Weddings & Commitment Ceremonies at Arches National Park

Permits

Special events in national parks often require a Special Use Permit. The purpose of these permits is to ensure the protection of the park's natural and cultural resources, as well as to minimize conflicts between park visitors and your guests. Read below for information on park policies, fees, and how to apply for a permit.

Planning

• Weddings may be scheduled up to one year in advance.
• Special Use Permits should be requested by the individuals getting married and not by a third party.
• The park requests a minimum of four weeks to fully process a basic permit request. Do not wait until the last minute to apply for your permit. Applications for complex special events may require more than four weeks to process.

Be aware of busy weekends and holidays when choosing dates. You can find more information on traffic congestion and the best times to visit at our Traffic & Travel Tips page. We also recommend checking our Alerts & Conditions page for current need-to-know information.

 

Locations

The following wedding locations with corresponding group sizes have been identified to be in compliance with park management and resource protection obligations:

Location	Group Size
Park Avenue	15
La Sal Mountains Viewpoint	50
Double Arch	25
The Windows	25
Panorama Point	50
Devils Garden Campground Amphitheater	80

Applications to hold a ceremony at other locations within the park will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Ceremony Locations in the table above have associated maps that outline defined areas. These locations are indicated in the following document: Arches Ceremony Location Maps (accessible PDF)

 

Permit Conditions

A permit does not grant exclusive use of the area and the area will remain open to the visiting public. Permittees may not ask the public to alter their visitation in any way. Additional permit conditions are imposed as follows:

• Natural Resource Protection: Wedding activities are restricted to slickrock, dry washes, or maintained areas of the park to protect fragile biological soil crust and plant life.
• Bouquets: To prevent the introduction of invasive species into the park, dried plants, including grasses, are prohibited in bouquets.
• Releases: Butterfly releases, and all other living and/or inanimate object releases or dispersal, including birdseed and rice, are prohibited. The permittee is responsible for site cleanup.
• Decorations: The use of balloons, arches, or any other type of decorations will not be authorized.
• Obstructions: Permittees may not obstruct sidewalks, trails, parking lots, or other visitor facilities. This includes the use of tents, tables, or other furniture. The park will evaluate folding chairs on a case-by-case basis.
• Food: The establishment of caterers or any food service is prohibited.
• Audio Disturbance: No public address system is permitted and music volumes are highly regulated (Re: 36 CFR 2.12). Noise levels must not exceed normal speaking volumes.
• Vehicles: All vehicles must be parked in designated areas only; no off-road traffic. Carpooling is recommended and may be required at specific locations.
• Pets: Pets are typically not allowed at ceremony sites, particularly those areas off pavement or in other undeveloped locations.
• Drones: Operating a drone is prohibited.
• Monitor: Activities will be monitored or spot checked by NPS personnel for compliance with the terms and conditions of the permit and to ensure that no resource damage or visitor conflicts are occurring. A cost recovery monitoring fee will be charged to the permit holder. Monitoring fees are based on the employee's salary, time spent on site, and travel to/from duty location and permit site.
• Time limit: All permits will be written for one hour.
• Parking Plan: Groups larger than 25 participants will be required to create a parking plan.
• Photography: The permit holder and ceremony participants can take photos at all locations in the park and are not limited to the locations listed above. This activity is not monitored because it is not part of the permitted activity.

 

How to Apply

Please submit a completed Form 10-930s (179k fillable PDF document) along with Pay.gov payment confirmation to: [e-mail].

 

Permit Fees

APPLICATION FEE
The application fee for a wedding permit is $185. Please pay via Pay.gov.

This fee covers the costs associated with providing initial contact and consultation with permittees, initial review of a standard application, and the costs associated with issuing a standard permit, which includes, but is not limited to, the average time it takes for processing fees, permit development, consultations with the permittee, managerial consultations, and billing. The application fee and permit processing fees are non-refundable once the permit office has received your permit application.

Applicants should submit payments via Pay.gov. To make a payment:

• Enter "ARCH" in the Pay.gov search window.
• Payment will be made at: Canyonlands and Arches NP & Natural Bridges and Hovenweep NM Special Use Permit – click on “Continue."
• Check which park your Special Use Permit is for. Under Permit Fee click on Permit and select Wedding.
• Enter a total dollar amount of $185 for the type of Special Use Permit you are requesting.
• Follow the instructions and fill out the forms.
• Save your payment confirmation; you will submit this with your application.

COST RECOVERY
A cost recovery fee will be charges for monitoring. The cost recovery fee is directly associated with monitoring the permit activity. Fees will be quoted upon issuance of the permit and calculated based on the monitor's salary, time spent on site, and travel to/from duty location and permit site.

Entrance Fees

The standard park entrance fee also applies. We encourage wedding attendees to carpool; space is limited in some places.

 

Questions

Call the special use permit coordinator at 435-719-2123 or email us.