The short version: planning a wedding in Salt Lake City comes down to a short checklist. Pick your venue (no city permit needed unless you want a ceremony inside an actual city park), apply for your Utah marriage license (no waiting period), and, if a temple sealing is part of your day, plan your timeline around whichever of the valley's five temples you choose. Add a season you're set on, and you're covered.
I'm Jade, a Salt Lake City wedding photographer, and I put this guide together from the same questions couples ask me every time they start planning a wedding here: the paperwork, the venues, and the timeline. A quick heads up before you scroll further: the session photos on this page are Wasatch Front bridal portraits shot up-canyon at Brighton, not a downtown wedding day. More on that in the photos section below.
Why Get Married in Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City gives you a mix most Utah cities can't: a walkable downtown, mountain benches with valley views, and canyon scenery close enough to reach before the light runs out. You can get married at a hotel ballroom downtown in the morning and be up Big Cottonwood Canyon for portraits by afternoon.
That range means your wedding day can look specific to where you live instead of interchangeable with any other city's wedding. Whether you're getting married at a family backyard, a historic downtown building, or up one of the canyons fifteen minutes from downtown, the backdrop changes with you, not the other way around.
How to Plan a Wedding in Salt Lake City, Utah
Getting married in Salt Lake City is simpler than a lot of couples expect. There's no national-park-style permit process to navigate, that's a St. George or Moab problem, not yours. Your two to-dos are your venue and your marriage license.
Pick your venue first. Once you know where you're getting married, everything else, your timeline, your vendor list, whether you need a permit, follows from that one decision.
Apply for your marriage license. Utah doesn't require a waiting period. Apply in person, or start the application online first, at the Salt Lake County Clerk's office, bring valid ID for both of you, and you can legally marry the same day if you want to. Licenses stay valid for 30 days, so you have flexibility on timing between applying and your ceremony date.
Confirm access with your venue. Whether you're marrying at a hotel, a historic building downtown, a private backyard, or up a canyon, the venue sets the rules on timing, vendor access, and whether an outside photographer is welcome to move freely during your day. I always recommend confirming photography access with your venue coordinator early so we can plan the timeline around it.
Late spring through fall is peak wedding season along the Wasatch Front, and June through September books up fastest. If you want a summer Saturday, plan on booking your venue and photographer 9 to 12 months out.
Winter weddings have their own charm too. Snowy canyon bridals up at Brighton or Big Cottonwood look nothing like a standard summer gallery, and winter dates are easier to book if you're not attached to a summer weekend.
Best Salt Lake City Wedding Venues & Locations
Salt Lake City weddings happen everywhere from downtown hotel ballrooms to backyard ceremonies to canyon overlooks. I cover the whole Salt Lake Valley and Wasatch Front: downtown venues, the benches above the valley, and canyon locations like Big and Little Cottonwood, Millcreek, and Brighton.
If you're considering a venue like La Caille, at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon, see a proposal I photographed there for a feel of the grounds before booking your wedding day.
If a ceremony inside an actual city park is part of your vision, Liberty Park's gazebo seats up to 100 and is one of the more requested public spots downtown. That location comes with its own permit process, covered in the marriage license and legal requirements section below.
Marriage License & Legal Requirements for Your Salt Lake City Wedding
Do you need a permit?
For a private venue, downtown rooftop, or backyard, no. You just need your marriage license, no special use permit required. The one exception is a ceremony inside an actual Salt Lake City park. Liberty Park's gazebo, for instance, seats up to 100 for a ceremony, but the city requires its own Wedding Ceremony Permit (currently $213, filed at least 30 days out) separate from your marriage license. Private venues don't carry that requirement, it only applies to city parks.
Getting your marriage license
Utah has no waiting period. Apply at the Salt Lake County Clerk's office, bring valid ID for both of you, and you can marry the same day if your timeline is tight. Licenses are valid for 30 days from the date they're issued, so you have room to apply ahead without rushing.
Pairing a temple sealing with your reception
The Salt Lake Valley has five temples to choose from: Draper, Oquirrh Mountain in South Jordan, Jordan River, Taylorsville, and the landmark Salt Lake Temple on Temple Square, currently closed for its multi-year renovation with reopening events planned for 2027. Most of these sit a 20 to 30 minute drive from downtown, so pairing a morning sealing with an afternoon or evening Salt Lake City reception is a realistic timeline to build, not a scramble. I plan the gap between the two around whichever temple you choose.
A downtown Salt Lake City wedding-day gallery is still on my shoot list. The photos on this page are Wasatch Front bridal sessions from couples who live and married in the Salt Lake Valley, shot up-canyon at Brighton. If you're planning a downtown venue or reception, I'd love for your day to be the one that fills out this gallery next.
“My husband and I had such an amazing experience from our proposal, engagement, bridal, and wedding day! Jade was able to do it all and make us so happy with the results. We were very impressed with the skills she has and especially the organization she keeps. She is very kind and made each of our photo shoots special. It was so easy to decide on location and poses because of her and her expertise. We would love to book again in the future and we highly recommend :)”
Bree + Garrett, bridal portraits at Brighton
Your Salt Lake City Wedding Photographer
I'm Jade, a Salt Lake City wedding photographer who documents your day as it happens, from a downtown venue to a canyon overlook, instead of directing a performance. I know how the evening light moves across the benches, which canyon roads get busy on a Saturday, and how to build a timeline around a temple sealing if that's part of your day.
Salt Lake City wedding packages start at $1,850 for 6 hours of documentary coverage and go up to $2,400 for a full 12-hour wedding-weekend package. Every package includes complimentary bridal photos and a digital gallery. See the full breakdown on the wedding packages page.
Frequently Asked Questions About Salt Lake City Weddings
Do I need a permit to get married in Salt Lake City?
For a private venue, downtown rooftop, or backyard, no, you just need your marriage license, no special use permit required. The one exception is if you want your ceremony inside an actual Salt Lake City park: Liberty Park’s gazebo, for instance, seats up to 100 for a ceremony, but the city requires its own Wedding Ceremony Permit (currently $213, filed at least 30 days out) separate from your marriage license. Private venues don’t carry that requirement; it only applies to city parks.
How much does a Salt Lake City wedding photographer cost?
My Salt Lake City wedding packages start at $1,850 for 6 hours of coverage, and go up to $2,400 for a full 12-hour wedding-weekend package. Every package includes complimentary bridal photos and a digital gallery. See the full breakdown on the wedding packages page.
Can you photograph both a temple sealing and a Salt Lake City reception?
Yes, all the time. The Salt Lake Valley has five temples to choose from: Draper, Oquirrh Mountain in South Jordan, Jordan River, Taylorsville, and the landmark Salt Lake Temple on Temple Square (currently closed for its multi-year renovation, with reopening events planned for 2027). Most of these are a 20–30 minute drive from downtown, so pairing a morning sealing with an afternoon or evening Salt Lake City reception is an easy timeline to build, and I plan the gap between the two around whichever temple you choose.
What’s the best season for a Salt Lake City wedding?
Late spring through fall is peak season along the Wasatch Front; June through September books up fastest. Winter weddings have their own charm too (think snowy canyon bridals), and they’re easier to book with more date flexibility if you’re not attached to a summer date.
How far in advance should we book our Salt Lake City wedding photographer?
For a summer or fall Saturday, 9–12 months out is ideal since those dates go first. If your date is more flexible or you’re planning a smaller wedding or temple sealing, I can often work with much shorter timelines. Reach out and I’ll tell you if your date is open.
Do you only shoot weddings inside Salt Lake City, or do you travel to nearby venues too?
I cover the whole Salt Lake Valley and Wasatch Front: downtown venues, the benches above the valley, and canyon locations like Big and Little Cottonwood, Millcreek, and Brighton. If your venue is a short drive from the city, it’s covered.
Ready to Plan Your Salt Lake City Wedding?
Tell me your date and your venue, downtown, a canyon, or a temple sealing, and I'll send back a timeline built around it.
Utah-based wedding, elopement, and proposal photographer since 2025. I photograph across the Salt Lake Valley regularly, so this guide comes from what I walk couples through firsthand, not secondhand research.
