Moab, Utah is an otherworldly landscape featuring tall desert towers, big rivers that cut through giant canyons, and the reddest dirt you’ve ever seen. It’s the perfect adventure elopement location. It’s impossible to fit everything Moab has to offer into one day, but we came pretty close with this Moab elopement.
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MOAB IS AN ADVENTURE ELOPEMENT PARADISE
Moab is the land of adventure. Outdoor adventure sports seekers travel here from around the world to pursue their adventure hobby of choice. In Moab, you can experience world-class off-roading, mountain biking, rock climbing, kayaking, canyoneering, rafting, highlining, base jumping…pretty much any adventure sport you can think of, with the exception of surfing. Moab is basically an adult’s playground. This makes Moab one of the best places for adventure elopements.
Want more Moab elopement inspiration? Check out this Moab National Parks Utah Elopement.
Being avid off-roaders (just look at that truck!) and mountain bikers, Steve and McKenna had been anxious to explore Moab for a while. So when it came time to pick a location for their elopement, Moab was a no-brainer. They drove out from South Carolina and turned their adventure elopement into a whole adventure road trip. It’s so awesome when couples decide to make their elopement part of a bigger adventure. We’re huge advocates for thoroughly exploring the incredible landscapes wherever you elope.
A Moab Elopement Ceremony Flanked by Giant Desert Towers
Sure, an arbor provides a nice backdrop and focal point for your wedding ceremony, but how about a 400-foot sandstone tower? That’s how Moab elopements do. Moab and the surrounding area has an extremely varied landscape, but at a very basic level it can be broken down into three main categories: desert towers, sandstone arches, and massive canyons. We weren’t able to squeeze an arch into this elopement, but we got the best of the best of the other two.
Want to check out more red desert magic? Check out this Valley of Fire Adventure Session
We met these two out amongst some of Moab’s most impressive towers for the first look and ceremony. They had gone mountain biking during the morning and their truck was already respectably dirty. While Brandon walked out with Steve to get into position for the first look, McKenna changed into her dress in the parking lot. The next hour was spent gawking at the looming towers and wiping away tears of happiness as these two said their “I do-s” in the desert. Moab is full of epic elopement locations, but this is definitely one of our favs.
Moab Elopement part two: An Epic Canyon and an Epic Sunset
After the ceremony, we hopped in our cars and drove 75 minutes to the other side of Moab for sunset. Yes, we drove over an hour to get there. With adventure elopements, sometimes spending a while in the car is totally worth it. In this case, it allowed us to experience a completely different landscape and we had it all to ourselves. When we arrived, Steve and McKenna set up a little picnic at the cliff’s edge, complete with some cheese and crackers and a couple of ice cold Coors (we are near the Rockies after all). Not a bad spot to have a snack after getting married.
We all snacked, laughed, and relaxed for a bit while we watched the sun slowly begin its descent towards the horizon. After a nice break, we got up and ventured around for some epic sunset portraits. By this time, the hem of McKenna’s dress had taken on a deep red fade, a sure sign that the desert approved of their marriage. We love it when dresses get dirty. It’s part of every true adventure elopement 😉
The sunset ended up being one of the best we’ve seen in the Moab desert. It was the perfect end to this awesome Moab elopement. At the end of it all, we said our goodbye’s and McKenna and Steve hung back to watch the stars come out. And way out here, far from any city lights, the stars are definitely worth staying out for. They had an Airbnb to sleep at that night, but if they wanted they could have spent the night right there under the stars. We love elopements for so many reasons, and communing with the great outdoors is right there at the top. It was great to see these two end their day doing just that. We’re already looking forward to our return to the epic adventure land of Moab.
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