Destination Wedding in the Heart of Grand Staircase-Escalante at Ofland Escalante
If you’re dreaming of wedding photography in Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument, Tally and Ben’s destination wedding at Ofland Escalante in Escalante, Utah is a perfect example of how breathtaking landscapes, intentional design, and a laid‑back spirit can come together into something unforgettable.
A Destination Wedding in the Heart of Grand Staircase–Escalante
Tally and Ben chose to host their destination wedding in Escalante, UT, surrounded by the vast desert scenery of Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument. Instead of keeping their celebration small or adults‑only, they did the opposite: they invited all the people they love—and asked those people to bring the children and dogs they love, too.
The result was a wedding that felt deeply personal, communal, and grounded in place. Wide open spaces replaced traditional ballrooms, and the desert itself became the backdrop for one of the most meaningful wedding days I’ve photographed.
Chef‑Driven Food, Live Music, and Desert Dancing
The weekend started with a welcome dinner at Hell’s Backbone Grill and Farm in Boulder, Utah. This is our favorite restaurant of all time! We always jump at the change to get to photograph a wedding there.
This wedding didn’t miss a single detail, yet nothing felt forced or overly performative. The celebration featured chef‑driven food, thoughtfully prepared and shared family‑style, encouraging guests to slow down and truly connect. As the sun lowered over the desert, a live band kicked off an evening of dancing under the open sky. Bare feet, laughter, kids running between adults, dogs lounging nearby—it all felt effortless and alive.
Watching the sunset in the Utah desert while music drifted through the open space was one of those moments that reminds you why destination weddings are so powerful.
A Laid‑Back, Natural Wedding Day
Although Tally and Ben’s wedding was beautifully designed, the overall feeling was relaxed and organic. Events flowed into each other without rigid timelines, allowing everyone—especially the couple—to be fully present.
This approach created a day that felt less like a production and more like a gathering. When the night wound down, guests simply wandered back to their Airstreams and cabins, the desert quiet settling in around them.
Natural, Candid Wedding Photography in Escalante
As a Grand Staircase–Escalante wedding photographer, my approach to this day was entirely natural and candid. There were no forced poses or performative moments, just honest documentation of what unfolded.
The wide landscapes, soft desert light, and genuine connections lent themselves perfectly to documentary‑style wedding photography. From kids playing in the sand to quiet conversations at sunset, the images reflect the true feeling of the day: warm, unguarded, and real.
Planning a Destination Wedding in Escalante, Utah
If you’re considering a destination wedding in Escalante, UT, venues like Ofland offer an incredible opportunity to create a wedding experience that feels both elevated and deeply relaxed. Grand Staircase–Escalante provides an unmatched natural backdrop, making it ideal for couples who value connection, landscape, and authenticity.
Whether you’re planning an intimate gathering or a full weekend celebration, weddings in this part of southern Utah invite you to slow down, breathe, and let the day unfold.
Escalante Utah Wedding Vendors:
Photography: McKenzi Dye and Joey Dye
Planning/Design: Forevermore Events
Venue: Ofland Escalante
Catering: Chef Shon
Welcome Dinner: Hell’s Backbone Grill and Farm
Floral: Bloomers
Film Lab: The FIND Lab
Hair & Makeup: Bride and her friends
Summer Wedding on Film in Grand Teton National Park
Zach and Christina’s wedding was the kind of day that reminds us why we love elopements and intimate weddings so deeply. As accomplished film photographers themselves, they approached their wedding with intention, authenticity, and a deep appreciation for analog photography. It was a lovely collaboration between artists really! We always ask couples what is important to them about their wedding day and wanted to share what they wrote. It says so much about the kinds of couples and wedding we are privileged to witness and document:
“We love peering into the mundane details where it feels like a slice of life - you just happened to be there and it just happened to be our wedding day. Capturing moments, playing with light and movement. Interaction, candid and natural, organic and not posed. Storytelling with a cinematic approach. Adventurous. Timeless. Landscape. Wildflowers. Golden hour. Pop of blue skies. Capturing the big moments and the small details.”
Zach and Christina gathered their immediate families and traveled to Jackson, Wyoming, setting the stage for an intimate wedding in Grand Teton National Park. It was the summer of wildfires but the smoke didn’t keep these two away! A park ranger escorted us to the location at Schwabacher Landing and even held the bride’s bouquet while they privately exchanged vows before the families arrived. Surrounded by dramatic mountain landscapes, the day felt both grounded and elevated—especially as guests arrived in full black-tie attire, even with a short hike required to reach the ceremony location. The ceremony was heartfelt and deeply personal, unfolding naturally in the quiet of the Tetons. Every moment felt unforced, allowing space for genuine connection, emotion, and candid interactions between family members.
We photographed their wedding almost entirely on analog film, with Super 8mm video woven throughout the day. Film was the perfect medium to tell this story—capturing the texture, movement, and emotion of the landscape and the people within it.
Zach and Christina’s wedding was a true reflection of who they are: artistic, intentional, and deeply connected to nature. Their intimate Grand Teton elopement was authentic, emotional, and timeless—and an honor for us to document on film.
As Featured in Rocky Mountain Bride
Jackson, WY Wedding Vendors:
Photography: McKenzi Dye and Joey Dye
Super 8mm Video: Joey Dye
Video Edits: Dalton Call
Super 8 Lab: Pro 8mm
Film Lab: The FIND Lab
Catering: Glorietta
Hair & Makeup: Bride and her sisters
Zion National Park Destination Wedding at AutoCamp Zion UT
Jen & Jake’s Intimate Zion National Park Wedding at AutoCamp Zion
Some weddings are big and bold. Others are quiet and full of heart. Jen and Jake’s wedding in Zion National Park was the latter—a deeply personal, emotionally rich day surrounded by family, red rock cliffs, and the kind of stillness you only find in places like this.
As wedding photographers our goal is always the same: to capture the real stuff. The candid, unposed, in-between moments that actually matter.
A Morning of Calm at AutoCamp Zion
Tucked just outside the park, AutoCamp Zion is the kind of place that invites you to slow down. With its sleek Airstreams, modern cabins, and views of the desert hills, it creates the perfect atmosphere for a relaxed wedding weekend.
Jen and Jake spent the morning surrounded by close friends and family. There was no rush—just quiet conversations over coffee, a few happy tears, and a deep sense of presence. From a photography perspective, these are the moments I live for. The little things. The unscripted things. The stuff you can’t pose.
I spent the morning weaving in and out of Airstreams, capturing laughter, hugs, and the way the light filtered through the windows. Every detail felt like it belonged. Nothing was forced.
A Zion National Park Wedding Ceremony with Heart
Their ceremony took place within Zion National Park, framed by sandstone cliffs and wide open sky. The backdrop was iconic, but the emotion was what stole the show.
Only a small group of loved ones stood witness as Jen and Jake exchanged vows. You could feel the love—not just between them, but in the way everyone looked at them. The kind of support that’s built over years, not just a weekend.
As a photographer, I don’t direct much. I observe. I anticipate. And in places like Zion, where the light constantly shifts and the landscape is so expressive, it’s about blending into the moment and letting the day unfold. That’s when the most meaningful images happen.
Celebrating at AutoCamp Under the Stars
After the ceremony, everyone gathered back at AutoCamp for dinner under the stars. It was simple and heartfelt—exactly how Jen and Jake wanted it.
There was a long table strung with lights, the sound of glasses clinking, and kids laughing in the background. No first dances or formal timelines. Just real connection. Real stories. Real celebration.
I captured everything from toasts and stolen kisses to quiet moments between parents and their grown-up children. That’s what I love most about documenting Zion weddings—every frame tells the truth.
Why Zion National Park is Perfect for Intimate Weddings
Zion isn’t just beautiful. It’s grounding. The towering cliffs and wide skies have a way of putting everything in perspective. For couples like Jen and Jake, who care more about meaning than performance, Zion offers space to be fully present.
Whether you’re planning a full wedding or a small, personal celebration, Zion National Park gives you the freedom to strip away everything that doesn’t feel like you—and focus on what does.
OUR Approach
We’re not here to pose you into something you’re not. We’re here to document your day exactly as it unfolds—with honesty, sensitivity, and a quiet presence.
We believe the best photos happen when you forget the camera is there. When you’re laughing with your dad, crying with your partner, or sneaking away for a breath of fresh desert air.
Planning a Zion National Park Wedding?
Here are a few quick tips if you’re dreaming of your own wedding in this incredible place:
Choose a space that invites calm. AutoCamp Zion is perfect for gathering, resting, and celebrating without distraction.
Let go of the pressure. Zion doesn’t need much to feel extraordinary.
Focus on your people. Whether it’s 5 guests or 50, bring the ones who bring you joy.
Trust your photographer. We’ll handle the light, the landscape, and the storytelling—so you can stay in the moment.
Let’s Tell Your Story
If you're planning a Zion National Park wedding and want photography that feels as real as the love you're celebrating, we’d be honored to document it!
Silverton Colorado Wedding at Eureka Lodge
Two days in the San Juan Mountains with the loveliest humans. The weekend started with a rehearsal dinner at a saloon in Silverton, Colorado, a historic mining town nestled in the most beautiful mountains. Western themed attire for the weekend was a given and the guests got the memo. It was incredible!
Wedding day was at the Eureka Lodge, a old mining lodge right by a gorgeous river that was the most beautiful color of blue. Lily and Scott started their journey as a couple by road tripping across the country in Scott’s ambulance turned camper van, so it was only appropriate that they bring their guests along on an adventure through some of their favorite terrain.
Silverton Colorado Wedding Vendors:
Planning and Design: Heirlooms Design
Floral: Adela Flora Design Co
Video: Raven Rose Films
Catering: @etvoilacatering
Rentals: @mountainarrowevents
Music: @sixdollarstringband / DJ Revolve Mobile Disco
Stationary: @summit.and.sage
Bartenders: @thethirstyrooster
Cake: @toast.records.and.bakes
Hair & Makeup: @crystal_wolfchild_styling / @breekelly_hmua
Zion National Park Destination Wedding at Lazalu Retreat | Anna + Zach
Lazalu wedding outside of Zion National Park, photographed by documentary wedding photographers with film and digital formats.
Zion National Park Destination Wedding at Lazalu | Erin & Vince
Did we just become best friends? One of the absolute best parts of being a wedding photographer in Southern Utah is the people that we get to spend time with who get married in Zion. This is true of every single one of the lovely couples that we work with, but what we had with Erin and Vince was something special. For us it was love at first Zoom call. The work we do is very intimate and so chemistry matters a lot to us. So we always try to schedule a call to make sure we are all on the same page and check the vibe. It is important that we connect with our couples and equally important that they feel they connected with us. With these two it was immediately clear that they were head over heels in love with each other! And the more we got to know about their story, the better it got. They’ve known each other childhood and went to middle school and high school together. They each needed to leave and strike out on their own after high school and they lost touch with one another. Years later they reconnected during Covid times and have been inseparable ever since. Sound like a Rom Com to you too? Because that's what this wedding felt like the entire time! Especially when the maid of honor read Vince’s entry in Erin’s high school yearbook.
We have had the privilege of shooting weddings all over the world, but to be honest there is nothing quite like our backyard. Zion National Park is a cathedral of rock and beautiful nature and is a wonderful place to get married. Out of all the Zion wedding venues, Lazalu has to be our favorite! We are always thrilled when we find out that our couples have selected this venue, because along with all of its rustic charm and off grid beauty, it attracts a certain type of couple. It’s always a good sign that we are going to be on the same wavelength!
The wedding day was full of magic, a beautiful sunset, and perfectly planned by the talented Laura Stagg with Forevermore Events. We love all of the thousands of tiny things that make a wedding what it is, but do you know what the most important ingredient is? Well, besides love. It’s all of the guests who show up! Now, I don’t just mean show up to the wedding because that's obvious. But show up for the couple. Zion National Park is a bit of the beaten path and Lazulu is even a little bit further out of the way. You don’t just accidentally end up there. Erin and Vince had bus load after bus load of people coming from all over the country and world. These friends and family members packed up their finest clothing, book travel and journeyed to support this union! We laughed, we cried, and we partied. 10 out of 10 wedding all around and our hope is that the photos do it justice!
From the bride: “Our wedding is about the people and this place, and coupling all of that with an incredible dance party. We want candid photos of people talking, laughing, dancing, drinking, and crying. We love each other so much, and our journey to getting to marriage has been a decades-long fun adventure. Our hope is that our wedding reflects that fun adventure. This people and this place reflect everything that's gone into getting us here, and our photos should reflect that. When we found Lazalu, we knew it was the perfect setting for everyone to experience the magic of Zion, and we knew that it was a place that felt like us.”
ZION NATIONAL PARK WEDDING VENDORS:
Planning: Forevermore Events
Venue: Lazalu Zion Retreat
Floral: Bloomers
Catering: Kelsos Culinary Creations
Sound: Festival Sounds
Rentals: St. George Party Rentals
Film Lab: The Find Lab
Zion National Park Destination Wedding at Lazalu Retreat
We met these two for an engagement shoot in Zion National Park almost a year before their wedding. From the first moment we met we knew we loved them both! Anissa and Omar have a subtle way of making space for everyone through love and respect. We were really moved by the way that they showed up for each other too, offering kindness and support, it was instantly clear that what these two shared was really special. Overall, an amazing shoot in the Utah desert and we were stoked to see them again close to a year out for their wedding.
One year later it was time to party in Zion! One of the best things about kind, loving, respectful and supportive people is that the people they choose to surround themselves with usually share the same qualities. This was certainly true for this crew! The couple got ready for their wedding in Adobe houses at Lazalu Zion Retreat. The bride was surrounded by both friends and family, sipping champagne while hair and makeup did their thing. They were blasting music and having a chill day in their rustic cabin at Lazalu.
The fellas were on the other side of the property doing their thing too. Putting on cufflinks, offering advice, and tossing back a drink or two in preparation for the wedding ceremony. After snapping plenty of candid photos capturing both scenes as they played out, it was time for the first look. One of the best parts of a Lazalu wedding is that it gives us quick access to some of our favorite places to shoot in Zion National Park. So a quick drive to a quiet meadow and we were able to set the stage for our bride and groom to share a first look and have a quiet moment together. We love the emotion of a first look and having the dramatic background of massive sandstone spires and deep canyon walls of the Utah desert as a backdrop makes the perfect scene for the moment. We also love how the first look makes the whole thing feel real for the couple. Seeing your partner all done up in wedding attire helps everything sink in like “We are really doing this!”
Just like that, it was time to head back and walk down the aisle!
A stroll across a field to the site of the ceremony where chairs were set and the space was adorned in flowers set up against a jaw dropping background of sandstone cliffs and blue skies. Lazalu never disappoints! After a beautiful and heartfelt bilingual ceremony, our newly wed couple was flying high and overjoyed. An open bar with drinks already mixed and a charcuterie spread was waiting for everyone in the shade of the grove. Cocktail hour! Meanwhile the center of the grove was getting the final finishing touches from the incredible team at Forevermore Events, making sure that everything was flawless before the guests were invited in. The seating chart was a shot of tequila, letting you know what type of energy you were expected to bring with you!
Outdoor dining nestled inside the shelter of a grove of scrub oak just feels special! Dinner was filled with delicious food and heartfelt speeches. These guys had so much love and support from their families and their chosen families, it made for many amazing moments and we were absolutely loving it. It is always a goal of ours to capture how the day feels, so that our couple can go back and relive all of the small exchanges that happened throughout the day, and this wedding had all of it.
Now that everyone was well fed it was time to light up the dance floor and party! Tequila was flowing and the music was pumping, nothing like some Latin grooves to get a party going. This wedding was an absolute blast and we hope our photos did the day justice. Thank you Anissa and Omar! We love you both and and so happy for you!
ZION NATIONAL PARK WEDDING VENDORS:
Planning: Forevermore Events
Venue: Lazalu Zion Retreat
Floral: Bloomers
Catering: Kelsos Culinary Creations
Sound: Festival Sounds
Hair: Hair by Brooke
Makeup: Beauty by Allie J
Cake: CBJ and Company
Rentals: St. George Party Rentals
Film Lab: The Find Lab
