Top 5 Bucket List Places to Elope

 5 Bucket List Places To Elope - Snowdonia Wales, Iceland, Hawaii, Isle of Skye, National Parks, Canyonlands, White Sands, Yosemite, Muir Woods

A new year is here, and it has me thinking about goals and bucket lists. I asked myself “if you could photograph an elopement or adventure wedding anywhere in the world, where would you want to?” Here are a few of my answers, and why they made my bucket list of places to elope!

Snowdonia, Wales | Places to Elope

Ever since I discovered this beautiful mountain-y destination (thanks Instagram!), I’ve been pining over Snowdonia in Wales. Think quaint villages, vast spaces of wild countryside, and beautiful mountains that are just begging to be explored. The views from Mount Snowdon carry all the way over to neighboring Ireland! Snowdonia lands include over 100 lakes and craggy summits, which would be a hiking elopement dream! The Brecon Beacons mountain range is equally beautiful and rugged. And since Wales isn’t a super popular vacation destination, you don’t have to worry about hoards of people looking on as you say your vows. Yay! Explore what this beautiful country has to offer on my Wales destination elopement Pinterest board!

Snowdonia Wales adventure wedding elopement destination
Photo Credit: Christopher Ian

Hawaii, United States | Places to Elope

I didn’t put a specific island on the list, because I think they’re each incredibly beautiful and unique (so basically I want to visit all the Hawaiian islands!). When most of us think about eloping in Hawaii, we envision the quintessential beach ceremony at sunset. But let me tell you, Hawaii has SO much more to offer! One of my favorite things about Hawaii is how diverse the environment is. You can go snorkeling, and visit marshes, explore jungle, and hike huge cliffs and mountains all in one day! So basically, the possibilities are endless in paradise. Whether you want to get married on a black sand beach, on a rocky cliff with the waves splashing up, or on top of a mountain lush with tropical plants, Hawaii is the place to elope. Read more about awesome non-beach places to elope on Oahu, check out more Hawaii elopement inspiration on Pinterest!

 Oahu Hawaii sunrise hike adventure elopement Mokulua islands

 

Isle of Skye, Scotland | Places to Elope

Oh, Isle of Skye! Despite never having visited, I am completely smitten with this little piece of heaven in northern Scotland. There’s absolutely nothing in the world like Scotland’s famous island with the crystal clear Fairy Pools, rugged cliffs, unique rock formations, and lushly green slopes. Oh yeah, and medieval castles! See why it’s on my list of places to elope? If you’re looking for someplace wild, remote, and epic, definitely check out Isle of Skye for your adventure wedding. Get inspired by all of Isle of Skye’s beauty on my Scotland destination elopement Pinterest board!

Old Man Storr Isle of Skye Scotland Elopement Location
Photo Credit: Alicia Bruce of Love Knot Photo

Iceland | Places to Elope

In the last few years, this small country has grown hugely in popularity, especially with adventure weddings and elopements. Its incredible landscape includes waterfalls, volcanoes, and huge open spaces of wilderness that make it an epic place to elope. If you’re wanting a woodsy wedding, this isn’t the place, but Iceland excels in gorgeous ruggedness. And also, who wouldn’t want to elope under the northern lights?! Take a look at all the awesome options on my Iceland elopement inspiration Pinterest board!

Iceland waterfall destination elopement location
Photo Credit: Ilana Newman

Any National Park | Places to Elope

Okay, so maybe not all of America’s National Parks are ideal for an adventure elopement, but pretty close! With 58 parks and 359 other National Park Service sites to choose from, and over 84 million acres to explore, I’m sure you can find the perfect spot for your elopement. There are the popular parks like Joshua Tree, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Glacier, and Rocky Mountain National Park (which are amazing and popular places to elope for a reason). But also consider getting married at a less well-known park like White Sands, Canyonlands, North Cascade, Great Sand Dunes, and Lassen Volcanic National Park. The list of great National Parks to elope in goes on and on, but I suggest you pick a state or region and start exploring! If you’re wondering what’s involved with getting married at a national park, check out this blog post on how to elope in a national park! You can also find some great inspiration on my national parks elopement destination Pinterest board.

 cayonlands national park utah elopement

Other amazing locations keep popping in my head, but for now I’ll cap it off at these five epic places to elope. If you want more ideas, check out my full bucket list of elopement locations! If you want more info on eloping, check out my article on how to plan an elopement and my Pinterest boards.

Hey, friend! I’m Julie – an adventure wedding & elopement photographer who loves the outdoors and traveling! My photography is fun and heartfelt while highlighting the beauty of love and nature. I’m based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but wedding photography takes me throughout the southwest, to national parks, and all over the world! To find out more about destination wedding photography, check out my travel page. And if you want to get some great elopement planning tips, check out planning and advice section of the blog.

 5 Amazing Bucket List Places to Elope - Where to elope worldwide - Elopement planning - Elopement destinations
  1. Wow! You have a lot ofplaces you want to go here. I have since begun filling up my bucket list with the clients that have hired me to go abroad. I wish you the best and hope you get to visit some if not all of these places. Thank you for sharing.

  2. Rachel matson says:

    Great blog!! And amazing photos!!

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Julie Haider is an adventure elopement photographer + planner based in New Mexico and photographing destination elopements worldwide.

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