This beautiful Joshua Tree elopement was everything I LOVE about eloping in a national park. Bailey and Maggie planned the most intentional and personalized day. As an experienced elopement photographer who specializes in helping couples plan their perfect national park weddings, I can confidently say that their elopement day was special and memorable for so many reasons – including the decisions they made during the planning process! Read on to find out what they did to make their Joshua Tree elopement a success.
Maggie and Bailey decided to rent an AirBnb near the main park entrance for their Joshua Tree elopement. Located in the town of Joshua Tree, their vintage-style AirBnb rental was the perfect place to get ready for their elopement day. There are so many AirBnbs and other vacation rentals to choose from in this area! I love the one they picked because it had separate rooms for getting dressed before their first look, a big front porch for a sweet first look moment, and a beautiful living room with space to dance. The desert decor matched the vibe of their day so well.
The perfect AirBnb for a Joshua Tree wedding
After the first look, they were ready to drive up the road to enter the park together in their vintage convertible rental!
Bailey and Maggie rented this amazing vintage Mercedes convertible on Turo. They had a vision of recreating the iconic movie poster from Thelma & Louise, and this car was the absolute icing on the cake. Plus, it created such a memorable experience of driving through Joshua Tree National Park together!
In the park, we first headed for their ceremony site at Cap Rock. There are several ceremony location options in Joshua Tree National Park to choose from, and they liked Cap Rock for the scenery as well as the amenities (parking lot, restroom). On a weekday evening, we had the area nearly to ourselves, and we walked out along the trail to pick their ceremony spot.
Joshua Tree elopement ceremony at Cap Rock
The brides shared an intimate ceremony with personally written vows, a ring exchange, and happy tears + laughter and smiles. Set against a backdrop of boulders and a tall Joshua Tree, their ceremony location at Cap Rock had a perfect blend of everything I love about Joshua Tree elopement scenery.
This cheering moment from right after their first kiss as a married couple is one of my favorite captures from the entire day! Just pure joy!
After the ceremony was complete, we continued walking around the Cap Rock nature trail area, taking in the views and letting Bailey & Maggie just soak in the newlywed bliss.
Then in the parking lot, it was time to recreate the Thelma & Louise poster! I think we nailed it – what do you think?
They hopped in the vintage convertible and we drove to our next portrait spot near Hall of Horrors. Unlike the name might suggest, this trail was nothing but beautiful! As a Joshua Tree elopement photographer, I love catching golden hour in an area with both boulders and vegetation. The granite rocks catch the sunlight so well, and everything looks so dreamy – it’s like walking in a postcard!
Joshua Tree elopement portrait locations
We had to make a stop at the famous Skull Rock. But don’t be fooled by its proximity to the road – there are plenty of other formations to see in this area! The whole area is called Jumbo Rocks, and it’s easy to see why it got that name. I love these photos of Maggie and Bailey just wandering through the landscape together and enjoying the golden hour glow.
As the sun began to set, we started driving back up towards town. On the way, we pulled over in a picturesque little parking area for some solo portraits for each bride, as well as a few more photos with the convertible.
This is one of the things I love most about exploring in Joshua Tree – if you find a pretty spot you want to stop, you can! (Obey all parking signs please, of course!) It’s different from so many other national parks where you must stay on specific designated trails. As long as you respect the vegetation, you can walk around and even climb on boulders wherever you’d like. It feels so free and open – if you want a stunning and easy elopement location in the desert, a Joshua Tree elopement might be for you!
Our final stop in the park was another of my favorites – the Quail Springs parking area. Bailey and Maggie toasted to their wedding day as the sun went down. We were treated to a gorgeous desert sunset of pink, purple, and blue hues. Then we pulled the convertible into a safe place for some nighttime portraits. Headlights can be a fun and artistic way to continue your elopement photos after the sun sets. The brides wanted some vintage-style flash portraits to go with the overall vintage and cinematic vibe of the day. I love when couples are up for creative ideas like this one!
We also photographed some Polaroids throughout the day. Captured on the full-size large Polaroids, I love how they add to the vintage feel of this Joshua Tree elopement. (This is always available as an add-on service for my wedding & elopement clients!) Polaroids are perfectly imperfect, documenting the feeling – as much as the look – of your desert elopement.
Polaroids from the day – tell your story
A big shoutout to the vendor team who made this Joshua Tree elopement happen:
Photography: Allie Dearie Photography
Location: Joshua Tree National Park
Car Rental: Turo
Florist: My Little Flower Shop
Hair & Makeup: DIY by brides
Wedding Attire: Love Shack Fancy, Farm Rio & Madewell
Rings: Bands by Dallas Maynard, Bailey’s engagement ring by Artemer, Maggie’s engagement ring restored by Lester Lampert
Lodging: AirBnb
Want to see more? This Joshua Tree elopement was also featured on Wandering Weddings: Bailey and Maggie’s Cap Rock Ceremony With Matching Heart Sunglasses & an Epic Convertible
Ready to book? Contact me and we can get started on planning your own perfect Joshua Tree elopement day!
Meet your Joshua Tree elopement expert!
I’m Allie, a Southern California local and national park enthusiast. I’ve been a professional wedding & elopement photographer for over 9 years! In that time I have been honored to photograph elopements in Joshua Tree, Yosemite, Glacier, Acadia, and many others in our beautiful National Park System.
We eloped in a national park ourselves, so I know firsthand the joys – and the challenges – that come with planning your elopement in a park! From permits to timelines, lodging recommendations to assisting with the vendor search for florals, makeup, and more, I am here to help you navigate the process from start to finish. Every park has different rules and regulations, but it’s my job to stay aware of each park’s requirements and help you plan an elopement that is easy, breezy, joyful, and unforgettable. Let’s go!
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