This is a year like no other for weddings. For many couples that are engaged or had a wedding planned, they have had to postpone multiple times, re-plan and rethink. Some have even canceled their wedding until further notice. I am Traci, owner of a local Elopement planning and photography company called Adventure & Vow. Typically my couples will venture off somewhere down a trial in Sedona to have a connective and private wedding ceremony among the stunning red rocks. Elopements have somewhat been the bullet proof way to still get married during a pandemic. The biggest difference this year has been working with couples who had no intentions of an elopement or thoughts of getting married in Sedona originally. Throughout 2020 I have helped couples get married in Sedona on safe trails without much trail traffic, created a day that felt just as special as their original wedding plans and figured out out how to involve their families during a time when they want to be safe and practice social distancing. I would love to introduce you to some of these couples and tell you their stories!
Meet Mel and Rebecca! These two stopped wedding planning early into COVID-19 and reached out to me two weeks before the date when they felt safe and ready to get married! We found the most perfect Airbnb for them to hold their ceremony, with permission from the homeowner, overlooking all of Sedona! We had a large group Zoom call going the entire time so their family could be a part of the day and the ceremony! After they shared time with their kids, we headed out to a great overlook to catch the most beautiful sunset with no one else around! They arrived back to the Airbnb in time to eat a delicious meal prepared by a local restaurant that had been dropped off for them!
Kamaile and Ash had an Oregon wedding planned, but due to active military travel restrictions they couldn’t leave the state! We planned a beautiful wedding in Tucson for them, but with wildfires blazing Mt. Lemmon we had to cancel one week before, but we were still able to put together a super adventurous elopement in Sedona! Their family and friends joined them for a ceremony at an accessible trail and after, we did an off-road adventure to the best overlook of Sedona to end the day. As we headed back to their Airbnb where their guests had been cooking tacos and making cocktails, we stopped for Milky Way photos where they had their ceremony. The whole day was perfect, filled with traditions, joy and celebration.
Getting married your first time in Sedona couldn’t be a more special way to visit! Just ask Anna and Mikey, Californians who got their marriage license in Arizona because it was the only place they could get an appointment for one during the pandemic. The day before their wedding they spent time hiking trials I recommended, and we found the perfect one! They had a couple of friends come and a local officiant and we hiked deep into the red rocks where the only other thing around were the swooping swallows. Their ceremony felt like time froze for a perfect moment in celebration of love. It was complete solitude as we saw no one else.
Sedona has always been a place to me as an elopement photographer that is extremely special. Now I feel even more thankful for it, as it’s the perfect place to elope and feel safe. Your love still deserves to be celebrated this year.
