Raquel and Jarrod Part One: Grand Canyon Sunrise Elopement Photography

Sometimes everything just falls into place and you get married as the sun rises at the Grand Canyon. Not really! Every wedding takes specific planning. Even an elopement. And Raquel and Jarrod took that to heart! Timing was worked out so they said their vows as the sun crept above the horizon. For me, that meant getting up at 3 a.m. to head out to the Canyon so I could photograph the two of them getting ready. They had an awesome spot for that. They reserved the Bucky O’Neill cabin for the night before their Grand Canyon Elopement. It’s pretty amazing. It sits just feet from the rim of the Canyon. Seriously. Like 30 feet or so. You could really feel the Canyon’s energy as we moved through early morning preparation. Sedona Beauty Team took care of hair and makeup. Always a very good choice. Raquel had so many beautiful little details worked out. An incredible bouquet. Hand made jacket. A custom printed clutch. And Jarrod looked poised and confident.

Pretty quickly it was time to head out to Lipan Point, which is about a 45 minute drive from Grand Canyon Village. Jarrod drove their Jeep, I followed behind and Raquel hitched a ride with her amazing videographer Leslie Allred. We arrived as the sky was lighting up with some epic Grand Canyon color. Jen Paul arrived to officiate. After an emotional first look, Raquel, Jarrod and Jen climbed up onto a natural rock pedestal and started the ceremony. It was one of the most beautiful and personal wedding ceremonies I’ve been fortunate to witness and document. Raquel and Jarrod read each other beautiful hand-written vows and Jen included a blanket ceremony before the two kissed and celebrated.

After that, we explored the point for portraits and then headed back to the parking lot for cake. Nice! It really was an incredible Grand Canyon elopement. Beautiful from start to finish. Even if you’re eloping, it’s really important to have an amazing team in place. And I have to say, this was a good team of wedding pros.

Why is this blog post Part 1? Because two weeks later Raquel and Jarrod had a second wedding ceremony and party in Sedona to celebrate with friends and family. And we all met back up to make it the best it could be. Rad!