Hanna Beth Beauty

Ring Designers – Brilliant Earth

Florist – By Bloomers

Venue – Under Canvas Zion

Rental Company – St. George Party Rentals

Private Chef – Jeff Crosland

Wedding Cake – CBJ & Company