Early this year, I headed out to the Arizona-California border to the Imperial sand dunes (also known as the Glamis sand dunes) for a styled elopement photoshoot! I’ve been dreaming of shooting in this famous location ever since I moved to the desert, and it did not disappoint! We headed out on a Saturday afternoon, and made it to the dunes with the sun still high overhead. Pulling into the lot and looking out, all you can see is rolling, sandy hills— even though it feels like you’ll look up and see two suns. These dunes are known for being the otherworldly home of Luke Skywalker, Tatooine! Shae and Ryan were stoked to finally visit and told me all about their shared love of Star Wars, and how this had been on their list for a while.

We arrived around 4pm in early February and it was already warm, especially when you’re lugging around camera gear and wedding clothes. It was beautiful though, with clear blue skies and a stark horizon line cutting through the middle of the landscape. We split our day in half, trekking to an empty sand dune for some bright, editorial style photos upon our arrival, and after about an hour, we headed back to the car for a water and snack break. Even though it’s still winter in the desert, it was warm enough to warrant a break. We let the sun make its way across the sky while we relaxed in the shade, and around 5:30pm we headed to dunes on the other side of the parking lot to catch a gorgeous, vibrant sunset and the warm dusk that painted our surroundings pink and purple. We said goodbye to dark dunes before 7pm, and I set my cruise control to 75mph on my trek back to Phoenix.

My first shoot here was a success, but there’s definitely some huge takeaways that I want to share— these will be helpful whether you’re a photographer OR a couple looking to elope at the Imperial sand dunes!

First and foremost, the drive from Phoenix is about 4 hours. Plan your travel accordingly! If you’re doing a day trip, try carpooling or bringing an assistant to break up the driving. The trip there wasn’t terrible, but driving back to Phoenix in the dark after driving out and doing an entire shoot was pretty rough.

Now some helpful tips for once you’re out there: The area surrounding the dunes has little to no resources! You will need to drive at least twenty minutes from the parking lot to reach gas, water, or snacks, so come prepared. I made sure my couple had plenty of water, snacks, and a full enough gas tank to make it out and back safely. This might feel like common knowledge, but living in Phoenix has shown me firsthand how easy some folks forget to head outside with the essentials. I’d rather preach to the choir than find myself and my couple in an emergency situation. I’d recommend at least one gallon of water per person during the winter months (October through March) and two gallons for summer months (April through September), and don’t underestimate the sunshine. There’s no shade out there except for inside your car, and you will get thirsty much faster than you think! 

For my photographers out there— I always recommend bringing extra water, in case your couples forget! You can get packs of water bottles to keep in your car, or if you want to be a little more eco-friendly I highly recommend a refillable water jug like this Stanley Adventure Fast water jug. It’s only two gallons, but it will keep ice for about two days! My husband and I are ordering two, so we can have plenty of water for ourselves and our pups when we go out in the summer. (Plus, Stanley is on top of the color scheme game so you can keep your lifestyle aesthetic while being prepared.)

My next piece of advice: try to plan for a weekday evening, or get there for a sunrise shoot on weekend mornings! When we arrived, it was really busy and there were a LOT of folks driving their ATVs on the dunes, and it made for some less-than-beautiful tracks in the sand. Don’t be like me and say “oh I’ll photoshop these out later” because you WILL regret it and give up after two pictures. The ATVs weren’t super disruptive, and they offered us a wide berth while we were out on the dunes, but another issue we ran into was how many other folks wanted to have their photoshoot here! I don’t blame them one bit, but I hadn’t considered how many people we would be working around! There were several folks in cosplay gear, and while it was super fun to watch a lightsaber battle in real life, spot removing lightsabers in Lightroom is a little less entertaining. If we had come early in the morning, I have a feeling we would have been some of the first people there. That would have given us free range of any dune we wanted, and help us beat the crowds.  Plus, the morning sun is a little more forgiving, and hasn’t had time to heat up the sand yet!

Last, bring an extra pair of shoes and socks for the drive home! Easy to do, and your feet will thank you! If you’re planning or helping to plan an elopement at the dunes (or anywhere sandy) then extra water will also be nice to rinse off your hands and feet when you leave. I also had some hand lotion, and it was an absolute lifesaver! I really want you guys to be prepared for how dry it is out there, it is not somewhere you’d want to be caught off guard, especially when that drive to town is 40 minutes round trip.

All things considered, this is a truly unique place to share your vows with your person— especially if you both love Star Wars. Whether you’re coming from Arizona or California, your elopement album will be a stunner! There’s nothing to detract from the beauty and intimacy of you two, your hand-picked wedding outfits, and the beginning of a lifetime together.

Ready to make your dream elopement come true? Click here to inquire with me! I always have my Stanley water bottle ready to go.

Interested in eloping, but still not sure where? Read more about why Arizona is THE place you should elope!