How to Elope in Arizona
Considering an elopement in Arizona?
Arizona is an absolutely incredible state for your elopement! The scenery is as gorgeous and varied as it comes, especially for a single state. While summers can be a bit toasty and the north gets more than its fair share of snow in winter, there is always somewhere in Arizona with temperate weather to enjoy.
And if you’ve been wondering exactly how to elope here, I can help! Read on for tips & tricks on Arizona elopements or click a topic below if you had a specific question in mind.
There are only a few legal requirements for Arizona elopements in 2024:
1. A marriage license
The marriage license needed to make any elopement or wedding legal is easy to obtain. Each county lists the locations and available times for applying for the marriage license in person with your partner. Most take walk-ins with some of the more popular courthouses requiring or recommending appointments. Please make sure you bring any required identification listed by that county. If you are an Arizona resident and have time to wait for the license to come via mail, you can even apply online through Maricopa County. Non-Arizona residents will need to visit a courthouse or clerk’s office in person.
You do not need to get married in the same county that issues your license, though you do need to return it in that county. There is no waiting period, so you could even get married the very same day you receive the license. Your license expires after twelve months. The current cost of an Arizona marriage license in 2024 is $83. I also recommend pre-ordering a certified copy for your records – never hurts to have an extra!
2. An ordained officiant
Your elopement must include an ordained officiant to perform the legal ceremony. This exchange can be as simple or as involved as suits you and your cultures, with many talented officiants in Arizona available to guide you through the “I Do’s”. Luckily for my couples, I am ordained through the non-denominational Universal Life Church and can step in to ask the official questions for those that do not have another officiant in mind.
3. Two witnesses
The last piece required to complete the requirements of the marriage license! You must have signatures from two different witnesses, both over the age of eighteen. For truly private ceremonies with just you & your partner accompanied by an officiant, my second photographer & I can happily serve as the witnesses.
And that’s it!
So that's the red tape... what about the adventure?
The marriage license is the only requirement shared by all Arizona elopements. Everything else is entirely up to what best celebrates your story! Consider the activities you might want to do, the weather you’d like to experience and/or can tolerate, and any specific locations that have had you drooling on Pinterest.
The sky is literally the limit for Arizona elopement activity ideas:
- Hot air balloon ride
- Hiking
- Brewery hopping
- Swimming/paddle-boarding
- Helicopter tour
- Off-roading (partial to Jeeps myself)
- Rock-climbing
- Camping
- Stargazing
- Cocktails at a speakeasy bar
- Horseback trail ride
- Picnic
- Wine tasting
- S’mores
- Get matching tattoos
- and anything else you can dream up!
how to choose a location for your Arizona elopement
While it can be overwhelming to find the perfect spot in a state so diverse, I am here to help! To assist with the “where”, I generally recommend starting with the “when” – aka the season! From there, we narrow down based on how far you want to travel from home or the nearest Arizona airport and what kinds of scenery fill your dreams. The beauty of a place so varied is that there is never a truly bad time or location to elope in Arizona – each season has its pro’s & con’s!
Summer (June - August)
Starting with the most challenging season! Summer in Arizona is iconically hot in most of the state. There is no understating that! Weather is also unpredictable later in the summer season once our monsoon storms start rolling. That said, summer is an amazing time for elopement locations at higher elevations. Places like Mt. Lemmon, the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff, and Greer to name a few all benefit from much more tolerable summer temperatures! Even those locations can still get a bit warm for those traveling from cooler climates, but planning your outdoor activities around water and/or sunrise is a great way to make the most of a summer elopement anywhere in Arizona.
Fall (September - November)
Fall is the most popular season for elopements & weddings in Arizona. My wedding anniversary is September 9th! The temperatures cool to a more tolerable range in the lower elevations, especially later in the season. Everything tends to have a touch more green after the late summer rains. We also have true forests that show off their own autumn fall color change – not something everyone expects to find in a place where the state flower is a cactus. Hiking/camping elopements are fantastic in the fall to venture beyond the foot traffic in more accessible locations. For those in the micro wedding category with more of a guest count, keep in mind that prime venues & vendors do book up in advance for weekends.
Winter (December - February)
In Arizona, winter elopement locations offer a huge variety in scenery. We have snow in the mountains; Flagstaff is the third-snowiest city in the US! Our other main cities of Phoenix & Tucson and their surrounding areas typically enjoy an extremely mild climate over winter. The relative chill has the advantage of reducing other visitors in most locations – we Arizonans have thin blood! As an example, Sedona‘s ever-growing popularity can be a challenge in the shoulder seasons of fall & spring, but winter is a great opportunity to find the red rock vistas all to yourselves.
Spring (March - May)
Spring is our other main season for Arizona elopements. The fresh greenery and wildflowers are beautiful built-in decoration around our trails & lakes, though the higher elevations may not thaw out until later in the season. While we can start to compete again for elbow room in the most known locations, the flexibility of elopements means weekdays are a valid option to skip the crowds!
Now that you may have a season in mind, here are a few venues from across the state.
I am constantly researching new locations in an exhaustive guide I provide for my couples that covers the accessibility, permit requirements, and local activities! Leave No Trace is a core practice of my photography when selecting & using locations – respect for our shared natural spaces ensures all that come after us can enjoy them, too.
Central Arizona (Phoenix) Elopement Locations
Phoenix is the most accessible area from other states and the fifth-largest metro area in the country. Sky Harbor is personally my all-time favorite airport (SeaTac is the bottom of the list for anyone curious…) and conveniently located near downtown Phoenix. Here are some of my favorite elopement & micro wedding locations in the greater Phoenix area:
Desert Botanical Gardens – Centrally located featuring an incredible collection of Sonoran Desert plants with interweaving trails and art installations. The Desert Botanical Gardens even has a wonderful restaurant on site.
Boyce Thompson Arboretum – The farthest drive from Sky Harbor airport of this list, but one of my favorite places in the entire state. Boyce Thompson Arboretum represents nearly the entire state’s plant life and has its own lake and greenhouse to boot.
Lost Dutchman State Park – Nestled at the foot of the unmistakable Superstition Mountains to the east of Phoenix, Lost Dutchman State Park is a classic desert backdrop second to none in the Phoenix area.
Heritage Square & Downtown Phoenix – For those that are seeking more of a city feel to their elopement or micro wedding, Heritage Square in the heart of Phoenix is a great starting point for your ceremony to follow with adventures to Roosevelt Row & its murals, downtown breweries like AZ Wilderness, and historic Phoenix city hall & courthouse.
McDowell Sonoran Preserve – A sprawling desert preserve north of Phoenix in Scottsdale, the McDowell Sonoran Preserve has a variety of beautiful desert settings with their own flair. Gateway Trail features a unique zig-zag bridge while Brown’s Family Trail is surrounded by the boulders that make this area particularly special.
Southern Arizona (Tucson) Elopement Locations
Tucson is a relatively short ~2 hour drive from Phoenix and does boast its own small airport. Much more impressive are the surrounding scenery of four mountain ranges and excellent food scene. Here are a handful of Tucson locations to consider for your elopement:
Saguaro National Park – Nothing is more Arizona than a towering cactus forest of saguaro. The East & West sides of the park are a little under an hour’s drive apart, with Saguaro West tending to have more dense saguaro around the various trails.
Mount Lemmon – The Scenic Byway up Mount Lemmon is one of the best examples of the biodiversity in Arizona. In less than an hour, you can go from the valley floor and saguaros galore, up through riparian canyons and scrub desert, all the way into the pines. Toward the summit and the town of Summerhaven are several incredible overlooks such as Windy Point
JTH Tucson – A boutique inn surrounded by the Sonoran Desert is an amazing venue to celebrate your elopement or micro wedding. Each well-appointed room has its own Southwestern charm.
Tanque Verde Ranch – A working ranch at the foot of the Rincon mountains, Tanque Verde Ranch is also a full-fledged resort with lodging, dining, and spa on site. Though they regularly host weddings for up to 300 guests, my favorite location on property for elopements & micro weddings is the “old homestead” that overlooks both the desert & city. If you’re looking to incorporate activities like horseback riding, hiking, or even ATV adventures as part of your Tucson elopement, this is the place.
Mission in the Sun Chapel at DeGrazia Gallery – This open-air chapel at the DeGrazia Art Gallery is a quirky entry befitting of Tucson’s culture. Ettore “Ted” DeGrazia was a highly regarded artist for his depictions of Southwestern life and originally developed the property as a home & retreat for fellow artists. The gallery displaying his life’s work and the chapel available for ceremonies are open to the public.
Northern Arizona (Sedona, Flagstaff, Page, etc.) Elopement Locations
Some of Arizona’s most spectacular & diverse country is north of the two major metro areas of Phoenix and Tucson.
The Grand Canyon – What list about Arizona elopement locations could possibly be complete without mentioning one of the literal wonders of the world? Though the South Rim of the Grand Canyon is a four-hour drive from Phoenix, it is without compare. Elopement & micro wedding ceremonies can be held at the very edge of one of the grandest views on Earth.
Lake Powell & Glen Canyon – The incredible red & white rock formations against the blue waters make Lake Powell an amazing option for northern Arizona elopements. Camping is available at several locations along the water, like at Lone Rock Beach, or more unique still, consider renting a houseboat and finding a private cove. If you are really looking for adventure, an off-roading & overnight camping trip at Alstrom Point in the spring makes for a breathtaking setting for exchanging vows. The postcard-worthy Horseshoe Bend is also in this area, though best visited at off-peak seasons and times to avoid the tourists.
The Arboretum at Flagstaff – Only available six months out of the year thanks to the snowiness I mentioned earlier, the Arboretum at Flagstaff is a forested paradise nestled among the pines with a backdrop of the San Francisco peaks.
Chapel of the Holy Dove – This first-come, first-serve chapel outside of Flagstaff is open to all without cost! The tricky part is that the reservation system is no more advanced or guaranteed than mutual respect for a sticky-note system, but what’s life without a little gamble?
Cathedral Rock – Sedona is absolutely bursting with locations for elopements. Some of my favorite center around Cathedral Rock, one of the most recognizable formations. The hike on Cathedral Rock itself is not for the faint-hearted but is well worth the steep climb. More accessible locations that use Cathedral as the backdrop instead are Lover’s Knoll and Secret Slick Rock. All three locations do share teeny tiny parking lots and are best suited for true elopements or off-peak dates. Sedona has many, many other locations farther off the beaten path as well!
How to elope in Arizona - the ultimate guide
Planning your Arizona elopement should be fun & exciting! This is the biggest adventure you & your partner will take so far, and it sets the stage for the life-long one of marriage. I would be utterly delighted to plan with you and offer my expertise as your Arizona elopement photographer – cannot wait to celebrate your love story!!
