Forest Rules for your Sedona wedding on the red rocks
We have many questions from our wedding couples about reserving wedding sites, decorating their site, and what they are allowed to do on forest land. We love when couples think to ask, because one of our many roles as Sedona wedding officiants is to act as stewards for our beautiful Sedona Red Rock Wilderness. To help us with this goal, our National Forest folks have established rules for having weddings in nature. As you will see, the forest rules are simple, and totally make sense when carrying on activities in our sacred - and often flammable! - forests.
No reservations.
When it comes to getting married in nature, except for the Ramada at Crescent Moon Ranch, national forest weddings sites are public and can not be reserved.
This does make planning your wedding easier, although some couples worry that their wedding will be overrun with hikers. Happily, after having performed weddings on the land here for 15 years, we can say that, while we have heard people cheering for our couples from a distance, we have never experienced forest wedding crashers. That being said, there are sites that tend to see more hiking traffic, so we are happy to guide our couples the sites that are more private if that is a major concern.
Permits?
While we tend to officiate for weddings with fewer than 20 guest, we do occasionally get inquiries about larger groups. If you are having your ceremony on national forest, we only need to acquire a permit if you have more than 75 guests. Since the restrictions on setting up chairs and using amplification make larger weddings impracticable, we would already be recommending a dedicated venue for weddings of that size.
No structures/formal seating allowed.
The forest service forbids us from placing any arches, carpets, tents, or similar structures on the land. Likewise, while we can set up a small table for rings/treasured items, and a few chairs for guests in need, we are not allowed to set up a formal seating for the ceremony.
As wedding officiants we appreciate this restriction not just for keeping lower impact on the red rocks, but because we like the organic feel of a ceremony where nature is the decoration.
Nothing may be burned.
Not surprisingly, given the devastating wildfires that our area has experienced, we are not allowed to have any fire at our ceremonies. So, no candles, no burning of sage (we love using a sage spray for couples wanting that experience), no smoking of any kind.
No scattering on the ground.
The forest service forbids the scattering of confetti, flower petals, or other objects on the land. Aside from leaving an unsightly mess over time, these objects can present a danger to wildlife.
No balloons.
For the same reason we do not scatter objects on the ground, we also do not release balloons – there is extensive - and SAD -documentation on the damages balloons present to wildlife.
Except for the champagne bottle, glass is not allowed.
Once again, this rule reduces the likelihood that areas will be strewn with broken glass, which would pose a danger to humans and other beings. Plastic glasses are allowed.
No amplified music, Acoustic music allowed
We are so fortunate to be able to experience our ceremonies on forest land. Keeping our volume low allows others in the area (human and otherwise!) to enjoy the land as well. Acoustic music is allowed as long as it does not disturb others in the area. To see some of the musicians we love to have at weddings, check out our Vendors page.
Or … ask your officiant to include some flute and crystal singing bowl!
It is an honor to perform Sedona wedding ceremonies on the land. By following the thoughtful and easy guidance of the Forest Service, we can all enjoy the experience knowing that we are also respecting Sedona’s land and living beings.
