There’s a particular kind of magic to saying “I do” surrounded by Joshua trees, boulder piles, and a sunset that turns orange and pink to match the desert hues. It’s also, refreshingly, one of the more affordable wedding settings you can choose depending on how you go about it. For couples who want a simple ceremony in the park with just a few guests or none at all, the biggest expense will be the photography. If you want to have more guests and more privacy there are a handful of venues in the Joshua Tree area to accommodate this but the price will be higher.
Below is a complete breakdown of what it costs to get married in Joshua Tree, both inside the park and at a venue outside the park, so you can see your options and plan your budget accordingly.
A Simple Wedding Inside Joshua Tree National Park
If you would like to have your ceremony inside the park itself, there are a number of different places where you can have your ceremony. Please see my complete guide to eloping in Joshua Tree for more information on these ceremony locations here.
In terms of costs, to have a ceremony inside Joshua Tree National Park you will need to pay for the park entry fee, a permit, your marriage license, and an officiant. Other common costs also include your photographer/planner, hair & makeup artist, florist, and accommodations if you’re traveling from out of town. Cost breakdowns for each item are below:
Entry Fee: $30
Permit: $120
Marriage License: $60-$120 depending on the county you get the license from.
Officiant: $300-$600
Photography and Planning: $4,000-$7,000
Hair & Makeup: $250-$600
Florals: $300-$1,200+. This varies greatly depending on what exactly you’re looking for. The lower end of this range would be for a simple bouquet and boutonniere and the higher end would be for those items plus a more intricate arch/installation.
Airbnb or Hotel Stay: $550-$3,000 for a 3 night stay, depending on how lux you want to go.
Overall Total: $5,500-$12,600
An Intimate Wedding Outside The Park
If you want to get married in the desert but you want more privacy, designated bathrooms, and a possible reception space then renting out a venue is the way to go. There are not a ton of venues in the Joshua Tree area, however there are a few hotels and event spaces that you can rent for weddings. A cost breakdown of a larger wedding with 30 guests in Joshua Tree is below.
Marriage License: $60-$120
Officiant: $300-$600
Photography and Planning: $4,000-$7,000
Hair & Makeup: $250-$600
Florals: $300-$1,200+
Airbnb or Hotel Stay: $550-$3,000 for a 3 night stay.
Venue Rental: $,1500-$6,000+
Catering (if you want to have a reception as well): You can expect full service catering to be about $90-$170 per person or you can do something simpler like a taco truck, family style BBQ, or a “luxe picnic” style spread for about $50-$90 per person.
Bar Service: Many desert venues are BYO-alcohol with a bartender fee, which keeps this cheaper than a full open bar at a traditional venue — budget roughly $20–$40 per person for bartender labor, ice, mixers, and setup if you’re supplying the alcohol yourself.
These are just the base costs and can always go up if you add extra florals, decorations, or need to provide your own chairs/tables/linens or tents, or they can go down if you DIY certain things.
Total range for a wedding with 30 guests: $10,000-$25,000+
Wedding Venues in Joshua Tree
Below are a list of some venues in the Joshua Tree area if you would like to do your own research on venue rentals.
Smaller Ceremonies:
Rimrock Ranch – A ranch with various accommodation options including cabins and airstreams. Ceremonies for up to 50 guests are allowed. Booking a ceremony here includes overnight accommodation for 2 as well as a few extras outlined in the link.
Mojave Moon Ranch – A beautiful setting in the desert with interesting art installations for a quiet elopement. You must contact the owners for details.
Hicksville Trailer Palace – Interesting/funky trailer accommodations in Joshua Tree where you can stay and have your wedding ceremony. The cost on the website covers up to 50 guests but more guests can be added for an additional charge.
Morada – Artistic/custom designed homes where you can stay and have a ceremony.
Larger Ceremonies:
29 Palms Inn – hotel with a few different spaces for ceremonies with different guest counts.
Autocamp – airstream accommodations where you can plan a ceremony with up to 100 guests.
However you decide to do it, getting married in Joshua Tree is a truly unique and special experience. It’s the perfect place to have a simple and stripped down ceremony where the focus is entirely on how you want to live your day, or a small intimate party/gathering with the most important people in your life (or a combination of the two if you choose to have a multi day elopement).
If you’re looking to plan a Joshua Tree elopement or intimate wedding and don’t know where to start, feel free to reach out to me here. As a Joshua Tree elopement photographer and planner I can help walk you through the process of how to put together all of the pieces mentioned above, as well as capture every moment of your day so that you walk away with memories you can relive for a lifetime.
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