The Iron Arches vs. The Remote Desert Site: Which Ceremony Space is Right for You?
One of the first decisions couples make after booking The Red Earth Venue is where they want their ceremony to take place. The property has two ceremony spaces, and they offer a completely different experience. The Iron Arches keeps you close to the heart of the property, connected to the flow of your reception. The Remote Desert Site takes you a quarter mile out into open canyon country with nothing but sky and red rock around you.
Both are stunning. Choosing between them, or deciding how to combine them, is one of the most personal decisions of your planning process. Here is what you need to know about each one.
The Iron Arches
The Iron Arches patio sits at the center of the main property, just outside the Glass Venue. The ironwork creates a natural frame overhead, and the red rock cliffs rise up behind you in every direction. Most couples who get married here add simple florals and let the structure and the landscape do the rest, though the space is also designed to hold a bigger vision if drapery, hanging florals, and additional lighting are part of your plan.
The ceremony flows directly into cocktail hour on the South Patio, and then dinner inside the Glass Venue, and then dancing back under the Iron Arches as the bistro lights come on overhead. Everything is connected. Your guests barely have to move and the whole day has a natural rhythm to it.
The Iron Arches tends to be the right choice if:
You want a ceremony that flows seamlessly into the rest of your evening. You love the idea of the same space transforming from ceremony to dance floor as the night goes on. You have guests who might struggle with a longer walk or uneven terrain. You want the ironwork and the red rock cliffs as your backdrop without leaving the main property. This option is more accessible for guests, and easier access to shade and shelter if needed!
The Remote Desert Site
The Remote Desert Site sits a quarter mile from the main property, and getting out there is part of what makes it special. It is a short walk from the main property, but once you are out there you feel like you are standing in the middle of the desert with nothing around you but canyons. What is left is open sky in every direction, red rock cliffs rising up all around, and a ceremony space that feels completely untouched by anything beyond the landscape itself.
This was actually the original Red Earth wedding experience. Before the Glass Venue was built, every wedding happened out here. And for couples who want to feel completely immersed in the desert from the moment the ceremony begins, it still is.
Getting out to the Remote Desert Site is more flexible than you might expect. While the quarter mile walk is beautiful, driving out in a high clearance vehicle is also an option for guests who need it. Parking at the site is limited, so most couples get creative with how they handle transportation. Some walk everyone out together, others shuttle guests who are elderly or injured while the rest walk, and some transport the entire group. Popular options include hiring a shuttle company, enlisting friends and family with vehicles, or renting ATVs.
The Remote Desert Site tends to be the right choice if:
You have been picturing a ceremony that feels serene, wide open, and completely unlike anything your guests have ever experienced. You want the landscape to surround you in a way that no indoor or covered space could replicate. You love the idea of photos that could only have been taken in one place on earth. You want your ceremony to feel intimate and extraordinary at the same time, just you, your person, and the canyon country of Moab holding the whole thing together.
Your Options for Structuring the Day
One of the things couples love about Red Earth is that you are not locked into one site. Here is how most weddings at the property come together depending on which ceremony space you choose.
Everything at the main property: Ceremony under the Iron Arches, cocktail hour on the South Patio, dinner inside the Glass Venue, dancing under the Iron Arches or inside the Glass Venue depending on the time of year. This is the most seamless flow and keeps your guests in one connected space all evening.
Everything at the Remote Desert Site: Ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner, and dancing all out in the open desert. This was how Red Earth weddings worked before the Glass Venue existed and it is still a fully viable and deeply beautiful option for couples who want complete immersion in the landscape.
The combination approach: Ceremony at the Remote Desert Site, then everyone walks back to the main property for cocktail hour on the South and Iron Arches Patios, dinner inside the Glass Venue, and dancing under the Iron Arches. This is an increasingly popular option because it gives you the dramatic open-desert ceremony moment and then brings the whole group back together for a reception where the Glass Venue and the Iron Arches are waiting for you.
How to Decide
The most honest advice we can give is to think about what you want to feel in the moment you turn around and see your person walking toward you.
If you want a ceremony space that flows directly into your reception, where everything is in one place, the bar is steps away, and your guests can move naturally from the ceremony into cocktail hour, the Iron Arches is your answer.
If you want to feel like the desert itself showed up for your wedding, the Remote Desert Site is where you need to be.
And if you want both, the combination approach gives you exactly that.
All three options are available to every couple who books here. If you want to talk through what makes the most sense for your specific day, send us a message at hello@theredearthvenue.com. The virtual tour on our website is also a great place to start seeing the spaces for yourself at theredearthvenue.com/virtual-tour.
