a day ago
Their Dream Wedding Venue? A National Park.
Aravind Ravichandran had his heart set on proposing to Lavanya Venkatesan at Angels Landing, a large rock formation at Zion National Park in southwestern Utah. In the spring of 2024, he managed to get the necessary hikers' permits for himself and Ms. Venkatesan, both nature enthusiasts from Boston, through a lottery system.
Once they arrived at the summit, Mr. Ravichandran, 29, a senior design engineer at a software company, reached for the diamond ring tucked in his coat pocket. A nearby Canadian tourist sprang into action, recording the proposal. When Ms. Venkatesan, a 28-year-old senior research associate at a biotechnology company, said yes, a gathering crowd erupted in cheers and applause.
'They congratulated and celebrated us in a very beautiful way,' Ms. Venkatesan said.
As the newly engaged couple discussed wedding venues, they became drawn to national parks. Both enjoy camping and road trips, and have visited 14 national parks in less than two years. They eventually chose Arches National Park, also in Utah, and married there on April 7, before 25 guests. They picked an outdoor location for the ceremony and rented a local ranch for their guests for two days. Including food, car rentals and accommodations for a few extra days before the wedding, the total cost was $20,000.
About 331 million visitors flocked to the 63 U.S. national parks last year, according to the National Park Service. Some, like Mr. Ravichandran and Ms. Venkatesan, come to exchange vows against a stunning natural backdrop.
The 2025 application period for weddings and commitment ceremonies is currently underway at many parks. Permit fees vary by locale, and availability depends on ceremony size and guest count.
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