A bride and groom stand on a rock holding hands as the bride's dress blows in the wind next to her in one of the best places to elope in the US

5 Best Places to Elope in the US

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Looking for the Best Places to Elope in the US?

We’ve traveled quite a bit and explored a decent amount of the United States which is why we’ve put together this Best Places to Elope in the US list. It can be really tough to choose just one location for your elopement when there are so many beautiful places in the US. In this blog, you’ll see our top 5 places to elope along with reasons why it’s on the list, best time to visit, and fun activities you might want to include in your elopement experience.

Things to Consider When Looking for the Best Places to Elope

Scenery/Backdrop:

When you start talking about your elopement, it’s super important to take a second to pause and start dreaming. Close your eyes and picture where your elopement ceremony will take place. Are you standing next to a waterfall? Or on top of a sand dune? Maybe in a valley, with mountains surrounding you? Once you decide what type of landscape you’re most drawn to, everything else can start falling into place!

Time of Year & Weather

Now that you’ve decided on the type of landscape you are interested in, it’s time to start thinking about what the weather is like in that spot. Is it somewhere that gets really hot during certain months or maybe really cold? Are you ok if there is snow in your photos or would you rather fall foliage and colors? As you start narrowing down which temperatures and months you like best, you’ll be able to do some research to figure out when to visit the landscape you’re looking for.

Whether or not you’re inviting guests

This is a big one for some people! When you’re considering the best places to elope in the US, it’s important to consider if you are inviting guests or not. Some locations are not able to accommodate larger groups of people and some national parks limit the group size. 

Hiring Experienced Elopement Photographers 

That’s where we come in! We are elopement photographers who love having a hand in the planning process as well. We’ve visited a lot of the best places to elope in the US so we can offer our expertise and advice when it comes to deciding on a location for you. We offer assistance with location scouting (so we know exactly where we’re going and what it will look like), the permit process if necessary, recommending other vendors you might be interested in working with, accommodations, information regarding the marriage license, and other fun things to do while you’re in the area!

Best Places to Elope in the US: California

Ok, we might be a bit biased, but California is definitely one of the best places to elope in the US. It just has everything: beach, desert, mountains, forest, you name it, California has it! Another thing we love about California is that you can elope there year-round and find amazing weather in each season of the year!

Our favorite California locations for your elopement are listed below and if you want to read more about each of these spots, head over to our blog post about our favorite places in California to elope!

  1. Yosemite
  2. Big Sur
  3. Central Coast
  4. Eastern Sierras
A couple stand with their arms around each other facing the ocean and looking out over a cloud inversion.
A bride and groom share their first dance on their elopement day as the sunsets behind them in Yosemite National Park
A bride leads her groom through the snow in Yosemite on their elopement day
A bride and groom walk hand in hand along the beach in Big Sur and there are big rocks sticking up out of the ocean behind them.
A bride and groom run through the sand with giant sand dunes in the background
A bride and groom stand with their hands in the air on a cliff in Yosemite National Park
A bride rests her head on her groom's shoulder while they stand watching the sunset with a blanket wrapped around them
A couple stand embracing on their wedding day in Yosemite

Best Elopement Locations in the US: Alaska

Alaska is one of the best elopement locations in the US for several reasons. First off are the views. Alaska boasts incredible views everywhere you look with towering mountain ranges, coastal beach ports, wildflowers galore, glaciers you can walk on and so much more. On top of having amazing views, Alaska is chock full of adventure activities to include in your elopement day. Helicopter flights, dog-sledding, ATV or Snowmobiling, Northern Lights, Fishing Charters, kayaking amongst giant chunks of glaciers, zip-lining through the forest. You name it, Alaska has got it!

Depending on what you want to include in your elopement day, Alaska can be visited at any time of the year. Most people stick to summertime when the days are long and all tours and activities are open for tourist season. Others brave the cold and visit in the winter for a better chance at viewing the Northern Lights. We love Alaska in the fall with wild blueberries everywhere and fall colors in full swing.

Our favorite Alaska elopement locations are listed below and if you want to read more, head over to our Ultimate Guide for Eloping in Alaska!

  1. Seward
  2. Hatcher Pass/Palmer
  3. Girdwood
  4. Valdez
Bride climbs up on a rock while groom holds her wedding dress. There is a glacier field behind them and snow on all of the mountains.
A groom walks with a backpack on and his bride walks next to him along a rocky beach towards a helicopter waiting for them.
A bride and groom walk hand in hand along a beach in Alaska with mountains towering behind them
A groom and bride stand next to each other as the groom rests his forehead against his bride's cheek
A bride and groom hold hands in the air as they dance on a rock in Alaska on their elopement day.
A bride and groom walk hand in hand down a grassy hill with a helicopter and snowy mountain behind them.
A groom sprays a bottle of champagne at the camera while his bride stands next to him with a hand on his waist.
A bride and groom share their first dance on a grassy hill high above Resurrection Bay in Alaska
A bride and groom stand hand in hand at Hatcher Pass in Alaska on their wedding day.

Best Places to Elope in the US: Montana

Montana is known as the “Last Best Place” and we couldn’t agree more! The natural beauty in Montana is hard to beat. It’s a large state filled with hidden remote and wild places, making it a great option for your elopement. 

Our favorite places in Montana to elope are listed below and you can read more about them here (link coming soon 😬, we’re updating our site!).

  1. Glacier National Park
  2. Bozeman
  3. Kootenai National Forest
A bride and groom stand on a rock next to a waterfall kissing
A bride and groom walk down a wooden boardwalk that is in a meadow with wildflowers and mountains behind them
Two brides stand holding each other on their wedding day
A groom leads his bide by the hand along a hill with snowcapped mountains behind them
A bride and groom walk down a rocky path hand in hand
A bride leads her groom by the hand as they walk along rocks next to the river in Glacier National Park on their leave no trace elopement day.
A bride touches her groom's chest as they stand on a rock next to a lake in Montana on their wedding day.
A bride and groom stand on a platform in Glacier National Park looking out over a wooden railing at the mountains around them
A bride and groom dressed in Indian wedding attire dance slowly together in Glacier National Park as the sunsets
A bride and groom stand on a big rock next to a river as the sunsets behind them
A bride and groom wearing backpacks walk down a rocky trail in Montana as a waterfall flows behind them
A bride and groom walk towards the camera on a dirt path in Glacier National Park with tall grass and wildflowers blooming around them

Best Places to Elope in the United States: Wyoming

Wyoming is one of those states that surprises us every time we visit. There is so much to see and so much diversity which is why it makes our list of best places to elope in the US.

It’s also one of those states that are great to visit at all times of the year. Summertime is definitely when it will be most crowded, so consider eloping in the spring, fall, or winter to escape the tourists!

A few of our favorite places in Wyoming to elope are:

  1. Grand Teton National Park
  2. Yellowstone National Park
  3. Bridger-Teton National Forest
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A bride holding a beautiful bouquet with sunflowers stands looking up at her groom in one of the best places to elope in the us
Two brides wearing black stand in a snowy meadow at sunset holding hands
Two brides share a passionate kiss as on dips the other surrounded by high grasses and snowy mountains
Two brides stand embracing as the sun peeks through the clouds and there are snowcapped mountains behind them
A bride and groom kiss while standing next to a lake in Grand Teton National Park
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best places to elope in the us 0556 1

Best Elopement Locations in the US: Idaho

While Idaho might not be at the top of everyone’s list of best places to elope in the US, it definitely deserves a spot on ours! Idaho is full of hidden gems and is probably one of the least crowded places to have your elopement. 

Idaho is also one of those states that would be great for any elopement in any season. Spring, fall, and summer are probably the most popular times, but Idaho also has some great skiing and snowboarding if that’s what you want to do for your elopement!

Our favorite locations in Idaho are:

  1. Coeur d’Alene
  2. Sawtooth Mountain Range
  3. McCall
A groom dips his bride as they share a kiss in Idaho on their wedding day
A bride and groom stand looking at each other on a wooden porch of a fire lookout with mountains behind them
A groom twirls his bride as the sunsets over a lake in Idaho
A bride and groom stand facing each other and holding hands in a grassy meadow as the sunsets in the mountains behind them in Idaho
A bride and groom kiss while standing next to a river in a meadow in Idaho
A couple drive a side-by-side along a dirt road that has a wooden fence along it.
A groom and bride share an embrace and a kiss as the sunsets around them and over the lake they are standing above
A groom helps his bride up onto a wooden porch of a fire lookout in Idaho
A bride stands behind her groom with her right hand on his shoulder next to a river in a meadow in Idaho

United States Elopement Photography Packages and Info

In case you read all the way to the bottom and don’t know who we are, we’re Becky & Brian of Scenic Vows. We’re an elopement photography team (and Becky’s an officiant) living on the road in our converted Sprinter Van. We’ve visited all of these places and explored them in depth, giving us an insider’s perspective and we’re here to share those insights with you!

We offer several different elopement packages based on what you want to do for your elopement day. You can check those out here and if you’re not sure yet what you want to do, no worries! We’re here to help you figure that out. The best thing to do would be to head over to our contact page and fill out the form so we can set up a time to jump on a Zoom call and chat about it all!

Let’s Do This!

We’re Becky and Brian, van-based adventure elopement photographers traveling the world helping couples create memorable elopements in nature while capturing naturally beautiful photographs. 

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