Wild Elopement in Moab Utah
exploring Moab
This elopement. Hannah and Collin’s wedding is the perfect example of why we love our work so much and why we continue to do it.
Their elopement was wildly adventurous. Intimately personal. Spontaneous and carefree. And the two of them together against the red sandstone cliffs in Moab was stunningly beautiful.
More so than landscapes or pretty dresses or trendy poses, we love people and their stories. When we met Hannah and Collin for the first time at a Thai restaurant outside Zion National Park for their engagements, I knew our time with them would be more than just a series of photos. We ended up laughing so hard that by the end of the night my cheeks were sore.
By the time the day of the wedding had come, we had already spent countless hours on phone calls and emails helping these two plan their elopement, and most of that time was spent laughing and catching up on each other’s lives. The week of their wedding, it felt like we were attending a wedding for some friends of ours. We met Hannah and Collin for lunch in Moab the day before the wedding and road tripped out to some of the hidden gems in the Moab desert. After an hour or so of exploring, we drove down a road off the main highway and I saw a faint trail going up a steep ridge. I quickly yelled “TURN HERE!” and we pulled off down a bumpy dirt road that led us to the trail. We hiked up the ridge, and at the top all of us were stunned at the views. Hannah and Collin hugged tight—we all knew it was the spot.
SUNRISE PHOTOS AT DEAD HORSE POINT
The next day we woke up before dawn and met Hannah and Collin at Dead Horse Point State Park for some sunrise photos and coffee on the morning of their wedding. It was surprisingly FREEZING for the desert. Hannah and Collin cuddled in blankets and made pour-over coffee with some beans from their favorite roaster from home.
Elopement Ceremony in Moab Backcountry
I just keep thinking back to a particular moment during their ceremony. We’d hiked up the ridge, panting and stopping every few minutes to catch our breath since Hannah and Collin were braving the trail in their wedding attire. We took some photos on top of the ridge before hiking up higher to a small sandstone “aisle” that led to a stunning view of the towers in the distance. Right before they began saying their vows, the clouds parted for just a moment to allow the warmest orange glow to hit the tower behind them. Garrett, their officiant, stopped the ceremony briefly to let Hannah and Collin look out and enjoy the landscape around them. It was breathtaking with the sunlight hitting the sandstone while the La Sal mountains rested all blue and covered in snow in the distance.
Their ceremony was tear-filled and intimate. Hannah and Collin looked as though some wild dream they never thought possible was happening in front of their eyes. We hugged, gave toasts, and hiked back down in the dark to their van where we signed the papers and finished off the champagne.
Love is a fantastic mystery. One that is so deeply embodied in the warm glow of sunset and the wild landscapes that make you feel fear and wonder all at the same time. Hannah and Collin’s story fit seamlessly between all of it.
Officiant: Garrett Foster Green
Venue: Under Canvas Moab
Silk Ribbons: The Slow Cult
Dress: Wren Bridal
Veil: Sarah Gabriel Veils
Paper Goods: Wide Eyes Paper Co
Cake: Tulie Bakery
Cedar & Pines is an adventurous wedding and elopement photography duo made up of Nate and Megan Kantor, a married couple living in their Airstream and traveling the American West. They believe in honest wedding photography, capturing the small candid moments to the epic landscape views. They travel to photograph intimate weddings and adventure elopements from the mountains of Colorado to destination weddings in California, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Wyoming, Washington, Patagonia and the ends of the earth.
