Thinking about planning a Bell Rock elopement with guests in attendance? You might be sold on the idea of saying I do at Bell Rock with the picturesque Red Rocks in the backdrop and a sunny sky overhead. But, you’re wondering how guests factor in. Bell Rock is a stunning location for an adventure wedding in Sedona. Your wedding photos will be nothing less than incredible and it’s the perfect location for a Sedona elopement with friends and family.
Sedona is an incredibly spiritual destination for couples planning to elope. In fact, Bell Rock is considered one of the five energy vortex sites. It is known for its remarkable grounded feeling, bringing couples a sense of rootedness and support on their wedding day. If you need to know more about planning a Bell Rock elopement with guests, keep reading.
Accommodations for Your Bell Rock Elopement With Guests
If you are in the very early stages of planning your Bell Rock elopement, you might be wondering where to stay. We highly recommend Oak Creek in Sedona. It’s close to the village and provides an easy route to Bell Rock on the day of your wedding. Can you and your guests stay somewhere else? Sure can. However, if you decide to stay outside of Oak Creek you should plan on a 20-30 minute drive to Bell Rock. We will say this though, the drive from outside Oak Creek to Bell Rock is beautifully scenic. So accommodations are really all a matter of the experience you want to create for your wedding day.
Bell Rock Elopement is a Mid-Level Adventure
Bell Rock is considered to be one of the more accessible locations to plan an elopement in Sedona. We call it a mid-level adventure wedding destination. With Bell Rock, you don’t have to worry about changing on-site (multiple times) like other wedding locations in Sedona that require a hike, a backpack, and a change of clothes. Additionally, the walk to your ceremony at Bell Rock is about 10-15 minutes on a flat surface.
Bell Rock Elopement With Guests
However, if you’re planning a Bell Rock elopement with guests, and those guests include granny or little kids, then you should communicate that to your planner. What might take 10-15 minutes for you, could easily take 20 minutes or more for guests with mobility issues. This absolutely needs to be accounted for when scheduling transportation & ceremony time.
Bell Rock is also one of the few Sedona elopement locations with a restroom on site. Which is super important when you have small children attending your wedding.
Bell Rock Parking
Here’s the other thing to consider when scheduling your elopement at Bell Rock with guests, much like Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock has very limited parking. In fact, we require that our couples planning an elopement at Bell Rock with guests use a shuttle for their wedding day, and we’ll tell you why.
There is little to no parking available at Bell Rock. Let’s set the scenario up for you. Consider that you and your partner are arriving in one car, your guests are arriving in a variety of vehicles, and so are your wedding vendors.
You and your wedding vendors have arrived at your adventure elopement. But, there were a few guests who were running about 2-5 minutes behind. In the grand scheme of things running behind for that amount of time is not really a big deal, right? But, when those same guests arrive, there is now no parking available for them and they are driving around in circles while your ceremony has now become delayed while you wait. It’s a less-than-ideal experience for everyone involved.
With your guests all on one mode of transportation, with a driver, there is no room for a parking delay. Everyone comes in and goes out at the same time. Easy and stress-free right?
We’re not about those elopement experiences that are filled with stress, delays, and uncertainty. You came to Sedona to marry your partner and feel the grounding energy of the Bell Rock vortex, which doesn’t exactly leave space for driving around looking for a parking spot, does it?
When to Elope at Bell Rock
Bell Rock is an amazing location for an elopement any time of the year. Of course, the experience each season brings with it for an adventure wedding is completely different.
We will say this. When it comes to planning a Bell Rock elopement with guests, our experience has proven that a weekday elopement provides the most fulfilling experience, regardless of season.
The foot traffic from tourists on a Tuesday is significantly less than on a Saturday. Having that space away from prying eyes and wandering hikers will give you more privacy. It’ll also give you plenty of time to celebrate with your guests whether it’s hugs all around or an on-the-spot picnic.
Bell Rock Elopement Photographer
The added ease & space of a weekday Bell Rock elopement with guests is also amazing when it comes to working with your photographer. There’ll be plenty of time for group shots with your guests, minus the random foot traffic in the backdrop. But, a weekday wedding will also give us access to hidden gem locations at Bell Rock for once-in-a-lifetime photos with your friends & family.
Once our couples have said I do, we like to give them a few moments for hugs and celebration with their guests. From there it’s all about creating a photography experience with the 20 guests they’ve so intentionally invited to their wedding. There’s no rushing around to satisfy a random timeline. Everything is done at a pace that feels right to them in a way that is relaxed.
With group photos with family and friends complete, we work with our newlyweds on couple’s photos. This gives them even more time to be present and soak up the views of the landscape of Sedona. If you’re planning a Bell Rock elopement with guests, we’re sure that’s the experience you crave.
But, and – we cannot say this loud enough – it is so important to work with a Bell Rock elopement photographer who is actually from the area. A local elopement photographer will have a full understanding of the landscape. They’ll also know where to work with you & your guests on wedding photography with 360-degree views, gorgeous backdrops, and spots that will not be crowded; even if you do decide on a Saturday wedding.
Bell Rock Elopement Packages
Arizona Elopement Collective believes an adventure elopement should give you the flexibility to pick & choose the elements that are most important to you while leaving the rest behind. Each of our packages for a Bell Rock elopement with guests is all about allowing you to create the adventure wedding of your dreams. We started Arizona Elopement Collective to give couples a chance to rewrite the rule book when it came to their wedding day. You can find more information on co-creating your exciting one-of-a-kind adventure elopement with us at this link.
