Wow, these photos at Glamis Sand Dunes are a showstopper!
It’s no wonder that this location is a hit for weddings photos. The smooth sand dunes are gorgeous and make for the perfect, simple backdrop for you and your love. Keep reading for all the info you need to achieve stunning wedding photos at Glamis Sand Dunes!
Glamis Sand Dunes are sometimes called the Algodones or Imperial Sand Dunes, and are 40 square miles of sand dunes located near the border of Southern California and Arizona.
Located in Imperial County, this isolated land is about a three hour drive from Los Angeles and two hours from San Diego. With views like these, it’s not surprising that many couples decide to get married at Glamis Sand Dunes every year.
These photos of Joelle & Levi were an incredibly special occasion. They were married in October 2019 and had an unfortunate experience with their photographer. For their first anniversary they wanted to take the wedding photos they never got, and this location was perfect! (Side note: how gorgeous are their engagement photos?)
Now back to the task at hand: creating incredible wedding photos at Glamis!
You’ll probably soon realize that traveling to remote sand dunes presents a couple of challenges. That’s why I’ve done the research on how to get stunning wedding photos at Glamis Sand Dunes – to help you save your precious time and energy!
Weather
You’ll obviously want to look your best in your wedding photos, so this part is important when it comes to scheduling your photoshoot at Glamis!
To overstate the obvious, the sand dunes are very much a desert. It gets hot and windy during the day, and is often unbearably so during the summer months. Most California-based photographers familiar with Imperial County would suggest to avoid photographing at Glamis from May to September.
For context, I photographed this couple’s wedding photos in August. A sunset photoshoot would be entirely too hot, so we decided to take their photos at 6 am. Even that early in the morning, the temperature was already at 85 degrees Fahrenheit. These two rocked their photoshoot and I’m so obsessed with how their wedding photos turned out!
A surprise bonus of a morning photoshoot is fresh sand and a greater likelihood that you’ll have all of Glamis to yourself! Win-win!
PERMITS
The Glamis Sand Dunes government website lays out that a $35 permit is necessary for each vehicle entering the park. You’ll want to head to their website for updated information about permits and regulations in the park.
https://www.blm.gov/visit/imperial-sand-dunes/rules-and-regulations
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
As I mentioned earlier, the Glamis Sand Dunes are 40 square miles, which means you have ample choices as far as locations!
Unless you have an ATV, I’d recommend staying close to your car. Climbing up and down sand dunes gets exhausting quickly! Luckily there is a perfect parking spot that will drop you right in the middle of the dunes. Trust me, this is where you want to go.
The Hugh T. Osborne Lookout. It’s conveniently a location on Google Maps, so your GPS can take you directly there. Having issues finding it? Shoot me a DM on Instagram and I’m happy to send a pin! It’s truly the best location and I’d love to spread the good word.
As a general note, I would also recommend meeting up with your client or photographer outside of the Glamis Sand Dune park itself. Service gets spotty in the park, so it’s easier to meet in the nearest town. For me and my clients coming from Los Angeles, California, the town of Brawley, California fits the bill.
And that’s it!
Thank you for enjoying all my tips and tricks on how to get stunning wedding photos at Glamis Sand Dunes!
You’ve got this,
+ COMMENTS