Sedona Elope
From flights to flowers here are all the deets you need to Honeylope in Sedona
Flight & Car Rental Options + Things to Consider
If you’re doing our Weekender Pack in Sedona, you have two nearby airports to choose from. You can fly into Phoenix and make the drive up or you can fly into Flagstaff and take the drive down.
The advantages of flying into Phoenix are that usually, since it is a major airport, there are more flight options and cheaper airfare. There are more rental car options too, especially if you choose to rent with Turo (which we totally recommend!) And if you wanna tag on an extra couple nights in a fun city area like Scottsdale before heading home, then flying into Phoenix makes the most sense! One more advantage of flying into Phoenix is that you can swing by the clerks office on your way into Sedona to pick up your marriage license! (It’s on the way!) The easiest and closest location to Sedona for picking your license up is located just off the highway, about 20 min before you reach Sedona city limits in a town called Camp Verde. To avoid making a separate trip out to Camp Verde once you arrive to Sedona, just snag it on your way up! The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. (More deets on that process later on in this blog!)
The advantages of flying into Flagstaff are that it is way closer to Sedona than Phoenix! Instead of driving hours on a busy highway, you’ll just take a short and incredibly beautiful drive down an epic canyon (when google mapping Flagstaff Airport to Sedona, tick the ‘avoid highways’ option so that it doesn’t automatically send you down the 17. You will want to follow the signs 89A for Sedona instead) If you wanna tag on an extra day or two exploring the Grand Canyon before heading home, flying into Flag logistically makes the most sense! Finally, if you plan on flying into Flag, you can swing by the clerks office downtown to pick up your marriage license. This is ideal so that you won’t have to make a separate trip out of the way to Camp Verde once you arrive to Sedona (as mentioned above). The clerks office is located in Downtown Flagstaff which is a fun, artsy, area with lots of cool coffee shops, breweries and boutique outdoor shops to check out!
Are you guys doing are Roadtripper’s Pack??? Sic! That mean’s we’ll probably be ending our adventures in one of our favorite national parks like Grand Canyon or Zion. For Grand Canyon, Flagstaff is the closest airport to fly out of and for Zion, we recommend flying out of Vegas. St Gorge is a closer option but flying out of Vegas is MUCH cheaper and has a really scenic drive (check out Virgin River Gorge and Valley of Fire SP on the way and Red Rock Canyon !)
Camping & Guest Accommodations
We have a couple different camping opportunities for Sedona and both are quite different regarding the surrounding landscape, ammendities, vibes and location.
Option one is to boondock with us out in the Sedona Desert
This is our rural camping option and is not in a typical campground with official campsites. Rather, you’ll be out in the open desert on the coconut National Forrest lands.
This option is located about 10 min from the village of Oak Creek (the quieter side of the Sedona area) where there’s a market, really tasty restaurants, coffee shops (all linked in the food section below) and a super dope spa (we include 2 day passes for the spa in your welcome pack)
Most of the sickest hiking trails and climbing areas are are within 20 min of driving.
To get to this camping area you will need to drive down a dusty dirt road for a little bit. 4x4 is not necessary but we wouldn’t recommend renting a little BMW, or low riding convertible for access. If you wanna ball out and get fancy wheels for your trip, get a dope Jeep or Gladiator instead! You’ll be able to access so much more with one of those out in the desert
There will be other campers around but respectfully, everyone gives each other plenty of space to enjoy their desert camping experience.
The alternative camping location we have for this area is about 20 min north of Uptown Sedona Proper (the busiest side of town) in Oak Creek Canyon. This option is in an official National Forest Campground and because sites book out really fast, we recommend this option only if your booking your trip at least 6 months prior (this ensure we are able to get one of our favorite sites for you!)
In the campground, there will be lots of friendly campers around, a little camp store, showers, additional bathrooms (there is one in the airstream as well), picnic tables, fire pits and trash bins for easy disposal.
In the Canyon, you’ll experience cooler temps, and a beautiful forested canyon landscape by a really pretty river. Also, since it’s on the north side, you’ll be closer to all the Uptown Sedona dining options, larger grocery stores (like Safeway & Whole Foods), and all the hiking trails and climbing areas on the northside. You’ll also only be about a half hour from Flagstaff if you plan to head up there or if you want to continue on to the Grand Canyon!
If you plan on bringing guests, we recommend putting them up in one of these options if you’re gonna be camping in the canyon: Sky Ranch, this dope Airbnb, and The Wild Resort
Or one of these options if you’re camping in the desert: Hilton, thiiis sic Airbnb, and Bell Rock Inn.
Marriage license goodies
HOW TO APPLY FOR AND WHERE TO PICK UP YOUR ARIZONA MARRIAGE LICENSE
Arizona does require two witnesses, and an ordained, state licensed officiant. Luckily Mal is licensed in the states we work in and can sign and file your paperwork in lieu of an officiant if you choose not to hire someone to perform a ceremony. Witness’s are easy to find if you are not bringing guests. They can be our field assistant, any third party vendor like your hair and make up artist or our dope musician if you hired live music, or a couple of hikers we find along the trail! We have never had to worry about finding a couple people to sign (usually when we ask, especially a stranger- they feel excited and honored to participate!)
The two most convenient offices to pick up your marriage license in will be either the Camp Verde Office (if you are flying into Phoenix) or the Flagstaff Office (If you are flying into Flagstaff).
The fee for a marriage license in Arizona is $83.00 and is payable by cash, or money order, or credit card. Both parties must appear in person at the Clerks office. No appointment is required! Both offices are open Monday-Friday 8 am to 5 pm.
Where you’ll be sayin’ “I DO, BABY-BOO”
Ceremony location options and considerations
There is really one spot in Sedona that trumps all others by a long shot. Nobody used to know about it but as instagram does, it’s now on the map and we usually are sharing it with another couple eloping and maybe a hiker or two. The accessibility to this location is 4x4 only. It takes about 45 min to crawl up this EXTREMLY rough and rugged road to the top of the mountain which overlooks all of West Sedona. It is incredible and worth sharing with other couples. Hands down, best place to watch the sunset in the southwest! We provide transportation for you and your partner but if your bringing guests- due to limited access, and the technical 4x4 driving that is required, we recommend having your ceremony at the base of the mountain with all of them and then cruising up the mountain with us (just the two of you) to celebrate sunset together.
Alternative locations totally exist all over the place! If you’d rather have a spot you’ll totally have to yourselves or a place that requires some chill climbing to access instead of a 4x4, we can plan on one of our favorite epic views that suit.
DA SPOT
ANOTHER SPOT
The Post- Elope Adventures We Include for the Southwest
Here’s a few examples from some recent Southwest Honeylope Adventures:
Sedona, Grand Canyon and Zion are full of epic 4x4 trails and climbing adventures! We like supporting our favorite local outfitters and adventure partners to provide a one of a kind expierence to make your first days of “married life” extra special.
In Sedona, we parter with Sedona Can Ams if you guys wanna do UTV’s and head out to an epic spot for sunset.
Sedona also has SO MANY incredibly scenic, multi-pitch climbing opportunities. We partner with Xander, owner of Gravity Line, to provide sic climbing/rappelling opportunities. You do not need much experience or any gear- However, if you’re afraid of heights and have some physical limitations, this might not be the most suitable option for ya.
If you’re down to wake up early- we can take y’all up to do Devil’s Bridge for sunrise. This is one of the most popular trails in Sedona for good reason. It’s an epic spot for pics and a fun short hike to get there! We will pick you up in our truck so we can take the short cut and park in the 4x4 access lot. This cuts out the first 3 miles that most people who do not have proper clearance will have to walk. From the 4x4 parking, it’s just a mile up to the bridge. We’ll beat the crowds and take some beautiful pics while the light is nice and soft. Then we’ll dip around the corner to a sic spot for some morning coffees with a desert view.
If you’re continuing up to Zion with us, we partner with some East Zion Expierence ROAM who own a bunch of dope Via Ferrata options, and access to epic slot canyons if you wanna try canyoneering for your last day.
Sultana and Jeremy rented a huge airbnb for their friends and fam to all stay in prior to their ceremony because for Sultana, coming from a traditional Indian family, it was important to incorporate some of her cultural traditions with family before their honeylope! (If your planning on bringing friends and fam we totally rec putting them up at the spot they found! It was pretty epic!)
The night before their elope, a super freak blizzard hit and HOLY SHIT! Even all the locals couldn’t get over how beautiful the mountains looked all covered in white fluff!
We shoveled them an isle at the base of the mountain and had one of the most beautiful ceremonies performed by Sultana’s cousin!
Although many traditional elements were incorporated with their friends and family present, Sultana and Jeremy wanted to share their Vows to one another in private. So, the next morning we took just the two of them back out to another place so they could do this before we took off for Zion!
After the morning sharing vows out on the bluff, they gave their guests the duces and roadtripped up to Zion. We met them up there with Bambi set up right in the National Park so that they could wake up and start cranking out all their bucketlist shizz they wanted to explore.
Next day, we ended their trip with our buds in East Zion. We took a wild UTV ride up to some private slot canyons and then rappelled our way back down through them to the ground. Sultana and Jeremy had never gone canyoneering before so it was super sic getting to document that memory for them!
Tori and Marcos got ready at the Airbnb thatTori’s mom rented in town. They had a few friends and family joining us for the ceremony including Tori’s adorable daughter who was stoked to be apart of the day her amazing momma married her adopted dad. We did first looks at the base of the mountain before joining their guests for a short but beautiful ceremony. Then, Tori and Marcos hopped in our truck and we took the 4x4 trail to the top of the mountain to celebrate for sunset.
The next day we rented Can Am’s. Being Arizona locals, Tori and Marcos of course already knew how to rip around the desert on these toys. We took them to a sic spot for sunset and Then went back to camp for dinner and campfire shenanigans🔥
Haley and Scott got ready at camp and did their first looks right at camp before hopping in our truck and heading up the mountain for a bomber sunset ceremony. They had bunches of friends and family write them letters, so after the ceremony, they enjoyed watching the sun go down while reading through all of them. Then we went back to camp and partied. They hired one of our buds to play some acoustic jams around the fire while we all ate and celebrated.
The next morning we picked them up in the truck and drove the 4x4 trail out to Devil’s Bridge for some pretty sunrise views, photos and the best cup of coffee you’ll ever get out in the middle of the desert brewed by our incredibly talented field assistant and camera man, Xander.
Now that we were all warmed up for the day(Literally ☕️🙏), we decided to end Haley and Scott’s Honeylope on a pretty epic note…. Thanks to Xander’s incredible guiding and rope rigging skills, Haley and Scott summited their first multi pitch climb just in time for sunset charcutery and photos! We rappelled back down in the dark under a zillion stars✨
Dakota and Austin did their first looks at sunrise on Devil’s Bridge. It was chilly but it was beautiful and we had it all to ourselves! With the jitters of seeing each other for the first time out of the way, we moved Dakota and Austin to camp during the day and got ready for their sunset ceremony on top of the mountain. It was pretty gusty that night but the wilder the weather the better the adventure is usually how it goes and for this one- that motto totally stayed true!
They played rock paper sissors to see who would read vows first.
Being from Nashville, live music is their jam so we brought our incredibly talented bud Miles along to play some tunes for them on top of the mountain and back at camp around the fire over some good pizza and beers.
The day after we did a chill hike out to this super pretty spot by the river where our partners Canyons and Chefs met up with us to create a 5 Star, super wild and unique dining experience Austin and Dakota. It was epic, but maybe what was more epic was the after party we through back at camp around the fire where they finally signed their marriage license😛
Whittney and Brandon did our Weekender’s Pack in Zion last season and also got hit by a freak winter storm the night before their elopement! But wild weather always brings greater adventures!😛
Despite the weather, we got them out to a super cool private slot canyon for first looks. It couldn’t have been more epic; with all that fresh snow fluff! And then, as the snowfall continued to persist we were still able to carry on the party (thanks to our incredible partners in East Zion and their access to a sic cave for the ceremony we could get all of their fam out to) We were even able to build a fire in the cave before the ceremony so that it would be nice and warm for everybody!
After their ceremony night, the weather finally chilled out and we got to spend the last couple days with Whittney and Brandon doing the super iconic Angel’s Landing trek (in crampons!) and a via ferrata🔥
Weather and whatnot
CLOTHING RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS
The desert in the fall and spring is absolutely the BEST times to visit (which is why we choose to work there during these two seasons of the year. If you’re taking your honey loping trip in the fall or spring, monsoon season will be over and you can expect mild to warm weather during the day and cool to chilly temps during the dusk till dawn hours of the day. Besides your wedding attire, we recommend bringing your puffy jackets and sweats (or cozy pants) for chillin in the evenings. Then, some shorts and tee shirts for the daytime. A wind layer would be nice and a rain layer (because if you do not bring one, then it will rain lol) Basically, be prepared to be delayering during the day and layering back up during the night. This is the desert life…. Day temps should average somewhere in the 60’s-70’s and nights should average in the 40’s- 50’s. Ladies, for your wedding attire, please bring a cute jacket or shawl you can wear over your dress and some nude fleece leggings so that you will stay warm during dusk!
WHAT ABOUT FLOWERS?
Due to the fragile dry desert conditions and restrictions that the national parks we work in have regarding live plants being brought into the area, we do not work with any local florests. Instead- if you do want to hold a boquet, we encourage you to support some of these amazing artist on Etsy who create incredible wooden flower arrangements, specifically for adventure elopements.
Several of our brides have gotten bouquets from the shop, Evergreen Bride.
Wooden flower boquets photograph super duper well, usually come scented, won’t die in the dry climate like real flowers, and are not invasive to the natural desert plant life. They are also more affordable.
Just talk to Mal if you’d rather ship them to Sedona instead of traveling on the plane with them!
What and Where You’ll Eat
(Meals THAT ARE INCLUDED DURING YOUR TRIP + OUR FAVORITE PLACES TO EAT OUT IN THE AREA)
Assuming it’s just the two of you, we totally provide some chill, tasty dinner options to have around the fire, back at camp after your ceremony. Typically we do a basic taco bar set up with smore’s or, we pick up pizza’s! There are several alternatives we can accommodate for and to custom your dietary preference and plan something alternative for you guys!
If you’re eloping with guests and want to celebrate with them after sunset, we recommend making dinner reservations at either Mesa Grill, The Hudson, or Shorebird. If one of your guests is renting a bnb you could order catering from Mesa Grill, Creekside, or Dellepiane! Unfortunately we cannot accommodate guests back at camp.
For other meals, we recommend trying Red Rock Cafe or Coffee Pot for breakfast or lunch, Free Form, Oak Creek Expresso or Fire Creek for good coffee, and then Delapanie, Rotten Jonnies, or Oak Creek Brewery for dinner. Moonies is a dope Irish pub also worth checkin out.
If you’re continuing on to Zion with us, we looove coffee and breakfast at Deep Creek Coffee, MeMe’s Cafe for lunch or dinner and def get some Mexican at Oscar’s Cafe. (Also, stock up on beer in AZ. UT only sells alcohol (over 5%) in state-licensed liquor stores. There is one in Springdale in case you forget.