Zion Wedding

A Winter Wedding at Zion Mountain Ranch | Zion Wedding Photography

There aren’t enough words to describe how much Joey and I adored this day! From the beginning, Courtney and Andrew were wonderful to work with, just all around fantastic humans. They wanted a wedding that was focused on each other and their loved ones, so they invited their close family and friends for a destination wedding weekend in Zion. They all stayed at Zion Mountain Ranch— a perfect little cabin retreat tucked outside of Zion National Park. December weddings in Zion are pure magic. The air is crisp and cold and I I will forever be obsessed with cabin light for getting ready photos. Even with unexpected rain, snow, and mud, the talented team at Forevermore Events put together the most beautiful weekend filled with so much joy and love. We could stop smiling at this one and even shed a few tears.

The weekend started with Joey and I meeting up with Courtney and Andrew for some pre-wedding photos at Canyon Overlook in Zion National Park. They wanted the first time they say each other in their wedding attire to be when Courtney walked down the aisle, so we discussed some options and decided to do their photoshoot in semi-formal attire instead! It made the photos the day before less stressful and more of a fun pre-wedding outing before their rehearsal dinner back at the ranch. It was cold but these two were troopers! We got some gorgeous, fun photos at sunset and then hiked back down the mountain for the rehearsal dinner.

The next morning, Joey and I woke up before sunrise for a quiet walk of our own through the park at dawn. We shot some film and enjoyed a beautiful winter morning in our favorite place! Then we headed up the mountain for Courtney and Andrew’s beautiful day.

I mentioned this earlier, but cabin light on a cloudy day is my absolute favorite. The weather kept threatening to pour but

Vendor List:

Wedding Planning: Forevermore Events
Floral: Bloomers
Catering: Zion Mountain Ranch
Entertainment: Charlie Kessner
Paper Details: Black Julep Studio
Rentals: St. George Party Rentals
Cake: Cupcakes by Julie
Venue: Zion Mountain Ranch

Kiki & Peter Intimate Destination Wedding in Zion | As Featured in Rocky Mountain Bride

Kiki and Peter met through a mutual friend after college, while both living in Wisconsin. The two hit off over a Brewers’ game and quickly became inseparable. From Madison to Milwaukee, the couple dated long distance for over a year and a half. Kiki and Peter eventually moved to Phoenix together so Kiki could start grad school. After her graduation ceremony, Peter asked Kiki to marry hm in front of their families and closest friends. Overjoyed she said “Yes!” They planned an intimate and relaxed wedding in Zion for that summer. After visiting Zion a few summers prior, Kiki and Peter fell in love with the park and the charm of Springdale, Utah so they opted for a southwestern destination wedding! It was so special for the couple the share the beauty of Zion and the culture of the Southwest with their intimate guest list.

From the bride: “Peter and I will never forget sneaking away for an intimate hike together the day before the wedding. We were truly able to slow down, soak it all in and capture epic shots with our amazing photographer before walking down the aisle. I don’t think either of us have ever felt such a strong sense of belonging.”

Vendor List
Wedding Planning: Forevermore Events
Floral: Bloomers
Beauty: Tracy Sotirakis
Bridal Shop: A & BE Bridal Shop
Catering: Padre Canyon Foods
Dress Designer: Rue de Seine
Entertainment: Festival Sounds
Invites: Minted
Menswear: Tom James
Rentals: St. George Party Rentals
Cake: Cupcakes by Julie
Venue: Zion Mountain Villa

Winter Elopement in Zion National Park

 

I’m always thrilled when I get to photograph couples in Zion National Park. I’ve been doing photoshoots and weddings in the park for about 7 years of my professional career and elopements are quickly becoming some of my favorite shoots there. Musetta and Jurg contacted me about photographing their elopement in Zion National Park on Christmas Eve. That’s not normally a date I would schedule a wedding, but they had the coolest story and Musetta and I really connected over the phone so I said yes! They are both from South Africa and knew they wanted to get married in Zion because it was such a special place to them. The story of how they met is pretty cool too. They went to school together when they were young teenagers but didn’t keep in touch as they grew up and went their separate ways. Years later, their paths crossed again when Musetta was living in the states and Jurg was in South Africa. A year and half later and lots of traveling back and forth, here they are exchanging vows on a cliff in Zion!

We trekked up Canyon Overlook Trail for their bridal photos on Christmas Eve, and waved to the tourists who shared well wishes and exclamations of wonder as the bride hiked around in her wedding dress. Turns out this is one of my favorite things about weddings in national parks- it’s so fun to see how delighted other people are for the bride and groom. It’s a wonderful way to feel connected as humans. We spent some time after the ceremony taking portraits at various locations in the park until the sun set. It was a beautiful evening. Congratulations to the bride and groom!