Your Wedding with a Side of Adventure: Cathedral Rock Elopement With Guests

An elopement at Cathedral Rock is a vibe, all on its own. A Cathedral Rock adventure wedding is for couples who are avid hikers and true adventurers. It’s for the couples whose story includes an anecdote about how they got engaged on a hike. 

The views at Cathedral Rock are beyond epic, and it’s also considered one of the five energy vortex sites in Sedona. The magnetic feeling of Cathedral Rock will leave you feeling an overwhelming sense of bliss. How rad would it be to draw on the magnetism of that energy vortex, on your wedding day? We’re detailing everything you need to know about a Cathedral Rock elopement with guests, in the article below.

Your Cathedral Rock Elopement & Accessibility

Wondering how to host a Cathedral Rock elopement with guests? Let’s start with accessibility because a Cathedral Rock Elopement with guests is all about your guest’s comfort & mobility. The walk to your ceremony site will be about 10-20 minutes total. This is not a leisurely Sunday afternoon stroll. The walk to your Cathedral Rock ceremony is not paved, there is no ‘walkway’ and you can count on the terrain being rocky & bumpy. Sedona’s elevation is around 3500 ft and the elevation gain when hiking Cathedral Rock is pretty significant. Even though you’re not going all the way up to the top, it’s still a significant elevation gain for guests who are older or not in great shape.

But, before we even get to the walk for you and your guests there is something important you need to know. You will absolutely need a shuttle to get down there. During the week, from Thursday to Sunday, the city requires private transportation or shuttle service in order to access Cathedral Rock. 

However, if you want to plan your Cathedral Rock elopement with guests from Monday to Wednesday, the city requirements are lifted. But, ours are not.

We require our couples to arrive at their Cathedral Rock elopement with guests in tow, regardless of what the city says, with good reason. First, the shuttle doesn’t allow wedding parties. Second, parking is extremely limited at Cathedral Rock. Shuttle service guarantees that you and your guests will be on time. Instead of waiting half an hour for a parking spot to open up, delaying your wedding altogether. 

The day of your wedding should be peaceful and stress-free. Having your ceremony at Cathedral Rock held up by parking delays is a less-than-ideal scenario when you are about to walk into an energy vortex.

When to Elope at Cathedral Rock

In our experience, a Cathedral Rock elopement with guests is all about a weekday elopement. Choosing a weekday elopement enhances your level of privacy. By the way, if you want absolute privacy for your Sedona adventure wedding, Cathedral Rock is not it. It’s a popular destination for adventurers and hikers and it’s positively packed, especially on a Saturday. But you chose to elope because you’re not big on following the rule book anyway. So the idea of a Tuesday wedding sounds perfect to you. As an added bonus, your Tuesday adventure elopement will have far fewer tourists in the backdrop.

Trying to pick a season for your adventure wedding at Cathedral Rock? We recommend late fall, early spring, or even winter. Basically anytime from October to May. Can you get married during the summer at Cathedral Rock? Yep. But you will definitely be hot. If you’re bothered by the idea of being sweaty on your wedding day with your professional hair & makeup attempting to (unsuccessfully) brave the elements, then stay away from a summer date. 

Ceremony

Cathedral Rock borders the Coconino National Forest. Because of this, a wedding ceremony can only be held at the base. This is a major plus for a Cathedral Rock elopement with guests because you won’t have to worry about your guest’s ability to brave the hike.

However, you still have the flexibility to work with your Cathedral Rock elopement photographer on photos at the elevation; up on Cathedral’s Edge, after your ceremony. 

Even without the hike, the walk in is not exactly easy breezy. So, your guests will need to be up to the challenge when attending your ceremony. Want to extend the amount of time you spend with your guests at Cathedral Rock? We typically work with our couples to hire a live musician. That way, after your vows, your guests can witness your first dance. 

Cathedral Rock Elopement Photography

There’s plenty you need to know in order to prepare for your Cathedral Rock elopement photos. Which is why planning is such a crucial component of a Sedona elopement package. We’re talking actual planning here too, not just a checklist, guide, or random download. You’ll need enough time in your day to plan for wedding photos at the base as well as photos with your guests.

Cathedral Rock Wedding Photos at the Summit

But you are an adventuring couple; you chose Cathedral Rock because you want to hike a beautiful location on the day of your wedding. That amazing feeling of being joined in marriage at an energy vortex along with the phenomenal views you’ll experience? You need the photos to back it up.

So many of our couples who plan a Cathedral Rock elopement with guests, want to hike up for photos once they are officially newlyweds. We will say, you can bring guests with you for the hike, but they have to be in shape, up to the challenge, and ready to gain 741 feet of elevation in 1.2 miles. It is not recommended for those with mobility or breathing issues. 

Additionally, timing is critical when it comes to hiking Cathedral Rock for wedding photos. Especially if you want to catch that beautiful golden sun over Sedona’s landscape on your wedding day. 

We typically schedule an hour and a half to hike up with our couples in order to chase sunset photos. But, if you plan on bringing any of your guests along for the hike, we recommend discussing the best course of action with us during the planning process. Your guests may need extra time added to their hike.

It’s also entirely possible that your wedding photos won’t be the only ones happening when we do get up there. There are a few quintessential locations for photos at the top, especially at sunset, and they are popular tourist attractions too. Because of this, a line typically forms. Most folks are kind and considerate during this process, but we have encountered those who are less than caring about respecting others’ time. It’s entirely possible we could be waiting in line for up to 30 minutes for Cathedral Rock wedding photos once we reach the summit.

We’ve mentioned this before but it’s worth repeating, Cathedral Rock is definitely not for you if you are looking for a super private experience on your wedding day. There will be tons of eyes around and its entirely likely that tourists will be recording you. We don’t know why, but it happens.

Changing

Obviously, you’re not going to hike up in your wedding attire either, so we’ll explain how that works. Typically, our couples will arrive to their ceremony dressed in their wedding day attire. Brides usually add a sports bra and hiking shorts under their gown while the grooms typically wear hiking shorts under their suit. 

Once your ceremony is over, you’ll need to get out of your wedding day attire. From there, we will hike up for your photos. Once we arrive, there is a hidden crevice at the top where you can change back into your wedding day attire. 

This is yet another reason why we can’t recommend a weekday wedding at Cathedral Rock enough. We’ve seen multiple couples, on the same day, fighting over this spot in order to change for their wedding photos. But, if you’re extroverted and don’t have a problem changing not in a hidden crevice, you’ll be just fine.

Cathedral Rock Elopement Packages

A modern elopement is highly modular and allows you to select what you want out of your adventure wedding in Sedona while leaving the rest behind. When it comes to planning a Cathedral Rock elopement with guests, we highly recommend our Level 2 (no hike) or Level 3 (hike included!) Sedona elopement packages. Each of these Cathedral Rock elopement packages will allow you to create the adventure wedding of your dreams while celebrating with the friends & family members you want to connect with most. 

If you’re ready to work with us to co-create your Cathedral Rock elopement with guests, you can find more information at this link or contact us to get started!