Celebrating weddings in deserts around the world has become a unique and magical trend for couples seeking an unusual setting. These arid landscapes, with their immense dunes, clear skies, and fairytale sunsets, offer the perfect backdrop for saying “I do.”
In Morocco, the Sahara Desert offers a mystical blend of tradition and adventure. Here, weddings often include Berber rituals, nomadic tents decorated with colorful carpets, and the option of arriving at the altar by camel.
Across the Atlantic, the Atacama Desert in Chile offers a completely different, yet equally stunning, experience. It’s considered the ideal place for weddings under the stars, as this desert is considered one of the driest places on the planet with the clearest skies. Here, couples can get married surrounded by salt flats, geysers, and rock formations that seem like they’re from another planet.
These weddings in deserts around the world stand out not only for their natural beauty but also for their symbolism. Whether in Africa, America, or Asia, deserts represent the essential, the pure, and the eternal, something that many couples wish to reflect at the beginning of their union. As this trend continues to grow, we’re going to tell you about the most special places for desert weddings to spark your curiosity.
Let’s get to it!
Sahara Desert, Morocco: A mystical setting among golden dunes
This desert offers an immersive and magical atmosphere. The Erg Chebbi and Erg Chigaga dunes, with their shapes shifting in the wind, create an almost surreal backdrop. Sunsets dye the sand reddish and golden hues, and nights under the stars are unforgettable.
Many couples choose to celebrate their wedding in luxury camps located in the middle of the desert, accessible by 4×4 or camel.
Local providers offer packages that include Berber tents, traditional music, Moroccan banquets, and traditional decorations. Without a doubt, all of this will make your wedding feel like it’s straight out of Arabian Nights.
Getting married in the Sahara Desert doesn’t require specific government permits for symbolic ceremonies.
However, if you want a legal ceremony, it must be performed beforehand in a Moroccan civil registry or in your country of origin. It’s advisable to work with local wedding agencies to manage all the logistical aspects and to ensure you secure the best local suppliers without any hassle.
Wadi Rum Desert, Jordan: A wedding among canyons and rock formations
Also known as the “Valley of the Moon,” Wadi Rum is famous for its reddish landscapes, sandstone mountains, and mystical atmosphere. It’s ideal for weddings with a cinematic aesthetic, as films such as Lawrence of Arabia and The Martian were filmed here.
This desert can be accessed from the city of Aqaba or Petra. There are luxury Bedouin camps that offer accommodation, traditional banquets, and sunset ceremonies. Some of these services include jeep transfers and pre-arranged excursions for guests, which will undoubtedly impress them and give them a little adventure to kick-start their special day.
Don’t miss these tips for your guests at destination weddings; you’ll need them if you choose this style of wedding.
The Wadi Rum Desert is protected as a nature reserve, so any event must be coordinated with local authorities.
We recommend hiring authorized tour operators who can arrange permits with the Jordanian government. Symbolic weddings are the most common in this desert.
If you like cinema and adventure, this is undoubtedly the perfect setting for weddings in deserts around the world.
The Kalahari Desert as a setting for weddings in deserts around the world
The Kalahari combines desert and savanna, reddish sand, dry grasslands, and abundant wildlife such as giraffes, lions, and antelopes. Being a less arid desert than the others, it allows for unique biodiversity.
Safari lodges offer wedding packages with luxury accommodations, outdoor ceremonies and banquets in natural settings, and best of all, private safaris for the bride and groom and their guests! Services are typically all-inclusive, including transfers, lodging, and entertainment.
If you enjoy adventure, animals, and the African feel, this destination is ideal for you.
In general, symbolic weddings don’t require special permits, but if the wedding takes place within a private reserve or national park, you’ll need to coordinate with local authorities.
For legal weddings, you must arrange civil procedures in the host country.
Thar Desert, India
It is also known as the “Great Indian Desert.” Its landscapes are characterized by golden dunes, traditional villages, Hindu temples, and, of course, majestic stone fortresses.
India is undoubtedly known for its exuberant weddings, and the Thar Desert is no exception. Palace hotels and luxury camps on the outskirts of Jaisalmer offer complete experiences combining luxury, culture, and mysticism. Weddings can include folk music, traditional dances, decorated camels, and even fireworks.
If you want to ensure a sense of color, flavor, and authenticity, we recommend hiring local wedding planners familiar with Rajasthani customs. We know how complicated it can be to find a good wedding planner, so here are some tips that can help you with this.
If your wedding is simply symbolic and will be held on private property or in established camps, no official permits are required.
However, for legal weddings, the procedures can be complex, especially for foreigners, as temporary residency and certified legal documentation in India are required.
So, if you’ve been thinking about celebrating weddings in the world’s deserts, and this one was on your mind, start packing your bags, the adventure begins!
Gobi Desert in Mongolia
A vast and ever-changing desert, where dunes alternate with steppe plains, arid mountains, and seemingly endless skies. Its serenity and connection to Mongolian nomadic culture make it a truly spiritual space.
Planning a wedding here involves adventure and planning. Access is available from Ulaanbaatar with agencies offering customized tours, accommodation in gers (traditional yurts), and cultural experiences.
Experiences can include rituals with Buddhist lamas, shamanic drumming, and local feasts featuring Mongolian lamb and fermented mare’s milk, known locally as airag.
Symbolic weddings in tourist camps don’t require complex procedures, but if you’re holding a wedding in a nature reserve, or if you want to include official rituals, you must notify the local authorities.
Legal weddings in Mongolia require translated and authenticated legal documentation.
Sonoran Desert: Giant Cacti and Living Tradition
For weddings in deserts around the world, it’s impossible not to mention the Sonoran Desert, which covers much of the state of the same name in Mexico and extends to Arizona and California in the United States.
It is one of the most biodiverse deserts in the world, home to the saguaro cactus, arid mountains, scrublands, and vibrant skies at both sunrise and sunset.
In its terrain, you’ll find rocky areas and sandy plains, a contrast worthy of contemplation.
Cities like Hermosillo, Caborca, or San Luis Río Colorado can serve as a starting point to get there. There are haciendas, ranches, rural areas, and private reserves that allow for bohemian, cowboy, or pure Mexican-style weddings—an experience worth experiencing, don’t you think?
There are also vendors offering outdoor dining experiences, regional music groups, and ceremonies inspired by local or indigenous customs.
Regarding the permits you need to celebrate your wedding in the Sonoran Desert, you should know that if you’re holding your wedding on private property, no additional permits are required beyond the civil registry if you want a legal ceremony.
For events in natural or protected areas, it may be necessary to coordinate with SEMARNAT (National Environmental Protection Agency) or the appropriate local authority. Symbolic weddings should be low-impact and planned with deep respect for the environment.
Altar Desert
Located in the northwest of the state of Sonora, it is considered the driest and most extreme desert in Mexico. It is part of the El Pinacate Biosphere Reserve and the Great Altar Desert, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. An incredible idea for weddings in deserts around the world.
Its shifting dunes can reach up to two hundred meters high, dotted with lava fields, volcanic craters, and desert plains that seem like they’re from another planet.
If you want a symbolic, introspective, and deeply spiritual wedding, this place is calling you.
The nearest base city is Puerto Peñasco, located on the Sea of Cortez. From there, 4×4 transportation to specific areas of the desert can be arranged.
Weddings in the desert, and specifically in this one, should be small and intimate. Always enlist the help of local professionals to ensure you don’t violate any rules.
As this is a nature reserve, special permits are required from the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas for any activity organized in the area.
The installation of large structures is not permitted, and weddings must have a low environmental impact. For legal marriages, it is recommended to complete the civil process in Puerto Peñasco or another nearby city, leaving the ceremony in the desert as a purely symbolic event.
Ica Coastal Desert
In regards to desert weddings in deserts around the world, we can’t forget to mention South America, and specifically, Peru.
The coastal desert of Peru offers a fascinating landscape that combines golden sand dunes, clear skies, and the famous Huacachina oasis.
This area is part of the South American Pacific coastal desert, one of the driest in the world. The rolling dunes create a cinematic setting, ideal for intimate sunset weddings, surrounded by the immensity and silence of the desert.
Huacachina, just ten minutes from Ica, is the ideal place to set up your base of operations. It has boutique hotels, lodges, and specialized tour operators offering dune experiences such as buggy rides, sandboarding, and dinners under the stars.
You can celebrate your wedding in hotels overlooking the oasis, in temporary camps on the dunes at sunset, or in spaces decorated with local decor—impressive, right?
Symbolic weddings do not require specific permits if they are held on private property, but if you wish to hold the ceremony on the dunes, especially with the installation of structures or sound equipment, you should know the following:
You must notify the Provincial Municipality of Ica, coordinate with authorized tour operators for access to the dunes, and ensure that the event has minimal environmental impact.
For legal weddings, the civil ceremony can be held in the municipality of Ica or in Lima, followed by the symbolic ceremony in the desert.
Atacama Desert
It is one of the driest deserts on the planet, with lunar landscapes that include salt flats, high-altitude lagoons, and spectacular rock formations. Places like the Valley of the Moon or the Salar de Tara offer otherworldly settings for an unforgettable wedding.
San Pedro de Atacama is the main base for event planning. There are boutique hotels, tour operators, and specialized suppliers that offer wedding planning, transportation to remote locations, and the setup of temporary ceremony facilities.
No special procedures are required for a symbolic wedding. If you want a legal ceremony, it must be performed at the Chilean civil registry and may require some advance notice. Some protected areas, such as nature reserves, may require authorization from CONAF (National Forestry Corporation) for the use of certain spaces.
Great Victoria Desert
To finish this list of weddings in deserts around the world, we must talk about Oceania.
This desert is the largest desert in Australia, encompassing the west of South Australia and the south of Western Australia.
Its landscape is a fusion of red sand dunes, boulder-strewn plains, bushland, and skies that are tinged with fire at sunrise and sunset.
Getting married in this desert is more than a ceremony; it’s a symbolic act of respect for nature and time, in a place where footprints disappear in the wind and silence takes on a sacred meaning.
We have to tell you that accessibility is a challenge, but also part of the charm. The closest towns to start the trek are Coober Pedy, Kargoolie, or Adelaide, from where you can arrange transfers by 4×4 or small plane. Weddings should be low-impact and with small groups, given the isolation and fragility of the ecosystem.
Some specialized agencies offer tailored experiences, including intimate ceremonies on the dunes at sunrise or sunset, accommodations in nearby luxury camps, the inclusion of Indigenous guides who can offer welcome-to-the-land rituals or Dreamtime narratives, and, of course, professional drone photography to capture the vast landscape from the air.
Because this is a fragile and culturally significant environment, special permits are required in most cases, especially if the wedding takes place within Indigenous lands or protected natural areas.
Here are the typical steps if you want to celebrate the wedding of your dreams in this special desert. Don’t leave anything undone:
Contact local Indigenous councils to request access and event permission, obtain authorization from the state government or the Department of Environment and Water if the event will be held on public lands or parks, and for legal weddings, you must register the marriage under Australian law, with at least one month’s advance notice, and a registered officiant must be present.
If you’re interested in weddings in deserts around the world and don’t know where to start, we recommend you visit Natalia Ortiz, a wedding planner specializing in destination weddings, who will undoubtedly be your best option.