A Highly Unique Red Rocks Wedding
Words cannot express how filled with gratitude we are that Ashley & Jake chose us to co-create their Sedona elopement. Ashley and Jake drove to Sedona, with their dogs on board, all the way from Austin for their Red Rocks wedding.
In fact, Ashley works in the wedding industry. She is a high-end wedding planner for Voka in Austin. But she knew that when it came to her own wedding, she craved something more than the big events she plans for her couples. She and Jake wanted to experience an adventure where they could create moments and memories. They decided to road trip it to Sedona with their fur babies, rent a huge Airbnb, and invite 25 friends & family members for an epic Red Rocks wedding celebration.
The morning of their wedding, their Airbnb was filled with electric energy as guests buzzed around. Our photographer arrived right as hair & makeup were finishing up, just in time for those candid getting-ready moments. With the help of her friends, Ashley slipped on her ultra-modern meets romantic off-the-shoulder wedding gown. All in preparation to meet Jake for their first look. His wedding day preparations? Well, Jake spent the morning of their wedding, in their Airbnb writing his vows.
During the planning process, we organized a shuttle for Ashley, Jake, and their guests to take everyone to their Red Rocks wedding. That way, everyone (including the dogs, the shuttle is dog friendly!) could easily go from the Airbnb to the ceremony site without worrying about parking (it’s a nightmare) or waiting for any guests who might inevitably run late.
Ashley and Jake coordinated their guest’s attire and asked everyone to wear black for the occasion. With a modern elopement, you are inviting up to 25 guests, intentionally. We’ve found that sometimes our couples like to ask their guests to coordinate attire (usually by color) because it looks amazing in their photos. With an elopement, there’s plenty of time to take photos with each of your guests. So while asking them all to adhere to a dress code might seem trivial, it actually makes a big impact.
Another unique aspect of Ashley and Jake’s wedding? They had their friend Austin, officiate their ceremony. Who you choose to officiate your ceremony is entirely up to you. That’s the benefit of eloping. It’s a highly modular experience that provides you with the flexibility to create your wedding day, in a way that feels like you.
Oftentimes, when our couples select a friend to officiate their ceremony, we’ll meet with the friend to go over the specifics. This usually includes applying for & filing the marriage license, checking all the boxes for their ordination, and answering questions about the ceremony flow and location. We get that your friend is probably not all too familiar with Sedona, so we are there to guide them through all the ins & outs. And no, it doesn’t change the pricing on your package if you prefer to have a friend officiate your wedding.
When we arrived at their Red Rocks wedding, Ashley & Jake’s friend, Austin, took his place to officiate their ceremony. A rad live musician was on hand for the ceremony and played a rendition of a song by Rüfüs Du Sol as Ashley made her way to Jake. They are both huge EDM fans so live music at their Red Rocks wedding was a must. A selection of songs for the day also included Fred Again, Creed, and John Mayer. Because who needs something ‘traditional’ when you have your own personal live performance happening at your elopement? Live musicians change the environment and set the vibe, so picking a personalized selection (EDM or not) is another way to scream authenticity on your wedding day.
Once Ashley & Jake were pronounced they had plenty of time for hugs, celebration, a first dance, and photos with their guests. When we work with our couples to plan their elopement, we set a relaxed pace. Who wants to rush on the day of their wedding? You need space to breathe and space for spontaneity and candid moments. Ashley and Jake had plenty of time with their guests in various different groupings to take photos and just enjoy being in each other’s presence at their Red Rocks wedding. While our photographer, Sydney, set the tone for their photo experience, Rich was on hand pouring champagne for everyone!
Their wedding took place in Spring, so Sedona was full of sunlight and the vibrant colors that bring the landscape to life. With the ceremony portion of their wedding day complete, Ashley and Jake wanted to adventure and capture more photos. Sydney stopped with them along the way as they explored the Red Rocks and captured every moment. Their Red Rocks wedding was a stress-free day filled with serenity and peace. We also heard the party waiting for them at the Airbninb later on was truly epic.
You can see some of our favorite moments from Ashley & Jake’s Red Rocks wedding, through the photos below.
