How to Follow Leave No Trace During Your Elopement

Eloping in the great outdoors? Here’s how to follow Leave No Trace Principles during your elopement!

Eloping in nature offers a magical experience, surrounded by breathtaking landscapes and the serenity of the great outdoors. Whether you’re exchanging vows atop a mountain, by an alpine lake, or in desert, it’s essential to tread lightly and follow Leave No Trace principles to minimize your impact on the environment. Here are a few ways how you can make your elopement a sustainable and eco-friendly celebration:

Plan Ahead and Prepare:

• Research your elopement location thoroughly to understand any regulations, sensitive habitats, or wildlife in the area. Your elopement photographer (me!) can help you research your locations.
• Choose a location that can accommodate your ceremony without disrupting fragile ecosystems or causing damage to vegetation.

Stick to Designated Trails:

• Stay on designated trails to prevent soil erosion and damage to vegetation.
• Avoid creating new paths or trampling on fragile vegetation, especially in sensitive ecosystems like alpine meadows or desert landscapes. For example, in Moab, Utah there is this thing called cryptobiotic soil. Because it is so fragile and so important to the entire ecosystem in Moab, it is very important that you do not step on it. Crypto means hidden, while biota means life. It is literally a soil that is alive!

Leave What You Find:

• Resist the temptation to pick flowers, disturb rocks, or collect souvenirs from the natural environment.
• Leave natural objects and artifacts where you find them to preserve the integrity of the ecosystem.

Dispose of Waste Properly:

• Pack out all trash, including food wrappers, tissues, and any other waste generated during your elopement.
• Although there are biodegradable or reusable materials for things like confetti, I highly encourage you to not use them and forgo a confetti celebration. Even though they will eventually break up into the earth, they are not part of the natural environment and are still not really eco friendly.
• If you must use confetti, please make sure you can pack it out and don’t leave any behind.

Minimize Campfire Impact:

• If you plan to have a campfire as part of your elopement celebration, use existing fire rings where available.
• Keep fires small and only use dead wood from the ground, never cut live trees or branches. They don’t burn as well anyway.
• Ensure the fire is completely extinguished before leaving the area. This means making sure even the coals are completely out and no embers are left burning.

Respect Wildlife:

• Observe wildlife from a distance and avoid approaching or feeding them. We don’t need any accidents on your big day!
• Keep pets on a leash and under control to prevent them from chasing or disturbing wildlife.

Be Considerate of Other Visitors:

• Keep noise levels to a minimum to respect the tranquility of the natural environment and other visitors.
• Make sure you check if having music for your ceremony is okay in the location you are eloping.
• Although most hikers will step aside for you once they see you in wedding attire, try to yield to other hikers or visitors on trails and be courteous when passing or sharing viewpoints.

Capture Memories, Leave Footprints:

• Take only photographs, videos, and memories from your elopement experience, leaving behind only footprints.
• Document your special day in a way that celebrates and honors your love and the natural beauty of the landscape.

By following these Leave No Trace Principles, you can ensure that your elopement leaves behind minimal impact on the environment while creating lasting memories in some of the most beautiful locations. Let’s preserve these amazing landscapes for future generations to enjoy! And be sure to check out some of my other blogs for resources on eloping!