How to Plan an Epic Double Arch Wedding

Double Arch is one of the most impressive arches in Arches National Park, which is definitely saying something given the sheer amount of options. With a height of 112 feet, it is the tallest arch in the park and a staple of The Windows Section, which is considered by many to be the beating heart of the park. It is dramatic, monumental in scale, and accessible via a relatively short trail, which makes it a great option for couples who want to get married somewhere stunning but don’t want to have to endure a strenuous hike to get there.

I’ve been photographing adventure elopements for years—many of them at Arches National Park—and Double Arch has never let me down! Every visit there has been an unforgettable experience, so here are my best tips on how to have one of your own with the perfect Double Arch wedding. 

Frequently asked questions about getting married at Double Arch:

How do you get married at Double Arch?  

Double Arch is one of those places that effortlessly blends natural beauty with dramatic scenery. I have guided countless couples through the process of an Arches National Park wedding, so here is a general overview of what you will need to know to plan your own for Double Arch in particular:

1. Pick a Date

Only one ceremony per day per designated site is usually allowed at Arches National Park, so I suggest booking a year in advance in order to secure your date, since spots can fill up quickly!

Pro Tip: Applications for permits (see Step 3 for more details) open a year out from your chosen date (i.e. if you want to get married September 14th in 2027, you can apply for your permit starting September 14th, 2026).

2. Finalize Your Guest Count

Double Arch ceremonies have a 25-person limit that includes both of you, your photographer, your officiant, your guests, and any vendors. While there is no maximum  number of vehicles allowed per group, parking is restricted to your specific site which could make it pretty limited, so I strongly recommend carpooling to keep things simple!

3. Get a Permit & Marriage License

To get married in Arches National Park, you’ll need a Utah marriage license along with a Special Use Permit.

You can get the marriage license from a nearby county clerk’s office—the closest to the park would be the Grand County Clerk’s Office. You’ll need to download an application from their official website, then bring it to your appointment at the Clerk’s Office, in person. The license will cost $50 and you do need to provide an authorized officiant along with your application. If you want someone who isn’t ordained, you can have them designated by the Clerk for your ceremony—they’ll just need to fill in the Single Ceremony Designee Form, and join your appointment at the Clerk’s Office.   

As for the permit, just visit the Arches National Park Weddings & Commitment Ceremonies webpage and download/fill in the application form (which I’ve also linked here to make your life easier!), then head over to Pay.gov and pay the $185 permit fee. Once you receive confirmation of your payment, just email that along with your permit application to SEUG_CommercialServices@nps.gov, and you should be good to go! 

Pro Tip: Permit applications can take up to four weeks to process, so I strongly suggest applying sooner rather than later to avoid any stress about having a permit in time for your ceremony!

4. Plan the Day & Pick Your Photo Locations

One of the great things about the Special Use Permit is that it allows you to take photos anywhere in the park before & after your ceremony, not just at your designated wedding site! As an experienced elopement photographer who is familiar with the park, I can help you make a timeline for the whole day and give you the photos you want to remember it by. I know the best timing for the perfect light and the best spots for the most epic views—everything you need to have a smooth and memorable experience.

5. Get Married!

All you have left to do is get ready to exchange your vows before the gorgeous backdrop of Double Arch! 

Pro Tip: Send copies of your permit to everyone in your group and bring a printed one to the ceremony, just in case! 

When’s the best time to visit Double Arch? 

Although Arches National Park is open year-round, the best time to visit is either during the spring or fall. Summer is typically peak season thanks to schools going on break and families visiting Moab to engage in fun outdoor activities, so you’re less likely to find large crowds in April or October. Plus, temperatures tend to be milder, reaching the high 80s instead of the scorching, triple-digit numbers of the summer, which makes it easier to enjoy exploring the park on foot and really experience all it has to offer!

While crowds may be lighter in those shoulder seasons, I still recommend trying to visit the park on a weekday and around sunrise or sunset. During those windows, it’ll feel like you have the entire park to yourself and the lighting is particularly stunning with a soft glow illuminating the iconic red-rock formations that make up the park’s key features. Double Arch, in particular, is absolutely gorgeous at sunset. As the fading light hits the arch, its unique colors become even more vibrant—the entire landmark looks like it’s encompassed in a fiery glow, which makes for some epic wedding photos!

Double Arch Fall Wedding

If you want to exchange your vows against a dramatic backdrop, surrounded by unique rock formations that will make you feel like you’ve stepped onto another planet, then Double Arch is the place for you! During the winter, the red hues of this landmark’s rocky makeup offer a striking contrast with the snow-dusted peaks of the La Sal Mountain range in the distance, and the lighter crowds will make you feel like the only two people in the world. As an added bonus, the earlier sunset during fall months also allows you more time to enjoy the park at night. As a certified Dark Sky Park, Arches really comes to life then, making it the perfect place to commemorate your love under a blanket of stars!

How do you get to Double Arch?

To get to Double Arch, you’ll enter through the Arches National Park Entrance Station located at 38°36’59.6″N 109°37’10.1″W and continue down Arches Nat’l Pk Rd (also marked as Arches Scenic Dr on some navigation apps) for a little over 9 miles, then turn right onto The Windows Rd. After about 2.5 miles, you’ll reach a loop that will lead you to an open-air parking lot located at 38°41’17.3″N 109°32’18.9″W. This lot is at the base of the Double Arch Trail, which will take you up to the arch itself!

How long is the walk to get to Double Arch? 

The walk to Double Arch involves a fairly easy hike along the Double Arch Trail, which starts at the parking lot I mentioned above. The trek is about 2 miles, roundtrip, and has an elevation gain of just under 100 ft. It’s super accessible and even offers tons of epic views of the unique Utah landscape along the way!

How much does it cost to get married at Double Arch? 

The cost of getting married at any of the wedding sites in Arches National Park will be about $265. This includes the $185 Special Use Permit fee, the $50 Utah marriage license from a local county clerk, and the park’s $30 Standard Entrance Pass for one vehicle (if you have more than one car. If you have more cars, each one will have to pay the $30 entrance fee—I strongly suggest purchasing your pass online ahead of time, which you can do on the park’s official website.

Beyond those costs, your total elopement/wedding budget is completely up to you! It will depend on your guest count, travel plans, vendors, etc., but the couples who hire me usually prioritize having an adventurous experience, which is why they often invest a lot of their budget in photography to capture all of it.

For more details, feel free to check out my full cost of eloping guide here!

Are dogs allowed at Double Arch?

While dogs are not allowed at Double Arch or on any of the trails around the park, they are allowed on established roads or parking areas, and in established campgrounds as long as they’re leashed! 

Double Arch Elopement & Wedding Photos

Brooke & Jake’s Double Arch Fall Wedding

Brooke & Jake’s decision to elope was one that came full circle for them—they initially wanted to elope, felt pressured to plan a large wedding, and then had that wedding called off by pandemic restrictions. So they decided to go back to their original desire to elope & planned to celebrate with folks when things were safer. 

One of the FIRST things they mentioned to me was a beautiful arch for the ceremony in Utah. Luckily, Utah is the perfect place to find arches practically begging to be used for exactly that. I suggested they check out Double Arch in Arches National Park, one of my favorite—and most immense—arches in the area. The sheer HEIGHT of these structures can’t be overemphasized. And getting them all to yourself at sunrise is well worth the early wake-up time.   

They were also excited about both sunrise and sunset out in the bright red rock, so I designed a timeline for them that was able to achieve both. I broke their day into two sections—one focusing on the sunrise with some fun canyon exploration and rock clambering and the other targeting the best chill, serene overlooks to be at for sunset in Moab. They had their ceremony in the second half of the day! 

I’m so glad that Brooke & Jake let me take them to these super dramatic spots at the most gorgeous times of day. They had a blast & I had a great time photographing them!