Intimate Desert Elopement @ Nelson’s Ghost Town in Las Vegas, Nevada

Ty + Aaron eloped at Nelson’s Ghost Town which is a 45 minute drive from Las Vegas. It is one of the most unique places I’ve ever been and Is the perfect place to elope. While it’s a bit of a drive – it’s worth it. Vegas has amazing landscapes no matter which direction you go in and is the ideal place for an upscale elopement but if you want a unique backdrop – Nelson’s Ghost Town is ideal for the offbeat couple.

Nelson’s Ghost Town has been around for a long time – since the 1700s. Originally, it was found by Spanish settlers and their hunt for gold ores in the mines – but they only discovered silver so abandoned their search. 100 years later – different prospectors discovered gold and the mining business took off. This was the largest place in all of Nevada that had gold ores so it became a hustling and bustling town. However, there was extreme lawlessness and murders were a daily occurrence. For those that lived, they became extremely wealthy.

After the gold rush, the town was left abandoned for nearly another 100 years until a local Las Vegas family purchased the town and reopened the mines and town for tours. And of course, opened for photoshoots and weddings as well. Nelson is an important part of local history and it’s wonderful to see it honored by maintaining the landscape with a peek back in time. There have been many famous movies filmed here – most notably a few Kevin Costner movies. One of my favorite parts of the town is the abandoned vehicles and props including this amazingly epic plane. No, it’s not from a real plane crash! It was a movie prop and serves as a super unique backdrop for photos. From abandoned cars, to decrepit and rustic buildings it’s a truly unique place and I highly recommend anyone who loves these photos to add it to their future travel list.

Their ceremony was planned by Simply Eloped and officiated by the wonderful Dawn of Timeless Connection. It was an intimate wedding with just the four of us and while I didn’t get photos of them (BOOO) there was a whole family of 20+ birds that flew down to the ground to the left during the ceremony and were making the cutest little chirp noises. Their ceremony was short and sweet and they read their vows to each other underneath a rugged and beautiful arch with cacti and mountains as their backdrop. Does it get much more epic?

After their ceremony we wandered around the town and found the most epic locations to take couples photos. Elopements are so unique because the only people you have to entertain are yourselves. No bridesmaid who got too drunk before the ceremony or crazy uncles. Just you, your new life partner, and nature. Enjoy married life, Ty and Aaron!

Wedding Vendors:

Photos: Fig + Willow Studios

Event Planner: Simply Eloped

Ceremony Location: Nelson’s Ghost Town

Officiant: Timeless Connection

Florals: Flowers by Michelle

Love what you see? Get in touch today about your wedding to see if I’m still available!

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