Javelinas, birds, raging on a a tax law book, champagne out of crystal glasses on a mountain side, and lots and lots of dancing. And a jeep. This was Katy and Clay’s Sedona adventure elopement day.
Katy and Clay met where they work and bonded immediately over books they were currently reading and a shared love of travel. This would prove to be a theme in their relationship (as evidenced by their Sedona adventure elopement).
Their perfect day started out at the Enchantment Resort where Katy and Clay got ready (pro tip: stay here. It’s a gorgeous resort tucked away in a canyon, close to Sedona but far enough away from the city center to feel completely private. It’s incredible.) Clay dutifully kept his back turned the entire time Katy got her hair and makeup done (while simultaneously munching on pizza). We were visited by some javelina (photos taken with a zoom- if you see javelina in the wild, keep a wide distance. They are NOT friendly) as we were getting ready to leave. They had the sweetest first look (with a mini preview of the dancing later to come) and then we jeeped up a rocky road to get to their elopement spot- chosen for having one of the best sunset views in all of Sedona (in my humble opinion, anyway).
Katy and Clay explored the area, taken in with the freaking amazing views. I don’t pick couples ceremony spots ahead of time (unless asked to) because it seems like such a personal decision. It’s important your ceremony site speaks to you! They picked a small cluster of trees and then said their vows under the natural alter with the valley sweeping out behind them. Clay pulled a receipt out of this pocket- the receipt from their first date. He kept it all these years. This was the portion of the day where I cried (which I do usually at least one time). They kissed, they celebrated, and were wed 🙂
The couple celebrated with some champagne out of two lovely crystal glasses and Katy surprised Clay with recorded toasts from family and friends back home (which another pro tip: this is a great way to incorporate your traditional “toasts” into an elopement day) and then took some silly, vaguely aggressive photos with a tax law book (because both Katy and Clay work in tax law!) I loved the way they incorporated little details of their lives and nods to well known wedding traditions.
They ended their Sedona adventure elopement by having an EPIC dance party on the cliffs edge as the sun set behind them. They even faked me out pretending they were going to do the famous lift from Dirty Dancing- which alarmed me enough that I scrambled forward as if to spot them. ::facepalm:: I fell for it hook, line, and sinker.
It was such an epic adventure. I felt so lucky to get to be a part of special day, catching Clay tuck Katy’s hair behind her ear or watch Katy laugh at Clay’s antics (which are well documented). I also *especially* loved hearing their travel stories- my favorite being about Clay losing his passport abroad, a) because it’s a funny story and b) because I related very much to this particular story haha.
I could end every blog with this sentiment but I felt is so especially this day- I love this job. It’s magic 🙂 Congrats Katy and Clay! Keep those passports close 🙂
Curious about a Sedona elopement? Check out my Sedona Elopement Planning Guide!
Bride’s Dress: BHLDN
Groom’s Suit: Suit Supply
Bride and Groom’s Shoes: Sabah
Hair and Makeup: Sedona Beauty Team
Flowers: Sedona Mountain High Flowers
— Ryan + Styhiln
Such gorgeous elopement photos! I love how they incorporated such meaningful things into their elopement day. And your pro tips are super helpful!
Such gorgeous images! You captured their romantic elopement adventure & their love so well!
Duuude this is freaking stunning, I love the colors so much! You are the Sedona Queen!!
I love Sedona, and this makes me love it even more! I love how you captured the whole day with small intimate details as well as the mystical grandeur of Sedona. Nicely done!!
They look like they had so much fun, and you did such an amazing job capturing it! Their dance moves are everything.
These are gorgeous!! This is one of my favorite spots in Sedona – so epic for elopements! This couple looks like they were so much fun – what a blast!!
WOW! This makes me want to go to Sedona! Such beautiful images and colors! That ceremony location with the two trees is so cool!
Holy cow! Amazing! I love the tonality of these images.
[…] Not sold yet? Need a little more visual aid? Look, I get it. There are soooo many amazing places to elope. It’s hard to pick. Here’s what I’ll say about Sedona; it’s a colorful, classic desert space. It’s got a little bit of everything. Rad hikes? For sure. Luxurious hotels? Too many to pick from. And if seeing a full story helps you get your head around things, here’s a full Sedona elopement story to get your wheels turning even more. And if you need even more inspo? Here’s another epic jeeping Sedona Elopement. […]