Planning a Sedona elopement gives you the freedom to create a wedding day that is completely your own. Rather than spending the day putting on a big production in a stuffy venue, or following a traditional timeline, you can have a wedding day that you actually want. I’m talking horseback riding through the red rocks, off roading to epic viewpoints or swimming in the crystal clear waters of the Oak Creek Canyon. Whether you’re an adventurous couple who loves hiking and mountain biking, or a laid-back couple who would rather enjoy a picnic at sunset, there’s something for everyone in Sedona. So if you want to plan an intentional elopement day surrounded by red rocks and stunning desert scenery, there are so many different Sedona elopement activities you can incorporate into your day to make it your own. So start dreaming. This list is filled with so many different elopement activities, but its also only the beginning, there are so many possibilities for your elopement day.
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How to Choose the Best Sedona Elopement Activities for Your Day
With so many possibilities, how do you choose the right elopement activities to incorporate for your day? Sart by thinking about what you genuinely love doing together as a couple. Do you like to hiking? Play board games? Reading? Cooking? Off Roading? Your wedding day should feel like a reflection of you as people and your relationship. Not a checklist of things you think you’re supposed to do. If you love adventure, consider hiking, off-roading, horseback riding, or even mountain biking through the desert. If you prefer a slower pace, you might want to consider a picnic, meditation, yoga, or a romantic dinner.
Think about how you want your day to feel, how much time you want to spend traveling or being active, and which experiences will create meaningful memories. If you’ve never been horseback riding, and want to try something NEW on your elopement day, go for it! Just because you’ve never done something, doesn’t mean you can’t do it on your wedding day. I mean, what better way to celebrate your wedding day than to by doing something new together. You also don’t need to pack your schedule with a ton of activities. Choosing just one or two experiences you truly enjoy or interest you can be enough to turn your elopement into an incredible day.
Adventurous Sedona Elopement Activities
If love the outdoors and getting a little dirty or maybe love the adrenaline, an adventurous Sedona elopement activity might be what you are looking for. Sedona’s red rocks and desert landscape is an outdoor enthusiasts’ playground and provides so many opportunities to get outside and make your elopement an experience rather than just a ceremony and a few pretty pictures.
1. Hike Through the Red Rocks
Hiking is one of the most popular Sedona elopement activities, and for good reason. There’s something special about starting your wedding day on a trail together, dusty boots, surrounded by towering red rocks. Hiking allows you to reach locations that are much less crowded. Not only that, but the hike becomes part of the actual adventure. Your hike doesn’t have to be difficult or long, the goal is to choose a trail that feels enjoyable and meaningful to both of you. Find something that leads to an incredible view or unique rock feature. With hundreds of miles of trails in Sedona, your bound to find a location that excites you. I use AllTrails to help us get started, but it is important to note that you cannot elope on all of the trails found on this list. You can start your search HERE, but I recommend working with a local so ensure you select a trail that allows elopements.
2. Go Off-Roading or Take a Jeep Tour
For couples who want a little more adrenaline or something unique, an off-roading adventure might be perfect for you. A Jeep or 4×4 off-roading excursion allows you to explore rugged terrain and reach locations that aren’t accessible by a traditional car. Sedona offers couples the opportunity to book their own vehicles or they can book a guided tour with outfitters like Pink Jeep Tours or other companies. For more information on how to have an off-roading elopement, you can check out this post: Best Sedona Off-Roading Elopement Locations. Pack a lunch, enjoy the ride and be ready for the most INSANE photos.
3. Go Horseback Riding
Horseback riding is such a fun way to slow down while still enjoying the beauty of Sedona. This is a great option for couples who don’t feel comfortable off-roading or don’t want to hike long distances but still want to find secluded locations. Horseback riding also adds a little Western flare to your day and your photos. This is such a unique way to see Sedona and allows you to feel connect to each other and the scenery around you. Horsin’ Around Adventures is widely considered one of the best outfitters in and around the Sedona area.
4. Go Mountain Biking
If mountain biking is something you already enjoy together, why not weave that shared passion into your elopement day. I am also a mountain biker and would love to follow you along on your adventure and capture this experience as it unfolds. Spend a few hours exploring Sedona’s trails and then change into your wedding attire for your ceremony and portraits. If a few bumps and bruises doesn’t scare you, then this might be the perfect Sedona elopement activity for you and your partner. You don’t have to spend the entire day in formal clothes. And you get to do something you love.
5. Rock Climbing
For experienced climbers, rock climbing can be an incredible way to incorporate something you genuinely love into your wedding day. Sedona’s dramatic rock formations create an unforgettable backdrop for climbing elopements. If you want to go climbing or even just bouldering on your elopement day I can help you find routes or I can connect us with a qualified local guide to help plan around your experience level and the current conditions in Sedona. This can be such an exciting and unique way to celebrate your elopement day.
6. Explore The Desert
Leave some time in your itinerary (I help couples build time into their timeline) with no particular destination in mind. Wander through the desert, explore rock formations close to your Airbnb, discover unique landscapes, and stop whenever you find something beautiful or interesting. Set out without a destination in mind and give yourself room to explore and simply be spontaneous because some of the best memories can come from the moments you didn’t necessarily plan.
7. Take a Helicopter Tour
If a new and unique adventure and incredible views are something you both love, why not add a helicopter tour into your elopement day? Soar above Sedona’s iconic red rocks, take in the landscape from a whole new perspective. The view from above is simply AMAZING. Taking a helicopter tour is a great way to do something new that maybe neither one of you have done before. Take my advice, a helicopter tour is sure to be one of the highlights of your elopement day.
Laid-Back Sedona Elopement Activities
Not every couple wants an action-packed wedding day filled with adrenaline or strenuous hikes and that is OK. Sometimes the most meaningful Sedona elopement activities are the ones that give you time to slow down, enjoy the scenery, and simply be together. I have also found that pairing an adventurous activity with a laid back activity is a great way to create balance in your elopement day. Here are just a few to help you slow down and get started.
8. Start the Day With Coffee
Wake up slowly and start your wedding day with your normal cup of coffee and a beautiful view. Bring your favorite mugs or even get some customized mugs and sit together and enjoy a few quiet moments before the day even gets started. You could talk about your plans for the day, your dreams for the next few years, listen to music, or simply enjoy the morning. It may seem simple, but these quiet moments can become some of your favorite memories from the whole experience.
If you want to get customized mugs for your elopement day, I am obsessed with these cute mugs on Etsy. You can put your initials and your wedding date on them and have a little keepsake to remeber this day for years to come. You can find those HERE.
9. Have a Picnic
Pack your favorite foods or small snacks and find a beautiful place to enjoy a meal together. Maybe its on the side of the trail during your hike. Or maybe you pack a picnic to enjoy from the back of the jeep while you’re out off-roading. There aren’t any limits to what you can do with your dream picnic. A picnic can be breakfast after a sunrise hike with pancakes, lunch in the desert, or dinner with your favorite take out during sunset. Bring your favorite snacks, desserts, fruit, sandwiches, take out, or even a small wedding cake. This is a prefect way to relax, refuel and celebrate without needing a formal reception.
10. Book a Couples Spa Experience
After probably spending most of the day outdoors, give yourself a chance to relax in a unique and intentional way. A couples massage or spa experience can be a wonderful addition to your elopement day or weekend. This is something you could schedule the day before your ceremony to help you unwind and feel refreshed or save it for afterward when you’re ready to relax after a full day of adventuring. Sedona is known for harnessing good spiritual energy and going to the spa is a great way to lean into the healing powers of Sedona.
Here are some of the Best Luxury Spas in Sedona
11. Take a Scenic Drive
Get in the car, turn on your favorite playlist, and explore Sedona at your own pace. Stop at viewpoints, take spontaneous photos, and enjoy the scenery along the way. There are a handful of scenic drives that do not require an off-roading style vehicle to enjoy. This option allows you to pick a handful of beautiful locations to visit throughout the day without needing to hike or rush around. Be spontaneous, stop when you want, get lost in the desert and enjoy the ride.
12. Practice Yoga Together
Yoga is a great opportunity to slow down, breathe, stretch, and connect before the excitement of your elopement day even begins. Consider starting your day with a private yoga session either at your Airbnb or at another location held in Sedona’s landscape. This is a great activity for couples who want to incorporate wellness and mindfulness into their Sedona elopement.
13. Take a Guided Tour
Sedona has tons of guided tours available for booking. A guided tour can give you a deeper appreciation for Sedona’s unique landscape, rock formations, plants, wildlife and history. If you and your partner enjoy learning about the places you are visiting, this is a great way to incorporate something a bit different into your wedding day and learn something along the way. Your elopement day is more than the pretty pictures (I promise, there will be tons of those), but rather finding and creating a meaningful experience.
14. Play Board Games
If you are anything like my family, you LOVE board games. I’m talking, Sorry, Monopoly, Scrabble, you name it. If this is something that you and your partner enjoy doing, why not include it in your wedding day? This is a great way to slow down, be present and do something you love. It is an opportunity laugh a little and simply unwind from a day filled with emotions and adventures.
*** I am more than happy to take you and your partner on in a friendly (or not so friendly) game of cards.
Evening/Night Time Sedona Elopement Activities
Why should your elopement end when the sun goes down? Some my favorite moments (and photos) happen during golden hour, after sunset, and well into the night. Sedona is a low light pollution area which means that the stars are incredible, which means the astro photography of you and your partner looking up at the night sky, are also incredible.
15. Watch the Sunset
Plan part of your wedding day around sunset. Sunset in Sedona is my favorite part of the day. The sky lights up and most sunsets will simply take your breath away. I recommend having your ceremony well before sunset so that the two of you can pull out a blanket and simply enjoy the show. No rushing around, just quiet moments and the chance to slow down an reminisce on the amazing day you just had. Maybe bring your favorite drinks to the overlook, cozy up and watch the sky catch fire.
16. Go Stargazing
Stargazing is one of the best ways to end your Sedona elopement. Once the sun goes down, find a peaceful spot, bring a blanket, and spend some time looking up at the night sky. Sedona has been designated an International Dark Sky Community which means there is limited light pollution in the area so the stargazing is literally out of this world (badum tss… get it? anyways…). If you want to take it a set further, you could even book a guided astronomy experience. Either way, ending your wedding day beneath the stars can be incredibly romantic and create some amazing pictures.
17. Take a Moonlight Hike
For adventurous couples who aren’t ready to call it a night, consider a moonlight hike. Exploring Sedona after dark offers a completely different perspective on the landscape. I can help you choose the right trail, pack the right lighting, and have a unique adventure well after the sun has already set. For couples comfortable with nighttime hiking, this can be an opportunity to slow down, be close and feel like they are completely alone. It’s hard to explain the feeling of hiking at night but it really can be cozy and romantic.
18. Have a Campfire
We will need to check fire conditions for this one, but if fires are permitted end the day around a campfire is the best way to end the day if you ask me. Cozy up with your partner, make s’mores, listen to music, talk about your favorite moments, and enjoy a slower pace after a busy day. If you are staying at an Airbnb, I generally send Airbnb options that have an outdoor fire ring so that you have a space to easily make this happen. You bring the marshmallows, I’ll bring the chocolate.
19. Enjoy a Late-Night Dessert
If you have a sweet tooth like I do, you will definitely want to end your wedding day with something sweet. You could order in or bring cupcakes, a small wedding cake, cookies, or your favorite dessert and enjoy it by your campfire. Or go out into town to hunt for your favorite dessert. There’s nothing quite like ice cream in a waffle cone after a full day of hiking and exploring. This is a great way to slow down and share your favorite parts of the day with your partner.
20. Hot Tub Soak Under The Stars
If you want to take stargazing to a whole other level, you could go back to your Airbnb and star gaze from your own personal hot tub. I don’t know about you, but soaking the feet in a hot tub after a long day of hiking and adventuring sounds like a literal dream. You could pick up pizza on the way back to your Airbnb, open a bottle of wine and enjoy a hot tub soak with your favorite person. Just don’t forget to look up and enjoy the stars above.
*** Almost all of the Airbnb’s I recommend to my couples have a hot tub on the property. Contact me HERE to start looking at lodging and planning your day. This is an example of just one of the many properties I help my couples find.
Romantic Sedona Elopement Activities
At the end of the day, your elopement is ultimately about celebrating your relationship in the way that makes the most sense to you. So be sure to make space for experiences that allow you to slow down and focus on each other. Add that romantic touch to your day. Here’s just a few ideas to bring the romance.
21. Exchange Private Letters
Before or after your ceremony, you could find a quiet place to exchange handwritten letters. Write about your favorite memories, share some inside jokes, write about what you admire most about each other, share what you’re looking forward to in the next few years as a married couple. Sharing these letters in a quiet, and private setting can add such a personal touch to your elopement day and help you feel even more connected to your partner. This can give you space to say what is on your heart or share things that might be difficult to express during the formal ceremony.
22. Have a First Dance on Your Balcony
Just because you are choosing to elope, does not mean that you can’t include some wedding traditions into your day. A first dance is such a great way to feel connected to your partner and share a quiet moment together. Select your favorite song and dance to it on the balcony of your Airbnb. This song can then be replayed for years to come on your wedding anniversary. It’s a beautiful and romantic tradition you can use to celebrate your marriage even after the day is over.
23. Have a Romantic Dinner
After a full day of adventure, make a reservation at a fancier restaurant. Sit down together and splurge a little on a special meal. Whether you choose an intimate restaurant or a private dining experience with a private chef at your Airbnb, make your wedding dinner stand out. Make it a true celebration of the day you just had. If you don’t necessarily want to splurge, you could order in your favorite foods and just indulge in a buffet of all your favorite things. Nothing screams romance like chopsticks and chinese takeout as you laugh on the floor and reminisce on the day.
24. Go Swimming (or Cliff-Jumping)
I don’t know about you, but there is something wildly romantic about swimming with your partner. Sedona’s Oak Creek is the perfect place to dip your toes in the water or jump right in and cool off. Sedona also offers a wide variety of swimming holes, opportunities for sunbathing and even cliff jumping. Just imagine, holding your partner’s hand, running to the edge of a cliff and taking a leap of faith together as you fall into the crystal clear waters (all while wearing your wedding dress). Sounds pretty perfect right?
25. Watch the Sunrise Together
While sunrise can certainly be an adventurous experience, it can also be incredibly romantic. Wake up early, find a beautiful viewpoint, and watch the first light of your wedding day together. This experience can ground you in the day and gives you space to slow down and connect with your partner on an intimate level. I recommend you bring your morning coffee, and a cozy blanket. Sit close, wrap up together and enjoy a few quiet moments before the excitement of the day gets away from you.
Unique Sedona Elopement Activities
If you’re looking for more unique Sedona elopement activities that go beyond the traditional wedding experience. Something more off the beaten path or maybe a little “out there”, Sedona probably has it. These ideas can add a personal spin to your elopement day and make it feel completely unique to you and your partner.
26. Take a Hot Air Balloon Ride
A hot air balloon ride is probably not something you get to do every day, so why not include it in your Sedona elopement day? Floating over the desert as the sun rises creates a completely different perspective of the landscape and creates a unique sense of adventure. Since balloon rides are weather-dependent, this idea works especially well as part of a multi-day elopement experience rather than something you have to fit into the parameters of a one day elopement. Not sure if a multi-day experience is for you? Connect with me HERE and we can chat about what that could look like.
27. Experience a Sound Bath
A sound bath is a meditative experience where you listen to a variety of different sounds and vibrations to reach a point od deep relaxation and a total nervous system reset. Sedona is known for being a place where visitors can find a sense of peace and healing and a sound bath is just one of those ways. In general it is an incredibly unique experience and can be such a great way to start off your wedding day. If you chose to elope because you didn’t want to experience any stress, give yourself the gift of a sound bath and achieve a completely stress-free stat. For couples who enjoy mindfulness, this can be a meaningful addition to their list of Sedona elopement activities.
28. Visit a Sedona Vortex
Sedona is also known for its vortex sites. These sites are associated with spirituality, meditation, and reflection. If you want to understand and feel connected to Sedona on a deeper level, I highly recommend exploring a vortex. Whether or not you approach them from a spiritual perspective, visiting one can be a peaceful and beautiful experience. Take some time to sit together, reflect, meditate, or simply enjoy the surrounding landscape at these sites.
*** Some of the locations I recommend to couples are vortexes, so if you are particularly interested in a vortex, let me know and I can include some in your custom location guide. Looking for your own custom location guide, contact me HERE.
29. Create Something Together
This could be something you create or something you do together like a unity ceremony. Let me explain, from a creation standpoint, you could sit together and paint, draw, write or build something. You could create artwork inspired by Sedona or exchange handmade gifts. Years later, you’ll have something tangible or something to hang in your home that reminds you of your wedding day.
If you would rather not be creative on your wedding day you could also incorporate a unity ceremony into your elopement day. Some unity ceremonies include mixing two different colors of sand, a unity candle, planting a tree or succulent that you can grow over the years. Some couples mix wine, whiskey or coffee to create a unique brand special to them and their relationship. The ideas are endless. For more unity ceremony ideas or how to structure your ceremony, you can check out this post: 7 Unique Things to do During Your Ceremony
30. Plan a Multi-Day Elopement Adventure
Who says your elopement has to be one day? If you ask me, I will always say that a multi-day experience wins every time. One of the most unique and intentional ways to plan your Sedona elopement is to turn it into a multi-day adventure. Spend one day hiking, off-roading and exploring, another relaxing at the spa, another enjoying your ceremony with a helicopter tour, and an evening stargazing beneath the desert sky. This type of adventure creates space. Space to live in each moment fully, space to enjoy, space to breathe. This format also allows you and your partner to take advantage of multiple adventures without feeling rushed or like you need to squish everything into one day.
***Not sure if a multi-day adventure is right for you? Let’s get connected. You can contact me HERE and we can chat more about your day and what you want out of it!
Create a Sedona Elopement That Feels Like YOU!
Your Sedona elopement is more than just a beautiful ceremony at a pretty location. This is a day that should reflect who you are as a couple and how you experience life together. Whether you spend your day hiking through the red rocks, exploring hidden trails, relaxing with a picnic, watching the sunset, stargazing beneath the desert sky, or trying something completely new, the best Sedona elopement activities are the ones that feel meaningful to you. There’s no right or wrong way to elope in Sedona. So choose an activity that gets you excited. Something that will help you create memories that you will share with your family for years to come. Because that right there, that will make the best elopement photos. If you need help planning you elopement day or have no idea where to start, you can contact me HERE. Let’s create that epic adventure that sets your soul on fire.
Hey there, I’m Alexa – your Sedona and Colorado elopement and wedding photographer. I believe every couple deserves a deeply meaningful and personalized elopement experience. So, if you’re dreaming of an adventure-filled, one-of-a-kind celebration of your love, you’ve come to the right place. Reach out to me and let’s plan your beautiful, adventurous day together!
