Salt Flats Wedding (Or Elopement)

First of all, congratulations to you both! If you’ve found your way here it’s because you and your partner have decided that you want to celebrate your wedding day in your way. You decided that you wanted to elope instead of having a huge wedding and reception! You also decided that you wanted to have a Salt Flats wedding because of the beautiful images all over the World Wide Web. (They honestly don’t do it justice.) And now you’ve found yourself googling “how to elope” or “How to have a Salt Flats wedding” because you’ve realized that eloping involves more than you originally thought, I understand completely! I remember the learning curve when I chose to elope myself. Lucky for you I loved it so much that I turned it into my full time passion and I have some tips for you!

So What do you need to remember when planning a Salt Flats Wedding?

Elopement requires serious planning and the Salt Flats is no exception! There’s quite a few things to take into consideration when deciding the timing of your elopement.

Time Of Year.

“April showers bring May flowers” and it makes the Salt Flats a no car zone.

In all seriousness, in the spring or when there is heavy rainfall you cannot drive on to the Salt Flats. When it rains the ground becomes too soft and your car will get stuck, effectively putting a damper on your elopement day! On top of this not being fun to deal with, there is also a hefty fine to drive out before the city says it’s safe to do so. 

So I cannot stress enough the importance of calling or checking the website to see if the okay has been given to drive a vehicle out there. 

Now, I know none of you would try to be sneaky and go elope there without getting the ok! But I do have to let you know that officers do patrol the area! (Especially on the weekends.) I have sadly seen too many tickets given there! And I’ve also seen too many people getting towed off of the Salt Flats for not making sure beforehand that it was safe to drive there!

The most reliable times to plan for are summer and fall because its dry! And the ground will be compact so driving on it won’t be an issue.

In the late spring something magical happens. When it’s not fully flooded and the water has receded enough to make it safe to go, but not fully enough so that it’s completely dry, there will be large puddles. If you time it right and go when the puddles are still around, it makes for some beautiful reflection shots. (If you want to see beforehand just check the live camera!) I must warn you though! Be prepared to get salty and wet. 

Pro tip: Bring sandals, plenty of water to rinse off, and a towel!

Time Of Week.

The Salt Flats is absolutely beautiful and because of this it is a major road trip travel destination. A lot of people want to (understandably) take picture here and see the beauty for themselves. So the best way to combat this is to pick a weekday if possible! (It will help make it way less crowded for you!)

However, if this isn’t a possibility, it’s ok! The salt flats are big, so you can drive a ways out to find your perfect romantic spot. You can find a spot that isn’t crowded and it will be pretty quiet for your big moment.

Time Of Day.

I cannot tell you enough how beautiful the Salt Flats are at sunset. The light and the colors that reflect off the white salt as the sun sets are a different kind of gorgeous. It would almost be a travesty if you are had your elopement or wedding at the Salt Flats and missed out on sunset pictures!

Keep in mind that a lot of events occur at the salt flats that could interfere with your wedding! So make sure beforehand that there isn’t anything going on the day you want to get married. It’s always best to be safe and check online for more information on the salt flats.

Location.

The closest town to Salt Flats is called Wendover. Now, in Wendover there isn’t too much to do (besides the casino!) So if you want to , go have fun at the casino! But if that’s not really your style, that’s ok too, just plan accordingly!

Another thing that location should be taken into consideration for is the details of your elopement! (Such as finding a florist, finding a hairstylist, make up artist, and your celebratory meal place of choice.) The best bet when it comes to all these wedding or elopement details in the vicinity of the Salt Flats is going to be the beautiful Salt Lake City, Utah.

When it comes to planning your celebratory meal after your wedding or elopement in the Salt Flats you have a couple of options! If casino food or dive bars are your thing, you’re in luck because Wendover has all that ready for you.

Salt Lake City more your speed? Remember it’s an hour and 45 minute drive away from the flats!

To go into Salt Lake City for your meal after your elopement be sure to plan according to the time of year.

The earlier the sunset is, the easier it will be to make it to the city for dinner reservations or before all the restaurants close for the night.

My best suggestion is to either find a picnic or catering company. (Charcuterie boards are so beautiful in photos!) So this way the company you choose can set up dinner or a picnic on the Salt Flats! Or they can have your meal ready before heading to your ceremony like a brunch or lunch! Or having your special meal on another day is also a great option.

Wedding Permit.

You will need a wedding permit to get married. So I got the inside connection for you right here! You’ll want to connect with Caleb Robitaille (and this is the website is right here.) They make it so easy, you can contact Caleb through the website, through email or by phone call. (The best number to reach them is (801) 977-4394.)

And that’s all I have for now my friends! So if you want more Salt Flats Wedding inspiration check out more on my blog.