Utah Salt Flats Wedding
Maggie & Rick's wedding and bridal portrait session on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah perfectly balanced spending sweet moments with guests and capturing incredible photos.
When their initial vision for their wedding didn't pan out as expected, they pivoted, and ended up having such an intentional, intimate destination wedding – with the most unique backdrop imaginable.
Like me, Maggie and Rick are based in Colorado, and they had initially planned to get married in the Breckenridge area in October. But as we got into planning, we realized the conditions during that time of year weren't ideal for what they wanted.
So we went back to the drawing board! Since most of Maggie and Rick's family would have to travel for their wedding anyway, they were open to anywhere in the U.S. within an hour of an airport.
Ultimately, they fell in love with Utah, and the insanely unique landscape of the Bonneville Salt Flats. We started planning a June Salt Flats wedding that would include everything they dreamed of for their wedding day.
Hey there! I'm Sam, Your Utah Elopement Photographer & Planner
I know and adore the Bonneville Salt Flats (and lots of other amazing places to adventure in Utah!), and I would be thrilled to help make your wedding or elopement just as amazing as Maggie & Rick's.
Sunset Bridal Session
In order to get the incredible views and lighting Maggie and Rick wanted in their bridal portraits – but not sacrifice any time with loved ones on their wedding day – we planned an adventure session the day before their ceremony.
Maggie and Rick shared an intimate first look, and then we took some fun and artsy portraits with the dramatic landscape. Through sunset and twilight, we caught incredible light for the couple's Salt Flats bridal portraits.
Wedding Morning With Loved Ones
The next day, we met up at The Peery Hotel in Salt Lake City for some getting ready and details photos.
Maggie and Rick really prioritized sharing special moments with family and friends on their wedding day. They each got ready with their bridal parties, and then Maggie had an incredibly sweet first look with her dad.
Maggie and her parents rented a limo so everyone wouldn't see the bride before the ceremony. All the other guests hopped in a shuttle for the hour-long ride to the couple's Salt Flats wedding ceremony.
The shuttle was such a fun vibe – everyone spent the time having drinks and chatting. And I loved how thoughtful Maggie and Rick were in making sure none of their guests would have to worry about drinking, getting lost, or any other logistics. Everyone could just relax and enjoy the day!
Stunning Ceremony on the Salt Flats
Maggie and Rick's wedding ceremony on the Salt Flats was absolutely stunning. It was an unseasonably warm – but absolutely gorgeous – day, and the couple had parasols for their guests to help with the sun.
Maggie and Rick's friend officiated the ceremony, which was super sweet and personal. After sharing their vows, the couple did a tequila shot together as a unique commitment ceremony.
One reason the Bonneville Salt Flats are such a cool place for a wedding ceremony is that (unlike a lot of venues in nature) you can bring in furniture like arches, floral pieces, and chairs for guests.
Group Photos + Fun With Parasols
After the ceremony, we took some very cool group photos on the Salt Flats, with the parasols as fun props.
Maggie and Rick also had me take a photo of every couple or individual guest, which was such a sweet touch – most people don't have a lot of opportunities to get a professional photo of themselves all dressed up!
We only snapped a few individual photos of Maggie and Rick, because we'd already done portraits the day before. This meant they got to spend more quality time with loved ones on their wedding day.
Shuttle Cocktail Hour
Everyone hopped aboard the shuttle to head back to Salt Lake City for the reception. During the ride back, Maggie and Rick went around and spent some international, personal time with each guest.
It can be rare to get time for one-on-one conversations with your guests during your wedding day! I loved the way Maggie and Rick approached the shuttle ride like a "cocktail hour" that allowed them to mingle with their loved ones.
Restaurant Reception
Maggie and Rick ended their wedding day with dinner in a private room at Urban Hill in Salt Lake City. The food was amazing, and everyone had fun chatting about the day.
The couple did a cake cutting, and then opened the floor for speeches. This led to a bunch of sweet, impromptu moments and laughter – and captured exactly what was most important to Maggie and Rick during their Salt Flats wedding.
Award-Winning Wedding
A few months after Maggie and Rick's stunning Salt Flats wedding, I submitted some of my favorite photos from the day to the International Wedding Photographer of the Year Awards. This photo from their bridal session was chosen as a finalist for 2025 in the Engagement / Non-Wedding Day category!
Winning this award was such a huge honor, and I'm so glad the world gets to see Maggie and Rick's gorgeous sunset adventure session in the Utah Salt Flats.
