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One of the most stunning and funkiest places to host your Las Vegas wedding is Eldorado Canyon.
Located less than an hour outside of Las Vegas, Nevada it features some of the best photography opportunities for your wedding.
Vintage cars, quirky old buildings and an old plane are just some of the features that line this red rock canyon. If you’re looking for a truly unique place, Eldorado Canyon should definitely be on your list.
I’ve helped several couples hold their weddings at this eclectic location. If you’re thinking about getting married in this cool location, here are my top ten Eldorado Canyon wedding tips.
1. Consider All Three Wedding Ceremony Locations
You can take photos all over the canyon, but there are only three places where wedding ceremonies are permitted:
- Cholla Cactus Field: Wed beneath a stunning glass arbor in a field of cholla cactuses.
- The Chapel: Marry in a quaint vintage chapel set beneath a large red rock formation.
- Big Barn: Exchange vows rustic Western-style barn in a famous ghost town.
You can see all of these stunning venues on our Instagram to help you decide. No matter which venue you choose, you need to secure a permit.
Eldorado Canyon is privately owned. Typically, the permit is included when you secure your venue.
2. Plan Any Size Wedding
Eldorado Canyon is the perfect venue for any size wedding. It’s ideal for private elopements with just you and your beloved, and the venue can also handle larger weddings of 50+ guests.
Eldorado Canyon is also a family-friendly venue with a lot of cool sites for your guests to explore before and after the ceremony.
3. Learn What Amenities Are Available
Eldorado Canyon may feature a ghost town, but it still has plenty of amenities for your wedding.
There are bathrooms on site. There is also a general store if you forget something small or need something last minute. For weddings, Eldorado Canyon can also provide things like seating.
Do note electricity is not readily available. Keep this in mind when planning. For example, you’d hire an acoustic guitar player rather than a DJ.
4. Stay on the Strip
When booking accommodations for your wedding, consider staying on the Strip; Eldorado Canyon is only about a 45-minute drive away.
After the ceremony, you can go and live it up! Dine at a world-class restaurant, try your luck at one of the famous casinos or catch a show with your favorite musician.
5. Make Phone Calls Before You Get to the Canyon
Providing reliable cell service in the desert wilderness park among large rock formations is a big challenge.
As a result, Eldorado Canyon doesn’t have cell phone reception. If you need to make calls or send texts to coordinate, do it before you arrive.
I kind of love that there isn’t cell service. It helps everyone stay focused on the wedding rather than distracted by their devices!
6. Hire Transportation to and from Eldorado Canyon
One of the biggest Eldorado Canyon wedding tips I always give is to hire transportation for your whole wedding party.
Since there’s no cell service, it can be hard to coordinate if your guests get lost.
Further, there are no rideshare services available. It’s much easier and way more fun to rent transportation and arrive together.
7. Arrive Ready to Wed
Although there are restrooms at Eldorado Canyon, they’re ghost town restrooms. Meaning, they’re minimal and not ideal for getting ready.
One of the most important Eldorado Canyon wedding tips I can share is to arrive ready. Get ready at your hotel and head out.
Once you arrive in Eldorado Canyon, you can do some touch-ups and then head straight to the ceremony.
8. Plan Any Style of Wedding
At Eldorado Canyon, there’s something for everyone. For traditional couples, you can marry at the chapel.
For nature lovers, you can marry in the Cholla Cactus Field.
For those who love country living or Americana, the Big Barn is perfect.
9. Book Anytime of the Year
Eldorado Canyon offers beautiful weather year-round, so you can book whenever you want to get married.
There are some considerations when choosing your time of year.
For example, the cholla cactus bloom between April and May. Meanwhile, January, February, July and November are the least busy months, making it easier to secure vendors.
A wedding planner can help you find the ideal time, which is why my final tip is…
10. Work with a Wedding Planner
Eldorado Canyon is a dream wedding venue — to get the most out of it, you’ll want to work with a wedding planner that knows Eldorado Canyon.
We can help you with everything from booking the location to hiring vendors to planning photography. We’ll also share all the Eldorado Canyon wedding tips to make sure your wedding goes off without a hitch.
Interested in learning more about our Eldorado Canyon wedding packages? Check them out here.
McKenzi Taylor is America’s go-to elopement and micro wedding expert, often featured in small and major media outlets, such as the New York Times. With over 15 years of wedding photography experience, it was after planning her own Las Vegas elopement in 2016 that McKenzi felt her purpose shift into elopement coordination. She started Cactus Collective Weddings soon after in 2017. Since then, she’s become a WIPA board member, and has helped well over 1000 couples get hitched in style around Las Vegas, San Diego and Black Hills.
