Desert weddings near Las Vegas.
Red rock, big sky and a permit sorted. Valley of Fire or Red Rock Canyon, with honest notes on the seasons, the closures and what the rules allow.
Desert permits arranged for you. Planned in UK hours, with your official certificate posted home.
Desert weddings, the short answers.
Where you can marry
In one of two parks outside the city. Valley of Fire State Park (Nevada State Parks) is red and pink sandstone, open sunrise to sunset. Red Rock Canyon (Bureau of Land Management) has four set ceremony sites: Ash Spring Overlook for up to 12 people, the SR159 Overlook and Red Spring Boardwalk for up to 50, and the Visitor Center amphitheatre for up to 200.
What we arrange
The desert permit, a witness, and the US$102 licence fee, which we pay. Afterwards we order your certified copy and post it home. Dress and suit hire and a livestream for family at home, if you'd like them. Every quote is written for your wedding.
How long it takes
Tell us your date early: Red Rock asks for permit applications at least 30 days ahead, and up to 180. In Las Vegas there's no waiting period. The licence visit is usually under an hour, and you can marry the same day.
What the day involves
First, licence day: you both visit the Marriage License Bureau together with your passports, any day from 8am to midnight. Then the drive out, your ceremony with a Nevada-licensed officiant and your witness at the spot on your permit, and photos where the rules allow. Valley of Fire closes at sunset, so the timing follows the light.
Two deserts, two rulebooks.
A desert wedding near Las Vegas is quiet, wide open and nothing like the Strip. It also comes with rules, and getting them right is most of the planning.
Both are beautiful. They differ in who runs them, when they close, how many people can come and what you're allowed to bring. We arrange the permit, the officiant, a witness, the photographer and the car, and plan the timing around the park's hours and the light.
| Valley of Fire | Red Rock Canyon | |
|---|---|---|
| Run by | Nevada State Parks | Bureau of Land Management (a National Conservation Area) |
| Permit | State Parks permits for ceremonies and commercial photography | A Special Recreation Permit for every wedding, applied for 30 to 180 days ahead |
| Hours | Sunrise to sunset, every day | Varies by month (6am to 5pm in winter, 6am to 8pm in summer); Scenic Drive needs timed entry from 1 October to 31 May, 8am to 5pm |
| Closures | Closed 1 to 14 December; many trails closed 15 May to 30 September | Check current notices with the Bureau of Land Management |
| Group size | Depends on the site and permit | 12 at Ash Spring Overlook; 50 at the SR159 Overlook or Red Spring Boardwalk; 200 at the amphitheatre |
| Props | Set by Nevada State Parks for your permit | None: no arches, chairs, balloons or rice, and no exclusive use |
What we arrange out there.
Tap any one to see more, or add it to your plan.
The valley
Valley of Fire is a Nevada state park of red and pink sandstone, open from sunrise to sunset. We arrange the permit and plan your time around the park's hours and seasons.
Add this to my planThe light
Desert light changes fast, and the parks close at set times. We plan the ceremony and the photos so you're not racing the sun, and so your photographer is allowed to shoot where you are.
Add this to my planThe photos
Some spots in the parks have their own photography rules, so we agree the locations with your photographer before the day. Every edited photo is yours to keep.
Add this to my planThe car
The drive out is part of the day. We arrange the car there and back, so you can sit back and watch the city give way to red rock.
Add this to my plan
And everything else.
Your permit, the officiant, a witness, hair and make-up before you leave, dress and suit hire, flowers that cope with the heat, a livestream where the signal allows, and dinner back in town.Something else in mind? Ask us.
When to go, in short.
Roughly October to April. Summer highs average about 40°C in July, and many Valley of Fire trails close from 15 May to 30 September. The park also closes completely from 1 to 14 December, when Red Rock Canyon is the option.
Sunset runs from about 4:30pm in December to about 8pm in June, and Valley of Fire closes at sunset.
Good to know.
Message us any time.
Do we need a permit to marry in the desert?
Yes. Red Rock Canyon needs a Bureau of Land Management permit for every wedding, and Valley of Fire has its own Nevada State Parks permits. We arrange the permit for you as part of planning your wedding.
When is the best time of year for a desert wedding?
Roughly October to April. Summer is hot, with average highs around 40°C in July, and many Valley of Fire trails close from 15 May to 30 September. Chapels work all year if your date falls in summer.
Can we marry in Valley of Fire in December?
Not from 1 to 14 December. The park closes every year for maintenance and no weddings or photo shoots are allowed. From 15 December it's open again, and Red Rock Canyon is an option throughout.
Can we have an arch and chairs at Red Rock?
No. Red Rock doesn't allow arches, chairs, balloons, rice or other props, and no site is ever exclusive, so other visitors may be nearby. It's the landscape and the two of you, which is rather the point.
How many guests can come?
It depends on the site. At Red Rock, Ash Spring Overlook takes up to 12 people, the SR159 Overlook and Red Spring Boardwalk up to 50, and the Visitor Center amphitheatre up to 200. Tell us your numbers and we'll match the spot.
What about the heat?
From June to August, average highs in Las Vegas are above 37°C. If your date is in summer we'd usually suggest a chapel, or a very early desert slot with water, shade and a short ceremony.
Is a desert wedding legal in the UK?
Yes, exactly as a chapel wedding is. You collect your Clark County licence together first, a Nevada-licensed officiant marries you, and the marriage is recognised in the UK as long as you're both free to marry. The paperwork, step by step.
Let's find your spot in the desert.
Tell us your month and how many of you there'll be. We'll suggest the right park and the right time of day, and arrange the permit.
