You got engaged! Congratulations! Now you get to plan the best day of your life with your partner. You and your love want to elope or have an intimate wedding in a National Park. Trust us when we say that eloping in a National Park will be as epic as your love story. Before you go running head first into that adventure there are a few things to know to help you plan your day.

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Will I need a permit?

Depending on how many guests/vendors are present at your day, which park you are eloping in, and even the location within that park or time of year you may need a permit. If you are planning your day months or years out don’t be surprised if permitting and regulations within your National Park of choice change. We recommend obtaining your permit as soon as possible, but checking in 4-6 months out from your elopement day to be sure the rules are consistent. As your photographers and planners, we take care of all of those details for you!

How much does it cost to elope within a national park?

The cost can range anywhere from $0-$350 depending on where and how you want to elope. For example, if you want to elope with under 10 people present (including yourselves and vendors such as us) in Acadia National Park, you don’t need a permit. It’s free! There are tons of parks which will allow you to go in and elope without a permit for free under certain guidelines. If you do have a handful of people who mean the world to you and there are permitting fees it is usually nominal.

Are there any special Leave no trace (LNT) guidelines I should follow?

LNT guidelines are important to follow no matter where you are eloping. Protecting public lands should be first and foremost when you choose to elope on public land. National Parks do have stricter rules than most public lands however. Some parks limit whether you can have a real personal flowers, and almost always do not allow ceremony music with a few exceptions allowing a live acoustic musician. When in doubt consult the park rangers as to what you can and cannot do.

What are the 7 Principles of Leave No Trace?

1) Plan ahead and prepare - see below for more information on how to do that!

2) Travel & camp on durable surfaces - Stay on trails or rocky/hard surfaces at all times. Only camp (if backpacking) in designated campsites. We often see trampling of fragile ecosystems and do everything we can to prevent further damage so future generations can enjoy our public lands.

3) Dispose of waste properly - Carry in and carry out. Even a banana peel should be properly disposed of.

4) Leave what you find - Don’t pick vegetations or other resources from the parks. Leave it for others to enjoy!

5) Minimize campfire impacts - This doesn’t just apply to campfires you may have in designated fire rings, but also using lanterns and other open flames.

6) Respect wildlife - There are so many beautiful animals out there, but it is never a good idea to approach them, even for a cool photo op. Leave them be, so they leave you be.

7) Be considerate of others - This goes back to why many parks don’t allow music. It can disturb other visitors who have as much of a right to be there as you do.

Where can I plan my ceremony?

Depending on the park and number of guests with you there might be restrictions as to where your ceremony can be held. If you aren’t quite vibing with the locations within a park we recommend looking into a nearby National Forest or renting an AirBnb/venue on private land. Pictured above is a beautiful intimate wedding just outside of Grand Teton National Park at Antelope Trails Ranch. The views were wild and crowd free due to our couple renting out the entire ranch. Some parks allow you to elope almost anywhere except for Wilderness Protection areas. It completely depends!

We’re having an epic elopement and planning a hike! What should we prepare?

In National Parks keep in mind that there is a 90% chance you will be pretty far from a building you can go inside of and warm up or get dry. We recommend preparing the normal 10 Essentials:

1) Hydration

2) Nutrition

3) Navigation

4) Emergency Shelter (ultralight tarp, bivy, ultralight tent, plastic trash bag, space blanket…)

5) Appropriate layers

6) Illumination (always bring a headlamp with spare batteries)

7) Firestarter

8) First aid

9) Repair kit and/or multitool

10) Sun protection (hat, sunscreen, layers…) - a sunburn can happen on a cold winter day too.

Some of these things may seem excessive, but we can promise you that if there is an emergency they could be a lifesaver.

How to Plan a National Park Elopement