May 12, 2021

Garden of the God’s Perfect Wedding Spots | Meghan & Naveed

Mehgan and Naveed got married in a sunrise elopement with their family at Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. It was January, but they got lucky with an uncharacteristically warm winter day—it was perfect!

We began the day just before sunrise at a place called Mesa Overlook. I met Mehgan and Naveed there for their first look, and they arrived in separate cars with their family and friends. At this point it was extremely windy—as I was telling Naveed where to stand and wait for Mehgan, a gust of wind came out of nowhere and nearly knocked us down! Thankfully everyone was in good spirits about it and joked that he’d better not fly away before they get to say, “I do.”

The overlook was gorgeous—the red rocks that Garden of the Gods is famous for stood out amongst the greenery, and snow-capped mountains made a truly Colorado backdrop.

Mehgan came walking out to meet Naveed for their first look and she looked absolutely stunning—her strapless dress had been altered to add custom sleeves and it turned out perfect! After a sweet moment together, we went to Jaycee Plaza for their ceremony.

The plaza is a beautiful stone circle with views of the park—their family & friends met us there for a short ceremony. A very short ceremony—under 4 minutes if I recall correctly! While Garden of the Gods is such a wonderful place to get married in Colorado, the park does ask that ceremonies be kept short so as not to disturb other visitors. Mehgan and Naveed very respectfully followed those suggestions.

During the ceremony, the rising morning sunlight began to warm the red rocks around us. We did some family portraits and the strong wind that had been cutting through us all morning stopped suddenly. We experienced the weather go from being a typical winter morning to a sunny, warm day. Mehgan and Naveed thanked their guests and then sent them off—the plan was to reconvene for dinner in the evening. Now, they wanted to go off just the two of them and explore the park.

We went to a place called Balance Rock—it’s a little farther than the most popular trails in Garden of the Gods, and there they read private vows to each other. It was great that they had the chance to celebrate with family and still have a moment to read their vows in private. 

We spent the rest of the morning climbing on rocks (where allowed), taking portraits, and exploring the park as the sun rose. It was so warm I actually had to take my jacket off, and we felt so lucky to experience one of the nicest January days I’ve ever seen in Colorado Springs!

These two were such a sweet couple—Mehgan told me a little bit about their journey to this moment, and it was inspiring to see the love and support they have for each other. 

How to get married in Garden of the Gods

There are 6 locations within Garden of the Gods where you can have a wedding ceremony. Each spot is available on a first come, first served basis and there are no permits or reservations available. It’s one of the most accessible outdoor locations in Colorado Springs, with wheelchair accessible trails, a multitude of seating areas, and park facilities.

Getting married at Garden of the Gods will likely not be a private experience—unless you choose a weekday during the off-season (winter), you can expect to share the trails with other park visitors. I’d also encourage you to consider a sunrise wedding or elopement if you’d like to have the trails to yourself. Mehgan and Naveed did both—sunrise & a winter elopement—and got extremely lucky to have a warm day in January without many other park visitors. 

If you’re interested in other wedding or elopement locations in Colorado, check out my list of the Best Places to Elope in this gorgeous state!

Garden of the Gods Wedding Locations

Jayce Plaza

Description: Low circular stone walls creating a round plaza surrounded by greenery & the dramatic red rock formations that Garden of the Gods is famous for. This location is wheelchair accessible.

Max. Capacity: 50 people

Sentinel Plaza

Description: This plaza is amongst the towering rocks of Garden of the Gods and offers some seating in the form of low, stone walls that line the paved walkway. This location is wheelchair accessible.

Max. Capacity: 25 people

Three Graces Plaza

Description: This paved plaza takes you to one of the most dramatic rock formations in Garden of the Gods—a narrow towering spire of red rocks that makes a very unique backdrop to get married. This location is wheelchair accessible.

Max. Capacity: 25 people

High Point

Description: A dramatic overlook with a mountain backdrop. The ceremony site has 4 large rock pillars holding up a slatted roof, which means you can expect some interesting shadows here depending on the angle of the sun.

Max. Capacity: 50 people

Scotsman Picnic Area

Description: This is an unpaved picnic area with a lot of greenery & low shrubbery, plus picnic tables & facilities. This is one of the only places that allows “receptions” in the park, in the form of a casual picnic.

Max. Capacity: 25 people

South Spring Canyon Area

Description: This is a picnic area with a lot of greenery—less of the red rock desert formations that are visible from other wedding areas. This is the only other place int the park where receptions are also allowed in the form of a picnic.

Max. Capacity: 50 people

Ready to plan your own Garden of the Gods elopement?

Hey there!

I’m Maddie Mae

Your Elopement Photographer, Experience Designer & Planning Consultant



For the last 14 years I’ve traveled to 40 countries, all 7 continents, and planned & photographed over 300 elopements all over the world.

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