Planning a National Park Wedding

How to Getting Married in a National Park

I am so excited you are considering having a National Park wedding!

Washington has three beautiful national parks that all have beautiful views and insanely gorgeous elopement locations!

Take a look at some of these outdoor elopement locations in the PNW.

However, if you are ready to get down to the nitty-gritty of planning your National Park wedding, then read on!

National Park Pass

National Parks all require a park pass that is essentially your entrance fee to the park.

You can get a day pass or purchase an annual pass. Fees will differ from park to park. Park passes can be purchased online or at the entrance of the park.

You will need one park pass per vehicle (even though the passes are assigned to an individual’s name).

Ceremony Permit

If you are getting married in a National Park you also need to apply for a ceremony permit. This is typically listed as a ‘special use’ permit on the National Park website. You must obtain this permit if you are eloping in a national park.

The permit application will ask you to list your guest count, date, time, and wedding location within the park. The special use permit does not allow you to set up chairs, tents, or to stake anything into the ground.

Typically you need to apply for this permit four weeks before your wedding date and there is a $60 fee.

Photography Permit

Photography permits are separate from your special use (ceremony) permit. The price of photography permits can range from $100-250 depending on which national park you are eloping in.

I know this seems expensive but this is not a permit you want to skip. Can you imagine being in the middle of a photoshoot and having your photographer get kicked out of the park? Don’t let that happen - apply for the permit.

I cover the cost of my photography permits, however, not all photographers include this cost in their package price. Make sure to clarify who is covering the cost of this permit with your photographer

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Leave No Trace Principals

Arguably one of the most important things you need to know about outdoor weddings and elopements.

For couples who are new to the outdoors “leave no trace” may be an unfamiliar concept to you. Look around on the LNT website and familiarize yourself with the seven leave no trace principles.

Start by treating the earth with respect. Don’t leave your trash lying around, stay on the trail, don’t ignore posted signs, and be kind to other hikers.

It’s a privilege to be in a National Park. Please act like it.

Ok, now I will step off my soapbox.

Weekdays and Weather

For obvious reasons, National Parks are a major tourist destination. On top of that, most PNW residents include hiking as one of their favorite hobbies.

This makes for some pretty packed trails.

I always suggest that couples avoid eloping on the weekend because it’s very difficult to find a secluded spot for your ceremony.

You are much more likely to find some privacy if you get married on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.