BRIGITTE & TYLER’S WINTER HORSESHOE BEND ELOPEMENT AT GLEN CANYON NATIONAL RECREATION AREA | HORSESHOE BEND ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHER | PAGE, ARIZONA

The scene? Brigitte had planed her mom’s milestone birthday trip to Page, Arizona for months. All her immediate family was coming in to celebrate! But they were all in for a surprise 🙂 After tours and great food the day before, Brigitte put a post-it note on the large photo of Horseshoe Bend hanging in their Airbnb that said “I’m getting married here today!”

When Brigitte & Tyler decided on a winter Horseshoe Bend elopement, it was to save their families the stress. If you only know a couple hours before, you can’t stress too much! So after the initial surprise, Brigitte had her sister help her into her dress (from Facebook marketplace! Can you believe it!?) and bright pink snow boots 🙂 At the end of the cul-de-sac, both their families got to witness their sweet first look with the red rocks looking on.

In crafting the perfect elopement day, I always ask my couples what kind of experiences they want to include. Tyler and Brigitte just wanted to see some really epic slot canyons. A massive winter storm the day before changed our locations, but these two were so down for any sort of adventure and were actually excited about the snow!

At sunset we met back up with their families for their ceremony at Horseshoe Bend. It was so sweet seeing them all walk down together. Brigitte even lead her Grandma on how to hike up a tricky spot! Then on the edge of the canyon, they promised forever to each other. Truly one of those moments you can’t put words to because it’s so grand…

After the ceremony, I will never forget these guys joyfully yelling over the canyon “we’re married!!”. Then they celebrated with a fun hot chocolate toast with their families. And lots of hugs! As I was standing next to Brigitte’s mom, she said “this is definitely the best birthday!” Couldn’t agree more!

Brigitte & Tyler were very intentional about sharing their day with the people that mattered most to them. Here are a couple ways you can include your people too!

The most obvious, invite those few special people! If you can’t imagine your day with out a family member or friend, it seems only natural to invite them to be there. Remember you can invite as many or few people as you’d like!

Brigitte & Tyler also wanted their family to be there for their first look. It was meaningful to them to get to share this special moment with their families. You too can choose to include your people in other significant parts of your elopement day!

When these two surprised their families, they also gave them little pins in the shape of a hand signing ‘I love you’ in ASL. Everyone wore those pins the whole day! A little gift is a thoughtful token you could include for your guests. I loved this one for both the message and also it connected everyone!

Finally, I always encourage couples who have their near and dear ones with them at their ceremony to have a celebration right afterwards. This can be a champaign toast, picnic meal together, tossing local leaves like confetti, the options are endless. Brigitte & Tyler did a hot cocoa toast – perfect for the chilly weather!

Want to know more about eloping at Horseshoe Bend?

Check out the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area website for all the basic info. You’ll need to apply for wedding permit which (at the time of posting) is $300. Each car will also need to pay the $10 parking fee – even if you have a National Parks Annual Pass. There’s so much to explore around the area of Horseshoe Bend too! The Navajo Nation boasts some of the most impressive slot canyons in the world, some of which you can elope or take photos in as well (permit/private tour required). Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is home to the Wave and other out of this world locations. And don’t forget Lake Powell for all the boating fun!

All this to say, I love this area, and I would be so stoked to show you my favorites on your elopement day! If this is your kind of wedding day vibe, I want to be friends. Reach out here and tell me a little bit about your dream day so we can get the ball rolling!

---