Northern Arizona has some of the best spots to elope.

The Grand Canyon and Sedona each offer a bunch of rad spots for a small ceremony. Flagstaff is great as well for forest elopements and Horseshoe Bend is super epic.

Getting married doesn’t have to be about planning a wedding with a ton of moving parts. It doesn’t have to be about a really long guest list. And, it doesn’t even have to be about accommodating everyone’s wishes except your own.

In Arizona, you can have an outdoor elopement with a super epic background without tons of tourists milling around your ceremony site.

My top six reasons to elope in Arizona and beyond.

1. Your wedding day is really all about you. With no distractions you can have a very intimate wedding celebration. Your day can be a reflection of who you really are as individuals and as a couple.

2. No drama. Let’s face it, families can create a little drama. From who should be on the guest list to how your ceremony should look and feel, sometimes there is just way to much input and way to many opinions.

3. Decreasing your stress and anxiety. For some folks, the thought of having a large wedding gives them the heebee jeebies. If that’s the case for you, start thinking elopement. There aren’t really any rules. An elopement can mean just the two of you or it can include a limited number of guests. Only the people you really want at your wedding.

4. The planning process is so much easier. It really is. What super rad spot calls your name? That’s your location. The next step is finding out if you need a permit. Some locations require one, others do not. How do you get there and where do you stay? Standard stuff. Who will officiate? And, in my opinion, most importantly, who will photograph the day?

5. You’re not the center of attention. This can be really nice. You’re choosing a little anonymity. You’re keeping your wedding to yourself, making it a time you can choose to share with other when and if you want to.

6. You get unique photos. Often at larger weddings there is limited time to make photos of just the two of you. Sometimes it’s just 20 minutes or so. That’s just fine. But an elopement means so much more time to make creative photos that really capture the essence of you as a couple. Nice!