Zion National Park holds a special place in Ana and Zach’s relationship, so when it came time to plan their wedding they knew the perfect place.
They instantly fell in love with Zion’s massive rock walls and sweeping views, and wanted to share this magical place with their loved ones. These two are high school sweethearts who have been together for 9 years before getting married. I was able to witness and capture how beautifully they have grown together and become an integral part of each others lives.
The Venue
They chose Zion Red Rock Villa as the home for their wedding. This venue operates as a venue and a living space with 2 large gathering areas, 11 rooms, and the capacity to sleep 58 people. Ana and Zach loved being able to have all their loved ones together and on site for the weekend so they could throw the wedding party of their dreams!
The villa makes it easy to enjoy Zion with 360 degree views of the scenery. Every room has private access to the outdoor deck that wraps around the entire mansion. You also have access to two private lakes and the virgin river on the property.
Getting Ready
Ana and Zach spent the morning getting ready with friends, family, and their beloved dog, Ziggy. The guys spent most their time playing foosball and drinking beer. Meanwhile the ladies popped some champagne while getting their hair and makeup done.
Ziggy was glued to moms side throughout the entire morning. He wanted to lay on her train and be in every photo. As a fellow dog lover, this is one of my favorite moments I’ve captured on a wedding day.
First Look
Ana and Zach chose to put aside some time before the ceremony to do a private first look and take their bridal photos. They loved having a moment to themselves before all the planned events for the day.
It was a beautiful and warm, sunny day! We did their first look by the river with views of Zion in the back. Then turned around and took their formals under the shady trees behind us. Zach’s one request was a photo of Ana in the sunglasses lol!
Zion Ceremony
The Zion Red Rock Villa has a ceremony spot up on the hill above the venue, with a labyrinth and surrounding views of Zion. This day was particularly windy with strong gusts of wind starting right before the ceremony… but the show must go on! Despite the annoyance of the wind, it made for some pretty sick photos!
Zion Reception
The rest of the night followed a pretty standard wedding reception schedule. Everyone headed down to the villa to enjoy cocktail hour while we started with some family and bridal party photos at the labyrinth.
We started the reception with Ana and Zach’s grand entrance and first dance. Then moved into dinner and toasts. They kept it simple with two speeches given by the maid of honor and best man. The speeches were full of love, laughter and tears.
After dinner, Zach and Ana snuck away to take some portraits by the lake at sunset. Of course they brought Ziggy along to join the photoshoot!
Now it’s time to party! There were fun props, bubble guns, and an open bar! Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves dancing under the beautiful desert sky.
Quick break in dancing to shove some cake in Zach’s face!
Unfortunately, the fun night had to come to a close. We sent them off with sparklers and they continued the party on their own!
When all was said and done, Ana and Zach went back to where they said their vows at the ceremony site. They loved having time to themselves to walk the labyrinth and reflect on their day. When they were done, they joined their loved ones at the villa for a pool party that went into the early morning.
I love the opportunity I had to document such a fun and beautiful day in Zion. I could feel the love radiating from everyone involved and was very happy their photos reflected that. The Red Rock venue is gorgeous and I would absolutely recommend it for anyone wanting a Zion wedding. They have two other venues for larger or smaller parties as well. And of course, if you need a photographer I would love to chat with you!
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