If you’re looking to throw the perfect Big Bend Wedding, you’re in the right place. Getting married in Big Bend National Park offers an intimate and adventurous experience, with sky high mountains, and 800,000 acres of beautiful vegetation and natural landscape. Sharing a stretched border with Mexico, Big Bend offers breathtaking sights, including rivers, thousands of plants and mammals, and valley land. Enjoy a stunning night sky under the stars, and say your “I Do’s” surrounded by the beautiful Santa Elena Canyon.
Meet Sierra and Robert
Sierra and Robert first encountered Big Bend National Park, after going on a hike together and spending their summer exploring the National Park. Years later, after falling in love and daydreaming about their perfect wedding – they realized that Big Bend National Park was the perfect choice for their intimate ceremony!
Sierra dawned an elegant yet boho-style wedding dress, with hints of floral lace all around. She opted for a warm-toned floral bouquet, and Robert accompanied her look with a matching boutonnière. Best of all – Sierra and Robert booked their wedding with ease on the Wedy app, where they were found great photographers like Kristen Giles, accommodations for their trip, and more!
Sierra and Robert got to hold the ceremony of their dreams, with the one-stop-shop experience of the Wedy app.
How much does it cost to Elope in Big Bend?
The Cost of an elopement at Big Bend National Park is $5872 for 25 guests. and here we have a full cost breakdown of how they spent their wedding budget.
They held their ceremony at the Santa Elena Canyon, and stayed at the Luxury Caves at the Big Bend Summit. The cost of staying at the Big Bend Summit for two nights is $1089.
Here we have outlined a cost breakdown for a Big Bend Elopement.
Cost Breakdown
WEDDING PACKAGE PRICE: $5872
HEADCOUNT: 25 GUESTS
- Big Bend Marriage License is $72 (from Brewster County)
- Big Bend Permit Cost is $50
- Big Bend Wedding Photography is $2200 for 4 hours of coverage
- On Site Bridal Hair and Makeup is $650 (including travel fee)
- Bouquet and Boutonnière is $400 (taxes and delivery Included)
- Big Bend Wedding Officiant is $700 for 4 hours, and includes the following services — a custom ceremony performance, guidance with vows, assistance with your marriage license, and more!
How to plan a Big Bend Wedding in 5 easy steps
- Acquire a marriage license in Texas – The Santa Elena Canyon is a part of Rio Grande in Southern Brewster Country. This means you will need a Texas Marriage license from Brewster Country to get married at Big Bend National Park. The cost of a marriage license at Big Bend National Park is $72. The office is located at 20 West Avenue East, Alpine Texas. Postal Code 78930. The Phone number to call for questions is (915) 837-3366, and they are open 9am-5pm daily, Monday-Friday.
- Acquire a Special Use Permit for the Big Bend National Park site – To get married in Big Bend National Park, you will need to call the National Park at 432-477-1108, and pay the $50 permit fee. Requests for a permit may take up to six weeks to process, so it is best to call in advance. You can check out this website for more information on wedding permits at Big Bend. We have curated all-inclusive, styled elopement packages with hand-selected local pros!
- Create a mood board – once you have got your license and permits secure, you can begin looking for wedding inspo on the Wedy app and of course, Pinterest! We absolutely love creating mood boards with bridal, bachelorette, and wedding inspiration for the most creative weddings and elopements! You can check out our Pinterest here!
- Download the Wedy app to get wedding planning help and book your vendors easily! The Wedy app is your one-stop-wedding-shop for all things! We have curated all-inclusive, styled elopement packages with hand-selected local pros! You can also explore Big Bend Wedding Packages on the Wedy app here!
- Get your dress fitted, pack your suit case, and Hasta La Vista to Big Bend! Once you have got your marriage license, permit, wedding vendors, and wedding inspiration down – all you need to do is book your accommodations. As frequent visitors and wedding planners at Big Bend, we’d recommend the Luxury Caves at the Big Bend Summit, and the Boutique Willow House Hotel. For more Big Bend Wedding Venues, you can check out this website to see more Big Bend Airbnbs and accommodations!
Big Bend Wedding Venues
Big Bend is great for couples who love the outdoors and exploring new places! There are endless possibilities for where you can hold your ceremony at Big Bend. You can visit the Chisos Mountain range, which is ADA/handicap accessible, and offers cabins with accommodations if you’re looking to stay overnight. Another option is to opt for the Chihuahuan desert, and get married with a big white tent and sparkling lanterns. The park offers a variety of landscapes – from deserts, to terrains, to great riparian zones, so you can get creative!
Sierra and Robert got married at the Santa Elena Canyon at Big Bend National Park, and stayed in the Luxury Caves at the Big Bend Summit, a luxe hotel that offers 5 unique spaces, including Modern Casas, Stargazing Domes, and Elegant White Tents in the Terlingua Desert. The Luxury Caves are part of the Big Bend Summit hotel, found near the Tres Cuevas Mountain. These one of a kind caves in Texas, equipped with plush King size beds, double rain-head showers, kitchenettes, a mini fridge and private commodes. The perfect stay for an intimate desert wedding, Sierra and Robert had an unforgettable experience at the Big Bend Summit Hotel! Of course, the National Park itself has many incredible venue and sights to see – with jagged mountains, hot springs, and beautiful sunsets that you can’t find anywhere else, so we’d recommend sticking to Big Bend National Park and seeing where the day takes you!
For help with booking accommodations for your wedding – contact the Wedy concierge team and we’ll be happy to help you get started!
Santa Elena Canyon Big Bend National Park
The Santa Elena Canyon is one of the most popular sites at Big Bend for Big Bend weddings. Santa Elena Canyon is perfect for weddings, it as beautiful sights, a 1500 feet canyon wall, a glistening stream that runs through the terrain, and is a welcoming environment for groups big and small! The Santa Elena Canyon is a special place as it unifies Texas and Mexico – the border separates the beautiful limestone mesas of the Mesa de Anguila on the northern, Texas side of the river from the Sierra Ponce on the southern, Mexico side.
There is Santa Elena upstream and Santa Elena downstream, these two locations refer to the position of the canyon relative to the river. The downstream is preferred to the upstream, because of its ease of accessibility and beautiful views. Santa Elena Canyon also has a Rock Slide rapid, an open river that is great for boats, but you must be careful as the rapids can have extreme speeds.
When is the best time to get married at Big Bend?
- We recommend getting married during the Fall and Spring
- Avoid May and June as they are the hottest months
- Getting married on Weekdays is best to avoid busy sights and tourists.
Frequently Asked Questions about Big Bend National Park Weddings
Yes, you can get married at Big Bend National Park. Big Bend allows elopements and weddings, all you need is a Special Use Permit and a marriage license from Brewster County, TX. Big Bend National Park offers breathtaking sights and adventure for groups both big and small.
Yes, you will need a Special Use Permit to get married at Big Bend National Park. A Special Use Permit costs $50, and you can call 432-477-1108 to apply for a permit. You can also send your application in by snail mail with a check. Processing time for permit applications takes roughly 4-6 weeks.
If you’re eloping at Big Bend National Park or holding a wedding ceremony, you have two hours of use at the park with the purchase of a Special Use Permit.
If you’re throwing a wedding in Big Bend, you will need to take note of the following:
– Free-standing arches are allowed
– Artificial flowers only, there are wildflowers all around the park
– Acoustic music allowed if the sound will not carry out to wildlife or interfere with other visitors
– Access to the area must be kept open to the public, and cannot be blocked or blocked off for the event
– Scattering of rice, bird seed, flowers, streamers, balloons, or other similar materials is not allowed
– The release of living things is prohibited
– You have up to two hours of park use allowed for your event
Big Bend has a temperate climate, with abundant sunshine. Summers are hot, especially in the lower desert elevations and along the river. Infrequent and brief periods of cloudy weather may occur during the winter months. While snow is rare and generally light, occasional cold fronts can bring temperatures well below freezing. Yearly rainfall averages around 5-10 inches in the desert and 15-20 inches in the mountains.
To enter the park, there is a $30 fee per vehicle at the entrance, and a $15 per individual fee. Both of these fees are good for 7 days of experiences at the National Park, unless you have an annual park pass. Fees and passes can be purchased at entrance stations. Special use permits, commercial permits, and other permits may be required depending on your type of event. Weddings will require a Special Use Permit, able to be purchased for $50.
Yes, but please note that cell phone service is very spotty throughout the entire Big Bend area. Areas with fairly reliable service include the Chisos Basin area, and near Panther Junction.
Plan your Big Bend Wedding with the Wedy App
With the Wedy App, we can help you wedding packages in Big Bend National Park, and connect you to Texas wedding vendors, including photographers, officiants and more! Download our app today and find out how to plan the perfect wedding in Big Bend National Park!
