What is an Off-Road Elopement?
Breaking Down the Details of the Ultimate Wedding-Day Adventure
The world of adventure eloping is no longer a secret–and that’s a really good thing.
Now, lots of people have an understanding of adventure elopements and what benefits they can bring to soon-to-be-married couples who are seeking something different on their wedding day.
Often, though, adventure elopements are characterized by the most popular photos people see on Instagram–a cute couple hiking up a mountain with their wedding attire and backpacks on, a mountaintop vow exchange as the sun’s coming up, a first kiss shared over a picnic in an alpine meadow.
All of these things are amazing. And they all qualify as adventure elopements. In fact, these are the types of elopements that I’ve been fortunate enough to capture for lots of couples.
But you know what gets a lot less attention that I think should have a more permanent spot in the limelight?
If you’re new to this phrase or the offroading world, buckle up–I’ve got a lot to share with you about the epicness of adventure offroad eloping.
What is an Offroad Elopement?
Before we dive into anything complicated, let’s get the biggest question out of the way–what is an offroad elopement, anyway?
To me, an offroad elopement is when a couple chooses an offroading adventure of any kind on their wedding day. Whether they’re spending the day driving down bumpy, scenic forest roads together or chasing the adrenaline of rock crawling the toughest obstacles in Utah (and beyond), it counts as an offroad wedding in my book.
Offroad elopements usually involve meeting up a few hours before sunrise or sunset (depending on how long you want your day of off-roading to be), hitting a trail, and exploring the beautiful scenery.
An offroad elopement can be as laid-back and casual as taking a dirt road to a gorgeous overlook. It can also be intense–picking the hardest lines on a tough trail and scrambling over rocks and obstacles. And, of course, it can be anything in between those things.
Importantly, an offroad elopement is like a hiking adventure elopement in one specific way–it’s all about doing exactly what you want to do. And that’s the biggest requirement in my book.
The Must-know Off-Road Eloping Details
What makes an offroad elopement different? What makes it special? And what are a few basics you need to know about this kind of adventurous wedding day? Here are a few must-know facts to get you started.
Offroad elopements are for Everyone - Not Just Off-Road Enthusiasts
I know what you might be thinking. “An offroad elopement sounds so cool, but we’re not offroad enthusiasts. We wouldn’t even know where to start!”
The good news about offroad eloping (just like any other kind of adventure eloping) is that you don’t have to be the expert.
That’s why I’m here for. Offroad elopements are for everyone, especially people who:
- Want a beautiful wedding day that’s catered to their experience and expectations
- Seek privacy and intimacy in some of the world’s most beautiful places
- Don’t want a huge ceremony with hundreds of people watching them
- Love a little adrenaline or just enjoy a peaceful drive down a serene, scenic road
- Want to prioritize their love, their day, and their desires
- Have offroad experience yourselves, are comfortable driving down dirt roads, or are cool with hiring an experienced offroad tour company to drive you around
- Want to experience more than one location in a day–driving gives you the power to see so many amazing places, all within a few hours
No, you don’t need to be an offroad expert to adventure elope. You don’t need to have any offroad driving experience, either.
In fact, the day you elope could be the first time you’ve ever been off the pavement in a vehicle. Whether you’re a 4×4 pro or you’re entirely new to the offroad life, I promise you–this kind of eloping is for you.
It’s Not Just About Jeeps
If the idea of tooling around in a Jeep all day doesn’t fit your fancy, I’ve got good news for you–offroading is about so much more than Jeeps. If you and your partner are adrenaline junkies eager to rock crawl, there are plenty of buggies or side-by-sides out there that we can hook you up with. If you both love offroading and have your own built-out vehicle that you want to adventure in (Jeep or not!), I can guide you down all the right trails for an epic day.
No matter what you’re driving (so long as it’s an appropriate vehicle for the trail you want to explore), you can have an offroad elopement.
You Don’t Need Your Own Adventure Vehicle to Do It
The best part about offroad elopements is that anyone can do them–no adventure vehicle of your own required. So, if the idea of an adventurous, offroad elopement sounds perfect for you and your partner, but you don’t have a 4×4 vehicle capable of the adventure you want to take, that’s no biggie.
Not only do I have offroad capable vehicles (because offroading has been a hobby of mine since I was a young kid), but I also have the names of all the best buggy and offroad tour shops in Southern Utah. If it’s an offroad adventure you want, it’s an offroad adventure you’ll get–no need to purchase your own offroad vehicle to make it happen.
You Can See Tons of Beautiful Places in One Day
Don’t misinterpret me–I love hiking elopements. I also fully recognize that hiking can get you some beautiful views that driving never could.
But offroading elopements give you something hiking elopements can’t always–the gift of time. Driving on your elopement day–whether you’re on a forest road or a rock-crawling slab–is going to be faster in most cases.
That means if you want to see a ton of unique places in a single day, you can more than likely make that happen. Hiking fatigue is real. And for people who don’t want to walk several miles on their wedding day, it can often mean whittling down their experience to one spot. But when you opt for an offroad elopement, you regain the opportunity to see and experience so many different places within a few hours.
We’ll Always Make a Little Time for Getting Stuck
It sounds a little weird, doesn’t it? Normally, “getting stuck” in your vehicle is a bad thing–but when you’re offroading, it sometimes goes with the territory. And for lots of people, getting unstuck is half the fun.
When we build an elopement timeline for an offroad adventure elopement, we’re building in all the normal things you’d think of–getting ready, detail photos, a first look, and the time it takes to get from Point A to Point B. But we’re also adding in a little extra getting stuck time–because that’s all part of the offroad adventure.
Some couples cherish getting stuck–offroad enthusiasts especially. If you’re not one of those couples, that’s OK–that doesn’t mean you can’t adventure elope offroad! If getting stuck doesn’t sound fun (and you’ve got no interest in getting unstuck on your wedding day), we’ll plan an offroad adventure with the least risk of getting stuck. But of course, we’ll always build a little buffer time in your elopement timeline to make sure you can do all the things you want, even if something totally unexpected and unlikely happens.
Offroad Elopements Are Different Than Other Adventure Elopements–Here’s How
- You can go places you never thought possible–and you can get there faster than hiking or backpacking.
- Offroading gives you the perfect balance between chill adventure and blood-pumping adrenaline, ensuring that you can pick and choose routes, paths, and trails that fit your preferences entirely.
- Do you want all the beautiful views of Southern Utah without any of the crowds? Offroading is going to be the route that gets you there. When you offroad on your elopement day, you can go further in less time than if you were hiking, which means you’ll get more time together in the private place of your dreams.
- You’re more than likely going to get a little bit dirty, and it’s going to be bumpy–so you’ll want to plan accordingly with your attire. Don’t care about your dress or suit getting dirty? That works for me. Do things your way on your wedding day!
- You can incorporate more than one adventure into your offroad elopement day. Offroading is the ultimate hack to getting time back, taking you to remote spots, and getting you the privacy and experiences you’re after
Your Off-Road Elopement Can Happen - Let's Plan It!
Ready to learn more about offroad eloping? Want some guidance on finding the perfect places in Utah to tie the knot? Whether you’re on the fence about offroad eloping or you’re 100% ready to make it happen, I can help you plan, experience, and capture your day. Reach out to me anytime to start planning your elopement adventure.
