Small Desert Wedding at Death Valley National Park

Kayla & Nick

Bride and groom run across the dunes during their desert wedding in Death Valley

When Kayla and Nick first reached out to me (Sergio), they didn’t know the exact location they wanted for their desert wedding. But, they had something even better: a vision. They knew how they wanted their elopement day to feel – intimate, romantic, and full of beautiful, epic landscapes. And that is always the perfect place to start.

The Couple and Their Decision to Plan a Desert Wedding in Death Valley

Kayla and Nick had their hearts set on a winter elopement, which meant choosing a location that would be accessible during this time of year. While many mountain elopement locations are not accessible during the winter months, the desert is the complete opposite. Luckily, their vision included a desert landscape and it didn’t take us long to narrow down the perfect location.

We hopped on the phone and Kayla and Nick told me about the vision they had for their elopement day. They described how they wanted their wedding to take place among beautiful colored pallet mountains and sand dunes. They also wanted a place where they could go star gazing at night. I knew right away that Death Valley was the perfect elopement location for them.

On top of having some of the most gorgeous landscapes, Death Valley also has mild temperatures during the winter season. Daytime highs are in the 70s, and evenings cool down to the 60s, making it ideal for all-day adventures. And with Las Vegas just a short drive away, it was a destination their families could enjoy and explore as well.

Kayla and Nick’s Desert Wedding in Death Valley National Park

Kayla and Nick started their desert wedding day at a cozy Airbnb near the park. Those first few hours were filled with laughter, hugs from their loved ones, and, of course, snuggles from their fur baby, Bear.

Once they finished getting ready, the couple shared a first look on the Airbnb’s patio before packing up and driving to their ceremony location in the park.

When we arrived at the park, I immediately set out to find a secluded area for them to hold their ceremony away from the crowds. The backdrop was everything they had imagined with the unique-colored mountains and sprawling sand dunes all around them.

Kayla’s best friend officiated the ceremony and shared some funny stories and heartfelt memories about the couple that had everyone in a mixture of laughter and tears.

After the ceremony, we headed to the nearby sand dunes, to continue the adventure. The couple ran around barefoot in the dunes and soaked up all the golden hour light until the stars came out. They ended the day gazing up into the starry sky just like they had imagined. A perfect ending to a perfect elopement day!

Best Time of Year to Elope at Death Valley National Park

Death Valley is one of the hottest places in the world! Fun fact: the national park holds the record for the hottest recorded temperature on Earth!!!

Because this park experiences extreme temperatures, we recommend eloping here between October and May and avoiding the summer months altogether.

While the winter months are some of our favorite months to elope in Death Valley, springtime is another one of our favorite seasons. During these months, depending on the weather that year, you may get to witness the desert covered with beautiful wildflowers which is truly a magical experience!