Luxury Destination Wedding at Auto Camp Zion National Park

Weddings have a way of revealing who you are and the way your people show up for you. A wedding is the perfect opportunity to see all of the attention, care, and love that a couple has put into their relationships as it gets reflected back to them. It was immediately clear that Cassie + Danny had a tribe that loved them fiercely! Their destination wedding took place at Autocamp, a luxury glamping destination located in Virgin Utah, just outside of Zion National Park. It was the ideal location to host this eclectic crew who traveled from Southern California to the desert of Utah.

The first night at Autocamp was an epic Welcome Dinner featuring a massive spread from Chef Shon Foster. It was immediately obvious that this group knew how to have a good time and had great style! Among a sea of Stetson hats, Pendleton sweaters & bolo neckties you could pick out a few famous faces in the crowd. It ended up being a fun and mellow hang that got everybody in wedding mode. 

Wedding day we were greeted with good vibes and blue skies, perfect for an outdoor wedding in Zion National Park! The fellas hopped aboard a tour bus at Zion Autocamp to get spiffed up for the day ahead. It was a laid back scene that involved a really great looking custom suit paired with designer shoes and accessories. But what stood out the most was the solid friendships. These guys all had Danny's back to make sure his day went smoothly. Meanwhile the ladies were getting ready for the day in a beautiful suite at La Fave. It was a relaxing pace and Cassie really seemed to be taking it all in with the full support of her people.

Laura and her amazing crew at Forevermore Events had an absolutely stunning ceremony set in the grass field located at Switchback Steakhouse in downtown Springdale. The set up was amazing, nestled next to the Virgin River and with the peaks of Zion all in the background. The ceremony was so sweet and heartfelt. You could feel how much these two love each other and were incredibly supported by so many family and friends.

Time to head back to Autocamp to eat and P-A-R-T-Y! 

Chef Shon was back for another night, which is  always a good sign! He and his crew threw down an awesome spread and topped the night meal off with an ice cream table. 

We had heard that some of the bride and grooms close friends were going to do a special performance and as I mentioned earlier there were some VERY famous faces hanging in the background. There was a buzz about what could go down and we were excited. 

Time to cut loose! Our cozy wedding tent in sleepy Southern Utah was about to throw down. DJ Bobby Booshay started cutting and mixing an awesome live DJ set. It’s not every wedding that brings in a touring DJ and this guy was slaying his set! Then the badass drummer known as Rook climbed up on the stage and he started playing to Bobby’s set. It is hard to overstate how insane this was! This is a guy who is used to playing in sold out stadiums in front of thousands of people and he is crushing a set for an intimate wedding in a little ol’ town in Utah. Words aren't adequate! After these guys put on a set of a lifetime, Grammy award winning country singer Dustin Lynch climbs up on the table with a microphone. He gives a really sincere speech about how much he loves our bride and groom and then breaks out singing his hit song Stars Like Confetti. Our bride and groom are having the time of their life and Dustin hands the mic to Danny to sing the chorus! It was pure magic.

Now this was hard to top. But suddenly, their wedding guest and friend, Machine Gun Kelly, is climbing on the table with the microphone. He gives a heartfelt toast and apparently our bride is the reason this man can leave the country to tour. Dude. MGK is now joining his drummer Rook and DJ Bobby Booshay and he starts performing now too! Absolutely wild!

The party is thoroughly hyped and the dance floor was full to the brim with everybody. Mom’s, grandma’s and what feels like half of L.A are all cutting loose and having a good time. This was definitely a wedding to remember. We absolutely love when wedding guests are part of the entertainment. It's always a great way to express love for the couple on their wedding day and is a touching show of affection. I’ll never forget the day that we were able to witness Internationally touring artist do that for this bride and groom. These guys were amazing, but there was true love and joy in these performances and it was incredible!

ZION NATIONAL PARK WEDDING VENDORS:

Planning: Forevermore Events
Venue: Auto Camp Zion and Switchback Grille
Catering: Chef Shon Foster
Video: Tanner Castro Films
Sound: Festival Sounds
Hair and Makeup: Kandice Delgado
Cake: CBJ and Company
Rentals: St. George Party Rentals
Film Lab: The Find Lab
Entertainment: Machine Gun Kelly, DJ Bobby Booshay, Rook, Dustin Lynch

Zion National Park Wedding at Lazalu Retreat

View fullsize

Imagine an intimate wedding under the stars of a dark sky in Utah. You’ve brought all of your closest friends and family and, of course, your dogs! The scene for the wedding takes place in a picturesque field that is touching the boundary of Zion National Park. Lazalu is our absolute favorite wedding venue in Zion. Every aspect of this amazing artist retreat turned wedding venue knows that it’s job is to not distract from the amazing vistas that surround it. Sacred and ancient canyon walls rise up from every direction that you look! The sun drops behind the cliffs as you and your guest are enjoying custom cocktails and appetizers and the blanket of stars start to fill the sky. It’s time to move your guests into the oak grove where a lavish scene awaits them. Flowers hang from the sky with the lights and the well appointed tables are set with all the trimmings and special details. Every guest has a place set with a photo and hand written note about what your relationships mean to them. This destination wedding in Zion National Park PARK literally had it all! 

Complete with a photo booth, bounce castle and karaoke, not one single detail was missed.

But most importantly this wedding was absolutely full to the brim with love! The type of people who choose to have their destination wedding in a place like Zion National Park are special. They tend to value their relationships above all else. The couples that a place like Lazalu wedding venue seems to attract are in a category on their own. They choose to build an experience for their guest in a temple that has been constructed by nature.

We started the destination wedding weekend with these two beautiful people with a private vow ceremony in the desert outside of Zion. Just the four of us plus two of the cutest dogs. You can see the full post from that day here.

We shot with both film and digital at this wedding and you will find a mix of both in their gallery below. We feel that shooting with film and digital is the best way for us to honor the documentary wedding style that we love so dearly!

Wes and Noreen. Thank you for inviting us to document your wedding! We hope these photos speak for themselves and that the love, joy and absolute fun shines through every single image. 

ZION NATIONAL PARK Wedding Vendors

Planner: Forevermore Events
Zion National Park Wedding Venue: Lazalu
Hair and Makeup: Beauty By Freckled Fox
Floral: Bloomers
Catering: Kelso’s
Rentals: St. George Party Rentals
Photo Booth: Photo Booth Bus
Entertainment: Festival Sounds
Content Creator: BACHD

Zion National Park Destination Wedding at Lazalu

She was from Utah. He was from England. They met in NYC and fell in love. They eloped in Las Vegas during 2020 and planned an epic celebration in the backcountry near Zion National Park in Utah.

The day started with blue skies in a gorgeous field full of wildflowers. The bride and groom had a quiet morning getting ready at the off-grid Zion wedding venue called Lazalu, nestled just outside of ZION NATIONAL PARK with stunning and private views of the red rock mountains. The charm and beauty of Lazalu provided a beautiful backdrop and setting for the day. Lazalu used to be an artist retreat and is now one of our favorite Zion wedding venues. It is a perfect way to combine the experience of an adventurous destination wedding in a national park with the quiet and secluded experience for a luxury wedding in the Southwest.

The couple shared their first look in a field overlooking the Zion landscape. Gucci shoes and a custom Markarian wedding dress. 

Jordan and Ricky knew what was important to them for their wedding day and they worked with the best wedding planner in Southern Utah for Zion destination weddings to make it happen: Laura at Forevermore Events! They envisioned  dinner and dancing under the stars in their favorite place in Utah. An experience for their city friends like no other! The blue skies quickly turned gray as a torrential summer thunderstorm moved through the mountains. 

Our favorite moments include watching as all of the guests worked together to move the entire wedding to shelter, and the bride and groom running through the field with a bottle of Dom into the wildest party with a live band. A terrible storm couldn't keep this party down! These humans are as beautiful on the outside as they are on the inside. 

The night ended with clear skies and a sky full of stars, as Jordan and Ricky and their favorite people moved outside to the grove with a live DJ and a disco party. 

From the bride, as featured in Over the Moon: 

"Watching our people save the wedding was a really emotional experience, and I think we were both just taking that in. It felt like a culmination of their love and support over all the years. Ultimately, it just felt like how we handle all obstacles—together, with good humor, and with the support of the people we love.”

ZION NATIONAL PARK WEDDING VENDORS:

Wedding Planner: Forevermore Events
Photographer: M. Felt Photography
Zion National Park Wedding Venue: Lazalu
Videographer: Dalton Call
Florist: Bloomers
Rentals: St. George Party Rentals
Catering: Chef Shon
Music & Entertainment: 
Mimi Knowles
Justin Cornwall @whatjustin
Gown Designer: Markarian
After Party Rentals: Festival Sounds

Intimate Destination Wedding at Zion Red Rock Oasis | Zion National Park Wedding Photography

Of all the destinations in the world to host a wedding, Zion National Park is up there with the best of them. These high school sweethearts along with their two beautiful children felt the same way. Zion Red Rock Oasis ended up being the best wedding venue to host their closest family and friends and provided the perfect backdrop for their wedding. Jake is himself an accomplished adventure photographer and loved the fact that we are hybrid wedding photographers, meaning we shoot both digital photography along with analog film photography. It is always an honor to be chosen by a fellow photog to document their most important day for them. The red rock backdrop of Zion National Park provided the perfect setting for this national park wedding. The wonderful friends and family that had gathered to celebrate this wedding in the desert provided all of the sweet, tender and fun moments.

Our only agenda for the day was to document everything as it happened, and we were more that happy to oblige! An intimate wedding in Zion National Park that turns into a wild party when the sun goes down? Sign us up!

Vendor List:

Photography: M. Felt Photography
Planning: Poppy Lane Events
Venue: Zion Red Rock Oasis
Floral: Poppy Lane Events
Rentals: St. George Party Rentals
Taylor Made Events
Makeup: Beauty by AllieJ
Hair: Hair by Brooke
Cake: Cake Couture
DJ: Electric Audio 4 U
Bartending: Silver Lining Events Bartending
Catering: Chef Alfredo’s

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

Southwest Wedding Under the Stars | Haley & Kevin at Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab

Haley and Kevin’s gorgeous southwest wedding under the stars was a top favorite for 2019. Summers in Southern Utah can be brutal, like 110 degrees for weeks on end. It was SO refreshing to photograph their beautiful outdoor wedding in the middle of August at Angels Landing at Best Friends Animal Society! This place is perfectly sheltered under a beautiful red cliff canopy, there is tons of shade, a natural spring, and a beautiful grassy field. We’re talking 85 degrees during the day people! Perfection. Beyond the beautiful setting though, it was such a joy to work with Haley and Kevin. These are two of the sweetest and most genuine humans. I love their belly laughs and silly moments together, and the way they adore their family and friends. There were so many beautiful and sweet moments on this day. I loved being part of it. I thought I would include a little snippet from their questionnaire because it perfectly describes them and their wedding day!

“We love animals, open space, and nature. We love this location because it takes us out of our usual grind and into our favorite place to explore, have deep conversations about our relationship, life, and enjoy the natural beauty. Best Friends is particularly special to us because they inspired us to overcome a huge obstacle and make us a stronger, more compassionate team. We adopted our dog Cassie, who quite frankly was a terrifying, aggressive, and unpredictable dog. We were told multiple times to euthanize her. We felt like failures and very alone because no one in the area would work with her due to her unusual triggers. Best Friends inspired us to persevere and work beyond our perceived limitations, which led us to fall in love and help this poor little dog heal and safely fit into society. It truly was a mutual rescue. We are so grateful to Best Friends and the animal rescue community for teaching us that we really can make the impossible possible and showing us the priceless reward of saving a life. We are over the moon to celebrate unconditional love and commitment at this overwhelmingly compassionate and selfless place. We hope to bare our emotions, dance the night away, laugh and celebrate with loved ones, eat Chef Shon's incredible vegetarian food, and soak in the sights during our big day.”

Vendor List:

Wedding Planning: Forevermore Events
Floral: Bloomers
Beauty: Tracy Sotirakis
Bridal Shop: Anomalie
Catering: Sego Restaurant
Entertainment: Festival Sounds
Paper Details: Black Julep Studio
Rentals: St. George Party Rentals
Cake: Sego Restaurant
Venue: Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

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

Should You Do a First Look at Your Wedding? Advice from a Pro

Hi there! Thanks for visiting. I’m McKenzi, a seasoned wedding photographer based in Southern Utah. I’ve been in the business for over 8 years so I’ve seen my fair share of all kinds of weddings! My experience in the industry has given me a good amount of knowledge and expertise that I love to share with my clients. I hope you find this advice helpful and please feel free to reach out to me directly if you’d like more info!

---

One of the most common questions I get asked by my clients is if I recommend a first look on the wedding day.

I’m sharing my thoughts on first looks from the perspective of a professional photographer who has been in the business for a lot of good years. I thought it would be helpful for you to read about the pros and cons of having a first look and then decide that if that something you would like to do for your day! I also included a section about opting for a Day After/Bridal Session if you choose not to do a first look and still want plenty of time for gorgeous portraits. 

Pros to a First Look

Time to Connect Before the Ceremony and Take a Breath. 

Let me tell you what I love about first looks. It’s one of the few times in your day that you will have a quiet moment together to soak it all in. From my perspective, I love that I get to spend time with the bride and groom separately before this moment. They’re getting ready, making the final touches before it’s time to go, feeling all of those excited and jittery vibes. If I haven’t met them before, it’s extra special because I don’t yet know how they are when they’re together. I just know them as individuals. Nerves are high, everyone is anxiously awaiting this moment. And then after what I’m sure feels like forever, it happens. They see each other and I can actually feel the emotional exhale. It’s so beautiful and sweet. It’s like these two people are finally complete and I can see how they just fit perfectly. If the day was stressful before this moment, it always seems to calm down after the first look. It’s a time to connect before the ceremony and just be together.

Now I understand that it’s obviously not just the two of you during this moment and you might be like “But I don’t want to spend this time being interrupted for photos!” This is the part where I’m awesome- ha! I know that this is your time to connect and share this special moment together, and it’s my job to quietly and unobtrusively document and give you a little space. I’m usually quite aware of what you need and I know when it’s time to start taking the posey photos. It also helps if we have a good amount of time for the first look session so we’re not rushed.

No Distractions.

As I mentioned previously, this is the first time you will see each other before you exchange your vows and it allows you plenty of alone time to soak in that moment without any distractions. This will also help you soak in the ceremony a little more because you’ll be able to focus more on that moment.

More Time Hanging with Your People After the Ceremony.

This is probably the number one reason why couples choose to do a first look. If you take the majority of your photos before the ceremony, you will have plenty of time to hang out with your friends and family after the ceremony. If you wish, you can take your couple wedding portraits, wedding party, and family portraits before the ceremony. Making it entirely possible for you to actually attend your own cocktail hour. Imagine that!

Cons to a First Look

Earlier start time to the Day.

I recommend setting aside at least an hour for a first look and wedding portraits, and another 30 minutes to an hour if you’re going to do wedding party and family photos at that time too. This means that you will need start everything earlier in the day so you can be ready in time! I also recommend setting aside about 20 minutes before the ceremony so you can chill out, freshen up, and have a quiet moment before everything starts.

Lighting Isn’t Always Ideal.

Since the first look usually happens early-to-mid-afternoon, the lighting isn’t as nice as it is before sunset. However, we always make it work! Depending on where you are getting married I’ll find a good spot to do the first look. I have a lot of couples who get married in or near Zion National Park and they usually like to set aside some time to drive into the park for the first look session. This is always beautiful! But keep in mind that most of the photos you see of a couple in Zion are taken at golden hour or right at sunset. See my next section about a Day After/Bridal Session if you want lots of killer sunset images. Even with this, I always recommend setting aside at least 15-20 minutes during your reception for sunset portraits if that is important to you.

Pressure to Have the Perfect Reaction.

This is just my opinion but I’ve noticed lately that a lot of grooms feel pressure to have the “perfect” reaction at the first look. I think especially with the rise of Instagram and the desire for those epic picture perfect moments, it feels a little bit like our desire for first looks as the purpose of making your day more seamless and relaxed has turned in to another thing you “must” have. 

I always tell my grooms to not worry about what their reaction “should” be or what it’s supposed to look like. That’s not what it’s about. You don’t need to cry and freak out if that’s not you! Just focus on the moment. Hug one another. Kiss. Jump up and down. Whatever you want! I’m not going to interrupt and make you do something that isn’t authentic to how you feel. I’ll let that moment unfold as it does and be there to document along the way.

The Tradition.

The tradition of the look on the grooms face when you walk down aisle is no joke. It’s a real thing that is super special. The energy between you radiates throughout the entire place. It can be truly amazing. So all things aside, I totally get wanting that moment. Heck, that’s what we did at our own wedding, so I can definitely relate!

On that note, if this moment is super important to you, I most definitely 100% recommend hiring a second photographer as well. Joey (my awesome husband a.k.a kick ass second shooter) is a total pro at capturing the look on your groom’s face as you walk down the aisle, which allows me to fully focus on the bride as she makes her grand entrance!

Additional Advice

I do my best to be unobtrusive during the first look, but there is a lot of coordinating to make it happen! First looks work best if you hire two photographers.

Joey and I are pros at coordinating the first look to make sure the bride and groom don’t see each other, and also capturing the reaction on both of your faces when you see each other. 

There is a lot of guidance at the beginning of the first look, but once it’s time I stay quiet and totally out of the way and let you have your moment! I always encourage my couples to stay connected to each other after the initial reveal and that I will let you know when it’s time to “look at me and smile”. My goal is capture that sweet moment between the two of you and that works best when you’re not worried about what the camera is doing .

What About a Day After/Bridal Session?

A day after session is often called “Bridals” here in Utah (yeah, Utah is weird sometimes). I have a lot of destination wedding clients that always ask about this so I thought I’d include it in this post! The portrait session can also take place before the wedding- which negates the first look at the ceremony thing- but it allows you time to get amazing portraits at an awesome location with great light.

A day after or bridal session is great for wedding couples who may want to venture out the beautiful area where they’re getting married but don’t want to ditch their wedding guests for two hours- lookin’ at you, Zion weddings.

You can opt for this session after the wedding if the walking down the aisle moment is important to you. You can also do a bridal session before the wedding. We can coordinate a first look at this time so you can still have those photos of that special moment. If gorgeous sunsets, not being rushed for time, and having lots of beautiful images are your thing, I most definitely recommend a day after/bridal session.

Thanks for reading! Interested in having wedding photos that capture the feeling and love? You can reach out to me here. I’d love to hear from you!