Wintery Sand Dune Elopement in Southern Utah

I remember being on the phone with J + O and talking about different locations in Utah for their elopement, and happened to mention a place where you can sandboard… and this idea was an INSTANT hit for this couple. I knew then that these two were true gems of humans and their Sand Dune elopement day would be a complete blast. And it was.

It was mid March, a time that can be glorious in the desert, or shockingly cold. The day before their elopement I was out checking out some spots and it was something like 20 degree windchill with wildly intense winds- I remember walking through the dunes back to my car after the sun went down… legitimately not being able to feel my legs.

But J+ O’s elopement day dawned sunny and mild. From the moment we met up at their cute little airbnb it was obvious- these two were so stoked about their adventure. After a genuinely adorable first look, we set out via Jeep to a slot canyon to explore. Osmany tried his hand at stemming in his suit and dress shoes (a technique used in getting in and out of narrow slot canyon by using limb placement and body weight… see if you can spot it in the photos) and was a natural at it. We wended our way through the canyon, admiring the smooth sandstone walls before heading over to some sand dunes to have some fun.

We passed several other folks exploring the dunes and I took a *great* amount of amusement in their faces. For sure they did not expect to see a bride and groom out in their fancy formalwear trekking up sand dunes and then sliding down them. But these two were serious about getting amongst it for their sand dune elopement! The sand boarded with the best of them…all while in wedding attire. Total badasses.

Afterwards we headed to a secret little spot with some trees where the couple exchanged tearful vows. Then we enjoyed some cake and a sunset toast among the dunes, followed by dancing (and playing).

There’s something about eloping in the sand dunes that brings out your inner kid. There’s so much freedom and room to play, run around, spin in circles. J + O had such a *blast* on their elopement day and made sure it truly was about them and honored their relationship. It was, in a word, incredible.

Want to see more desert inspiration? Check out this Rock- Climbing adventure wedding or Zion National Park elopement!

Curious about other Utah elopement locations? Check out Eight Epic places to Elope in Utah!