Elopement Under the Stars
Plan Your Perfect Wedding Under the Stars
For millennia, stargazing has captivated humans across cultures, inspiring awe, romance, and a profound sense of connection with the cosmos. As you embark on your adventure elopement, why not embrace this timeless tradition and make stargazing a part of your unforgettable celebration?
In this comprehensive guide, you'll discover the best times, locations, and tips for incorporating the natural splendor of the stars into your special day. From dark sky destinations to a calendar of celestial events in 2024, we'll cover everything you need to plan an enchanting elopement under the brilliant night sky.
Be sure to also check out my recommended vendors, venues, and BnB’s in my complete
A Little Background About Stargazing
“Anyone who wants to count the thousands
Of joys before you, the days of delight
May tally the glittering stars
Or go counting sands in the desert.”
-Catallus
The mesmerizing beauty of a night sky sparkling with the multitudinous stars has captivated human beings from all over the world for thousands and thousands of years. It inspires awe, curiosity, and delight.
Our forebears started charting the night sky over 5,000 years ago. The earliest record of such practices date back to 1000 BCE. Astrometry, as it’s called, was actually one of the first natural sciences developed by early civilizations all over the globe. It was not, however, curiosity alone that provoked our early interest in the stars, but necessity too. Monitoring the stars and planets gave early humans invaluable information about time, and therefore the seasons– which was indispensible in the creation and honing of agriculture and navigation, among other things.
Myths, legends, and stories that feature the stars and planets– many of which feature romances immortalized by constellations— proliferate from cultures all over the world and date back many centuries.
For over 3,000 years we have been observing, learning from, remarking on, and taking inspiration from the starry heavenly realms that lie above us all.
And it is no wonder why…
Who hasn’t stood– gazing up into the seemingly limitless inky-black expanse of the night sky– and pondered the deep mystery of our very existence?
We stand in awe beneath its twinkling magnificence and feel the awesomeness of our Creator, our comparative smallness, and our deep and mysterious connection to the universe and to each other.
Fun Fact: The connection we feel when pondering the stars might be because we are, in fact, all made of stardust! According to NASA’s Tumblr: “From the carbon in our DNA to the calcium in our bones, nearly all of the elements in our bodies were forged in the fiery hearts and death throes of stars.”
Why Include Stargazing in Your Wedding
"When I have a terrible need of —
shall I say the word — religion,
then I go out and paint the stars."
-Van Gogh
What better way to solemnize your boundless love to one another than to admire and celebrate the stars and planets on your wedding night?
It is really such a fitting way to start or end your adventure elopement! You can choose to set aside some consecrated time with just you and your sweetheart to:
set an intention for your relationship as you are about to embark on this next big adventure together– (marriage of course!)
simply slow down and collect yourselves and be present for one another before beginning the happiest day of your lives– (your elopement, of course!)
or, alternatively, take a deep breath and reflect on your momentous day after it has all winded down
The great thing about the lovely pastime of stargazing is that there are so many ways you can incorporate it into your wedding. It can be the centerpiece of the whole day or just a fun accompaniment to the festivities and sweet moments you already have planned.
How to Incorporate Stargazing Into Your Elopement
"Love knows not distance;
it hath no continent;
its eyes are for the stars."
-Gilbert Parker
As a seasoned adventure elopement photographer, I know full well that weddings take an inordinate amount of planning and a certain vigilant attention to detail. You have crossed all of your t’s and dotted all of your i’s, and as a result, you can rest assured as your elopement nears, knowing you have done all within your power to orchestrate the perfect day.
At some point though, you just have to surrender the outcome to the universe… And this is especially true if you plan to include stargazing in your wedding. You can pick the most favorable season, the very best day of the month, the most advantageous time of the night, the most prime star-viewing location… And YET, sometimes the stars do not align. It’s best if you can accept and even embrace a certain amount of uncertainty when incorporating stargazing into your plans.
That being said, there are absolutely many strategies you can use to help ensure the most stellar of experiences. The following sections include all the things you ought to consider when planning your elopement under the stars.
The Seasons, The Phases of the Moon, and the Time of Day
The Seasons
Autumn, winter, and spring comprise ‘observing season’, which is the period of time deemed best by astronomers for stargazing. Why? Because that’s when nights are the longest! So if you want to make this enchanting pasttime a part of your elopement, try to plan the big day for between the time clocks roll back in October through March, when we spring forward.
Photo by Ryan Tasto from Unsplash.com
The Phases of the Moon
Furthermore, if you want to catch the heavenly bodies at the height of their brightness and clarity, you will want to take into account the phases of the Moon when planning your elopement under the stars.
As a rule of thumb, the very best times to view the stars are shortly before, during, and after a New Moon. That’s when the sky is darkest. The bright light of a Full Moon can unfortunately wash out and dull the luminescence of the stars, so it’s best to steer clear if stargazing is your main priority.
(Note that a Full Moon does make for some epic, swoonworthy pictures, so if your nuptials fall on one of these dates, I encourage you to take advantage! The Full Moon setting against a mesmerizing southwestern landscape– I am thinking of the red rocks of Arizona, here– provides for a stunning backdrop to your wedding day memories and a perfect way to say: ‘I love you to the Moon and back!’.)
For your reference, I’ve created a handy little chart for the remaining important Moon dates– and their names– in 2024:
The Time of Day
Astrophotography is an art, and the timing of those elopement pictures is an important factor to consider, along with the Moon phases. Typically, the best time of day to photograph an elopement under the stars is a few hours after sunset, or a few hours before sunrise. I will work with you to plan just the right timeline for this part of the day!
Location, Location, Location
To get the utmost out of your stargazing experience, you will want to try to elope in one of the Dark Sky Locations in the U.S. These locations– 195 in all around the world– are recognized by the IDA (International Dark-Sky Association) as taking the necessary steps to reduce light pollution and therefore safeguard the integrity of our brilliant night sky. In these places, you can behold up to 15,000 stars as opposed to just around 500 in more populated, urban areas with no light regulations.
Fun Fact: The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) is an Arizona-based nonprofit founded in 1988 with the mission "to protect and preserve the world's night skies for present and future generations."
It probably comes as no surprise that many of these dark sky locations are situated in the American west, where a myriad of our national parks have earned IDA designations for the distinguished character of their starry nights.
I’ve curated a list here–not a comprehensive one, though– and organized it by state, of some of the best Dark Sky Places for your adventure elopement under the stars:
Colorado
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
Explore North America’s tallest sand dunes– a true wonder to behold– here by day, and then take in the spellbinding sky at night. The park is open 24 hours a day so you are free to access the dunes, which feel and look rather otherworldly, at any time. This is one the quietest of Colorado’s 8 Dark Sky Places. Also, if you plan to camp out during your elopement, there are lovely campsites bordering the dunes.
Photo by Lisha Riabinina from Unsplash.com
This national monument, near Cortez, straddles the Colorado-Utah border and is home to six prehistoric villages featuring Ancestral Puebloan masonry structures. Its name means “deserted valley’ and it does, indeed, have that hallowed, ‘faraway’ feeling– perfectly romantic for the solemnization of your vows. Due to its remote location surrounded by Navajo lands and BLM land, it is deemed a gold-tier place by the IDA, which means it is the darkest of the three tiers. Although the park is closed at night, you can view the stars from the surrounding campgrounds.
Mesa Verde is the world’s 100th International Dark Sky Park and sits at the center of one of the darkest skies in the lower 48. While the park’s fragile sites, trails and backcountry are closed at night, there are still many vantage points from which you can view the sparkling night sky– including the mulitudinous stars of the Milky Way– during your wedding getaway. There are many overlooks along the park road, as well as overnight lodging at Far View Lodge and Morehead Campground.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Nicknamed the “vertical wilderness” for its breathtaking steep spires, this 2,000 square foot gorge near Montrose (about 45 minutes from Telluride) in western Colorado is a glorious spot for stargazing during your elopement. This park does not close at night so you can have access to all it has to offer without having to be constrained by time limitations. There is camping on both rims, and throughout the year the park works with a local astronomy society for a variety of fun, star-centered nighttime events.
Utah
Utah is centered in the Great Western Starry Way and is home to 24 Dark Sky Places– a higher concentration than anywhere else in the world! Arches, outside of the super cool town of Moab, is a wonderland of pinnacles, pins, ribs and– you guessed it– arches (over 2,000), carved out of red sandstone. It is open 24 hours a day and provides an absolutely spectacular opportunity for stargazing and, of course, jaw-dropping photographs for your wedding day.
Photo by Robert Hill from Unsplash.com
Bryce Canyon is a spectacle to behold indeed. It is filled with thousands of hoodoos– a word which means ‘to bewitch’. (Fitting, since this is what Bryce Canyon’s rock formations will do to you.) Hoodoos are tall, narrow shafts or pillars of rock that jut up into the sky from the basin of the park. The landscape here is truly mesmerizing, and Bryce Canyon is considered by many to be the last grand sanctuary of darkness. It is home to one of the oldest astronomy programs in the world with all sorts of events to take advantage of (such as star parties in late June) so you know stargazing here during your elopement is sure to be a hit!
Canyonlands (also near the awesome town of Moab) is the largest of Utah’s state parks and offers a perfect opportunity to view the limitless stars. Carved by the Colorado River and its tributaries, the park is divided into four distinct areas, populated by soaring pinnacles, cliffs, spires, mesas, buttes and canyons. It is open 24 hours a day, too. Here, you might even see the rings of Saturn with just a rudimentary pair of binoculars! To take in the starry nights, camp in one of the two campgrounds, either in the Island in the Sky or in the Needles district.
Capitol Reef is a hidden gem of a place (less visited than its sister parks) that lies at the heart of red rock country. It is a treasure filled with cliffs, canyons, domes, and bridges. Its trademark feature is the Waterpocket Fold, a monocline, or a kind of extesnisve fold in the Earth’s crust, extending almost 100 miles. This park, too, is open 24 hours a day, offering prime star-viewing opportunities for your wedding day.
The newest addition to Utah’s certified Dark Sky Parks, Zion is comprised of high plateaus and mazes of narrow, deep, sandstone canyons. The Virgin River and its tributaries flow through Zion, ensuring it is a little lusher and greener and seemingly more diverse than some of Utah’s other parks. 24 hour access to the park will allow for exemplary star-gazing during your elopement.
Photo by Anubhav Saxena from Unsplash.com
Arizona
The first time I stepped up to the rim of the Grand Canyon, it literally took my breath away and brought tears to my eyes. It is THAT awesome to behold. I can’t imagine a wedding more memorable than exchanging vows in this most spectacular of places– deservingly one of the seven natural wonders of the world– and then getting to take in the star-studded sky from one of its many viewpoints. The park is open 24 hours, and they have a robust Dark Skies Program which includes events like their Grand Canyon Star Party (June 1-8). Cabins are available on the North Rim (but book early!), and on the South Rim there are hotels, cabins, and campsites. (Also, unrelated to stargazing, but I highly recommend a rim-to-rim helicopter ride if you end up eloping here!)
Photo by Jad Limcaco from Unsplash.com
Note: Looking to go to dreamy Sedona for your adventure elopement? Sedona is a designated Dark Sky community (and supposedly also a vortex) and offers up a multitude of truly stunning trails, hikes, viewpoints and open spaces for unbeatable stargazing!
Montana
Glacier has always been a popular spot for hikers and is now gaining renown as an unrivaled destination for stargazing From just about anywhere in this magnificent park, which boasts some of the darkest skies in the world, you and your sweetheart can witness the soaring peaks of Glacier trasnformed by night into a sweeping canvas of thousands of stars, planets, and galaxies. It is open 24 hours a day, year-round.
Photo of Grinnell Glacier courtesy of Hike734.com
Idaho
The Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve
The Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve, one of only two Dark Sky Reserves in the U.S., is a region of nearly 1,500 square miles of remote and largely rugged lands in the striking Sawtooth Mountains. This area, close to Sun Valley, offers up all sorts of fun activities: hiking, fishing, kayaking, paddleboarding, biking, backpacking, and horsebackriding, which you can of course combine with some epic stargazing on your adventure elopement. There’s also a variety of lodging to choose from, including luxury Airbnbs, campgrounds, and yurts. Go to the Bethine and Frank Church Lookout at 8,700 feet for an excellent viewing platform.
Photo of Redfish Lake courtesy of VisitSunValley.com
Craters of the Moon National Monument
When visiting this monument in central Idaho you may very well feel like you are on the Moon. And what better place to stargaze than on a desolate-feeling expanse of millions-of-years-old lava formations? This place has an otherworldly atmosphere that is perfect for reflecting on our cosmos and celebrating how the stars aligned for you!
Photo of the Milky Way from Inferno Cone courtesy of NPS.gov
New Mexico
Chaco Culture National Historical Park
This park is for history and culture buffs, as it features myriad ruins, constructed between 850 and 1250 A.D. by the Ancestral Puebloan civilization. Notably, Ancient Chacoans were actually expert astronomers, and their structures, aligned with the patterns of the stars, Moon, and other planetary objects, reflect this. Chaco actually has its own observatory, where visitors can look up to the same star-filled sky as ancient Chacoans did thousands of years ago. There are night sky programs, emphasizing the similarities and differences between the way people viewed the night sky in ancient times and today. Lots of clear nights make this site a great pick for your elopement under the stars.
Capulin Volcano National Monument
This area in New Mexico is the second on our list to have achieved gold-tier recognition (meaning it’s the darkest of the dark). There is a night sky observation center– where you can see planets, galaxies, nebulae, and other amazing sights all with your own eyes–and star parties April through September at the base of the volcano and even occasionally on the rim (from which you can see four different states)! I can’t imagine a more epic way to elope than to ascend a volcano at night and exchange I-dos under the vast, pristine New Mexico night sky.
Photo of Robinson Peak near Capulin Volcano National Monument by NPS.gov
Wyoming
Grand Teton is renowned for its striking, massive peaks and pristine, captivating wilderness. There are hundreds of spots throughout this vast park for stargazing, and it is open 24 hours a day. You can plan lots of activities, and lodging, too, in nearby Jackson Hole and then hike out with your sweetheart as the Cowboy State’s night sky unfurls in all its sparkling glory.
Photo by Mariana Bobina from Pexels.com
The world’s very first national park, and one of the U.S.’s largest, Yellowstone is an absolute wonder to behold. Its many meadows, geysers, mountains, hot springs, waterfalls, and lakes provide a perfect backdrop for your elopement under the stars. It is open 24 hours a day, year-round, and stargazing events are held regularly.
Photo by Zetong Li from Pexels.com
Your Calendar For All the Starry Happenings for 2024
"These blessed candles of the night."
-Shakespeare
Our solar system is comprised of eight planets, more than 4,000 comets and countless other features…. And each of them holds the promise to light up the night sky at any moment.
In 2024, the sky will be illuminated by 12 full Moons, plenty of meteor showers, five eclipses and four Supermoons!
I’ve compiled all the important 2024 details (aside from the already aforementioned phases of the Moon) here for you.
March 19: Spring Equinox– Spring officially begins on this day when there are nearly the same exact amounts of daylight and darkness.
March 22 - Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks– The comet might become visible on this day as it approaches the sun, but the best time to see it might be during the total solar eclipse on April 8—but only if you are in the path of totality.
April 8: Total Solar Eclipse– This is the solar event of the year!! Total solar eclipses occur when the Moon passes between the sun and the Earth, completely blocking the face of the sun. Essentially, day turns to night. And these events are rare…Total solar eclipses are seen only every 400 years from any one place on the surface of the Earth. The next one to occur in the lower 48 will not happen until 2045! The total eclipse will pass through the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, as well as parts of Mexico and Canada.
April 20: Jupiter and Uranus a Half-Degree Apart– Jupiter dominates the sky at this time of year and will easily be the brightest object in the sky. Uranus, on the other hand, will be around magnitude 6.0, so you’ll need binoculars or a small telescope to spot it. But on this day the two planets will be 0.5 degree apart, making a happy pair. Look west after sunset, when the sky will be fully dark.
April 21-22: Lyrid Meteor Shower– This meteor shower features comets that can produce fireballs and is usually one to stay up late for; however, the bright light from the Full “Pink” Moon may diminish its brilliance this year.
May 5-6: Eta Aquarid Meteors– This meteor shower, produced by Halley’s Comet, is typically one of the more stellar ones of the year. Stagrgazers can expect to see about 30 meteors an hour!
June 20: Summer Solstice– Summer officially begins on this day– the longest day and shortest night in the Northern Hemisphere.
August 12-13: Perseids Peak Meteor Shower– This meteor shower almost never disappoints. You can expect to catch up to 100 shooting stars each hour, and even some fireballs. The moon will set around midnight this evening, so venture out late (starting around 10:00) and take in the star-studded show through the pre-dawn hours!
September 8: Saturns’s Closest Approach to Earth– Saturn will be opposite the sun on this night, with Earth directly in between the two. This alignment will offer the closest and therefore biggest sighting of Saturn. Stargazers using a telescope will be able to see Saturn’s many rings and some of its 83 moons.
September 18: Partial Lunar Eclipse– These eclipses occur when Earth is positioned precisely between the Moon and sun, and Earth’s shadow falls on the surface of the Moon, dimming it. Lunar eclipses can be seen by half the planet, and luckily, all of North America will be able to view this spectacle!
October 2: Annular Solar Eclipse– This eclipse— the last of the year– will produce the appearance of a ring of fire around the Moon. But it will only be visible from places in the Pacific, including Hawaii.
October 8: Draconid Meteor Shower–The first of two October meteor showers, this one will last from October 6-10 but reach its fiery peak on October 8. This show is typically not as robust as others and produces a few meteors per hour.
October 12: Comet whizzes by Earth– A very recently discovered comet (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) will fly by Earth and sightings are possible for up to a week!
December 14-15: Geminid Meteor Shower– This is normally the best meteor shower of the year, but its proximity to the Full “Cold” Moon will likely diminish its floridity and vibrancy.
There you have it! All the heavenly happenings of 2024!
Ready to Celebrate Your Day Your Way?
Elopement Photographer Andrea Enger (Portrait by Realm Studios)
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If you’re still in the research phase, I hear ya! Here are some more resources that my couples have found helpful. I hope you do, too!
