Grand Canyon Elopement Guide, North Rim – Destination Elopement Photographer
Lucy’s Grand Canyon Elopement Guide
The Grand Canyon is perhaps one of the most iconic features in North America, right up there with Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone, Arches NP, Horseshoe Bend and The Maroon Bells. The huge park is made up of the Grand Canyon NP, Kaibab National Forest, Parashant National Monument, and the Hualapai and Havasupai Reservations and Navajo Nation lands. Its bisected by the Colorado River into the North Rim and South Rim areas. The South Rim is more well visited and has many of the more famous viewpoints, accommodations and tourist services. But for this Grand Canyon elopement guide, we’re going to focus on the North Rim. I can’t wait to highlight why you absolutely should plan your destination elopement on the edge!
About The North Rim
The North Rim sits about 1,000 feet higher in elevation than the South Rim. This means temps are cooler and you’ll feel the lack of oxygen at around 8,000 feet. In some places, that’s more than a mile up from the bed of the canyon. More importantly, the North Rim is well forested! Ponderosa pine forest and some deciduous aspen woods make up much of the landscape. Say your vows in the shade when you elope at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. In spring the greens of the foliage compliment the layers of rock that dominate the canyon. There’s more biodiversity and birdsong in the trees, too. Did you know there are BISON on the north side? You might even see the Kaibab Squirrel, exclusive to the North Rim. The whole area is gorgeous and would make a great place to have your elopement ceremony.
Plan a Weekday Elopement at the Grand Canyon
Even though the North Rim has much fewer visitors than the South Rim, the parking areas are very small. So it’s still best to plan your elopement at Grand Canyon on a weekday and close to sunrise or sunset. Sunrise is the best time for photography. Temperatures are more mild even in summer, so you won’t be a sweaty mess while you get married. (That’s always good, right?) Elopement ceremonies are allowed at both Point Imperial and Cape Royal. In my opinion those are the two best spots on the North Rim anyway! The application for your ceremony permit is $240. You can apply between 30 days and 1 year from your desired elopement date. Chat with me about which location might be best for your needs- and if this view doesn’t make you want to say your vows at Cape Royal, I don’t know what will!
When to Elope at the North Rim
May is a great time to elope at point imperial, then follow up with photos all over the place – and there are many incredible options to make epic elopement photos at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. For adventurous couples, no Grand Ganyon elopement guide would be complete without taking the backpacking Kaibab trail down Bright Angel Gorge to the Colorado River. Make sure to stop at Ribbon Falls – if you’re hiking from the south side, you’ll miss this gem! You can also hire a heli tour, a float tour down the river, or just cozy up together in the lodge after your elopement. There are so many ways to have fun there! Point Sublime and Bright Angel Point are two more popular locations for photos or picnicking on the North Rim.
Remember, the entire North Rim is only accessible between May and October. Here’s my Grand Canyon elopement guide map of great photo spots & epic locations at the North Rim. If this post gets you inspired to plan your Grand Canyon Elopement and create amazing, epic photos there- get in touch right away to secure your date and start dreamin’ and schemin’ with me!