Flagstaff Elopement
A Flagstaff Elopement Story
Kelsey + Mike were looking for the perfect mountain elopement location in Spring that would be complete with a cute cabin stay, mountain town vibes, and potentially wildflowers. After consideration, they landed on the incredible Arizona town of Flagstaff!
The energy going into the elopement day was very much “But, Daddy I Love Him” by Taylor Swift. We started with an off-road adventure with their rented Bronco to get ready out in nature. Mike, ready for the ceremony, stood among the ferns and waited to see Kelsey for the first time, down privately down the aisle. Starting the ceremony off with tears of joy and excitement as he soaked in the stunning gown.
Bill officiated the ceremony, stepping away for them to share their private, handwritten vows and co-recite the poem, The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman. They ended their ceremony with a passionate dip kiss and instantly took their rings back off to see the surprise scribing on the inside of the bands from each other.
We explored the vista we were on, taking portraits on the ledges overlooking Sedona (where they would be having a mini-moon in a couple of days) and among the lupines that were blooming. Then it was back down the dusty, two wheel off road route to another incredible high desert location.
We came into view of Humphreys Peak, where we set a blanket out in the field for them to sit, have a beer in celebration, and cut their cake! As a surprise to these two, their friends had texted us videos of congrats and well wishes for them to watch while they enjoyed their cake and relaxed to just soak in the day!! Before the last light of the evening, we ran around in the field blissfully enjoying the views and having the mountains to ourselves on this special day.
To end their wedding day, we headed back to their stunning A-frame cabin tucked in the ponderosa pines for them to make pizza and share their first dance to “New Year’s Day” by Taylor Swift. The twinkle light dance party continued as their heart-shaped pizzas finished baking. It was a cozy, perfect evening to end a special day celebrating their years of building a friendship and partnership to live this big, beautiful life together.
Why Elope in Flagstaff, Arizona
Flagstaff is a perfect location for an elopement in the pines or with mountain views! Since this is not a place that has become Instagram famous, it is a location where you can find privacy for your day. Being a high desert environment, the area typically offers a lot of sunshine and great weather year-round, depending on what you are looking for.
While beautiful and offering a lot of adventures like off-roading, hiking, climbing, and biking, the town also offers lots of breweries and great restaurants. Some of our favorites in the area that we recommend trying while in town for your wedding are: Forét for brunch/breakfast, Shift for dinner and Sosoba for a low-key dinner + happy hour.
Not only is Flagstaff itself a beautiful location, but it is a great “home base” location for your adventure desert honeymoon! With only a short day trip drive, you can access the Grand Canyon, Sedona, and Page!!
Planning your Flagstaff elopement
Best time to elope in Flagstaff
The best time to elope in Flagstaff, Arizona really depends on the type of weather you want and the type of adventure you are interested in. Personally, I think the best week is the first week of October and the last week of May.
Spring – Spring can be a great time to elope in Flagstaff, especially late Spring. A lot of the forest service roads do not open until May due to snowmelt. These roads give you a lot of access to beautiful locations in the area and offer camping.
Summer – Summer is filled with lovely temperatures and sometimes evening showers. Folks are out and about there is a lot to do in town!
Fall – The aspen leaves in the mountains change vibrant yellow late September to early/mid October. Each year’s exact dates depends on temperatures and rainfall.
Winter – If you have any interest in skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing or building a snowman man this is the place with sunny days and a lot of snow!
How to get to Flagstaff
Flagstaff is located in Northern Arizona. There is a small airport located in Flagstaff, Arizona, but there are few flight options out of it. We would recommend flying into Phoenix, Arizona, and making the two-ish hour drive north to enjoy the desert plants and views along the way.
If you are eloping in Flagstaff, we highly recommend being sure to book a car rental.
Get driving directions from Sky Harbor Airport to Flagstaff here.
Where to Elope in Flagstaff
Flagstaff offers a great variety of elopement locations, depending on what you are looking for, view, and experience-wise. A lot of locations in Flagstaff are locally known or don’t really have names – which is amazing for privacy reasons. However, we will name a few of the top, most popular here for you:
Where to stay in Flagstaff
Being on the famous Route 66 and known as the gateway to the Grand Canyon, there are lots of places to stay! As for a hotel, our favorite place to recommend is High Country Motor Lodge. We love this place as it has a kitchen, a lovely bar with fantastic cocktails, a place to sit outside by the fire and is within walking distance to downtown.
If you want to consider an Airbnb, there are plenty of options within town and downtown. A lot of our couples tend to stay in Kachina Village, which has a lot of cute cabins and is just a few minutes outside of town, headed towards Oak Creek Canyon into Sedona.
Flagstaff Elopement Photographer
Looking for an elopement photographer in Flagstaff, Arizona?? This is a location that can helpful to work with a team that is already familiar with the area – someone that knows the best bars, the best dirt roads to incredible views and can help you plan the best desert road trip honeymoon to follow!
Hi – that is us!! We used to live locally to the area and still frequent the region each year. We have lived van life on these high desert roads, learned to climb on Flag’s limestone, have friends who own the local bars, and more. We would be more than happy to help you plan your own dream elopement location in this cute, quaint town!
I would recommend Adventure & Vow over and over again.
Their communication was frequent but never overwhelming – we always knew exactly what they were looking for and felt very prepared going into the day. The script Bill wrote for our ceremony felt like he had known us our whole relationship. They really went above and beyond, like offering to pick up my husband’s boutonnière, and they sneakily took our phones at one point to record videos of us throughout the night without us knowing, they were such a fun surprise to see when we laid down in bed that night. Traci helped take me to the bathroom with a ball gown, fix my hair throughout the day and even surprised us with home videos from my best friends as the day settled down.
If you’re worried about the cost, they are probably charging lower than they should for all the roles they play (officiant, photo, video, planning, location guide/scouting, a friendly/calm presence to the day, etc.), I could go on and on! Truly a stress free experience.
Flagstaff Elopement Video
See more Flagstaff Elopement Photos below from the Fall!
Meet your team!
Hi – it is Traci, Bill and Malachi
Over the years, we’ve helped hundreds of couples plan and document intentional, meaningful elopements in wild places.
Our blogs are where we share what we’ve learned—location guides, planning tips, real elopement stories, and advice to help you feel confident and inspired as you plan your own day.
Whether you’re just getting started or deep in the details, we’re here to support and inspire you. When you’re ready, reach out to book a free consult call and start planning your day with us.
