10 National Park Weddings

For lovers who also love the great outdoors, getting married in a national park can be a uniquely meaningful experience that's worth the extra planning. Facilities, amenities, permits and rules vary from park to park, so do your research well ahead of time.

By: Jennie Baird
Related To:
Weddings

Photo By: Angela Hayes

Photo By: Maddie Mae Photography

Photo By: Michelle Huber Photography

Photo By: Desi Mendoza

Photo By: Scott Eklund

Photo By: Rob Jinks

Photo By: James Rubio

Arches

The stunning rock formations create a natural canopy or “chuppah” for couples marrying in Arches. Though the park allows the assembled to celebrate with a cookout afterward, many couples head to a hotel or resort in Moab for their receptions. Photo courtesy of Moab photographer Angela Hayes.

Rocky Mountain

Rocky Mountain National Park offers gorgeous mountain and lake vistas for a wedding, like this one at Sprague Lake. Note that most sites within the park only allow gatherings of 20 or fewer people. Couples hoping for a larger gathering or more traditional facilities often choose nearby Estes Park instead, according to national parks wedding photographer Maddie Mae. Photo courtesy of Maddie Mae Photography.

Yosemite

For a more traditional wedding experience, Yosemite offers some of the best amenities in the national parks system. Tenaya Lodge near the parks’ south
entrance can accommodate nearly any size reception and even offers a bridal spa package.

Glen Canyon

Relatively mild weather year-round and stunning scenery make Glen Canyon National Recreation Area a popular wedding destination. Within the park, weddings may be held at the Lake Powell Resort. Photo courtesy of bride @h.stephans on Instagram.

Grand Teton

Two chapels within the park — Chapel of the Transfiguration and the Chapel of the Sacred Heart — can be rented for wedding ceremonies. Jackson Lake Lodge is the most popular of the park’s eco-friendly resorts for wedding receptions, able to accommodate up to 600 guests. Photo by Michelle Huber Photography and courtesy of bride @michelle_m_mac on Instagram. 

Sequoia

Couples can exchange vows under a cathedral of thousand-year-old giant sequoia trees and then host a reception for 15-80 people in the banquet hall of
Sequoia National Park’s Wuksachi Lodge. Photo courtesy wedding photographer
Desi Mendoza.

Acadia

As in most parks, gatherings of 10 or more people at Acadia require a special use permit, and reception facilities within the park itself are limited. However, nearby Bar Harbor and Southwest Harbor offer many options for receptions. This ceremony at Wonderland in the park was followed by a reception on the lawn of the historic Claremont Hotel in Southwest Harbor.

Olympic

A popular wedding destination, Olympic National Park’s lakeside lodges can accommodate around 120 guests for a reception and slightly more for outdoor
ceremonies. Set amid the park’s ancient fir and hemlock trees, Crescent Lake Lodge is a picturesque — and full-service — locale. Olympic’s Lake Quinault Lodge provides similar services in a historic venue. Photo courtesy of Aramark.

Shenandoah

Skyland Resort at mile 41.7 on Skyline Drive is the most popular wedding venue within Shenandoah National Park. This ceremony took place on the lawn outside the resort’s Pinnacle building. Skyland’s historic conference center can accommodate receptions of up to 100 people. Wedding photography by Rob Jinks.

Hawai'i Volcanoes

Plan a small ceremony away from popular visitor areas if you want to get married in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. Overlooks with views into Kīlauea Caldera or Kīlauea Iki Crater are popular choices. The recently restored Volcano House Hotel is the only hotel within the park itself and it overlooks Halema‘uma‘u Crater
at the summit of Kilauea, which is shown in this photo by James Rubio Photography.

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