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How to Get Married at Epic Universe: The Ultimate Epic Universe Elopement Guide
- The Tattooed Bride
- Aug 12
- 10 min read
If you’ve ever looked at a traditional wedding and thought, yeah... that doesn’t really feel like us, what if instead you put on your wedding clothes, walked through a glowing portal, said your vows inside your favorite world, ate something ridiculous for lunch, rode roller coasters in your wedding dress, and ended the night underneath the lights of Epic Universe?
Because yes. That can be your wedding day.
I photograph couples who want their wedding to feel less like an event they’re hosting and more like an adventure they actually get to experience together. And Universal Orlando — especially Epic Universe — might be one of the coolest places to do exactly that.
Epic Universe gives you four completely different immersive worlds, incredible architecture, characters, rides, food, nighttime lights and approximately a million places that make me want to stop and take a photograph.
So if you're dreaming about getting married at Epic Universe, here's what you need to know.
Can You Get Married at Epic Universe?
Yes — but there’s something important you need to understand before you start planning.
Epic Universe is a public theme park, not a private wedding venue.
These elopements are intentionally small, respectful and low-impact. My Epic Universe elopement packages are designed for just the two of you, which allows us to move through the park like regular guests, explore together and photograph your day without creating a large gathering or disrupting other guests.
Universal's policies and guest experiences can also change at any time. While I've had so many wonderful experiences photographing couples at Universal — including team members creating unexpected magical moments for them like private tours, special encounters with characters, skipping the line, and gift bags— I can't guarantee how the park will handle every situation or what policies may change in the future.
My philosophy is pretty simple:
Wear the dress. Wear the veil. Celebrate your love. Have the absolute best time together.
We stay kind, respectful and mindful of the people around us while we do it.
And we always have a Plan B. More on that later.
Why Elope at Epic Universe?
Because this place is absolutely insane in the best possible way.
Epic Universe is especially incredible for couples who love fantasy, movies, gaming, immersive experiences and wedding photos that look nothing like traditional wedding photography.
You have huge architecture, dramatic nighttime lighting, movement, characters, rides and completely different environments within walking distance of one another.
Instead of spending your wedding day standing in one location taking portraits, you get to go explore worlds together.
And your wedding gallery changes right along with you.
One minute you're wandering through a gothic monster village. A little while later you're drinking Butterbeer. Then suddenly you're standing underneath the glowing lights of Celestial Park at night.
Your wedding photos can feel like several completely different adventures happened in one day.
That's exactly why I love photographing here.
Choosing Where to Get Married at Epic Universe
There are four major worlds to choose from for your Epic Universe elopement:
Dark Universe
For my spooky couples.
Dark Universe is monsters, gothic architecture and all the wonderfully weird things that make my Halloween-loving heart happy.
If your idea of romance leans a little darker, this is probably where we're going.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic
If the Wizarding World has always been part of your relationship, getting married surrounded by that world can make the day feel incredibly nostalgic.
There's something especially fun about making the things you've loved together part of the story of your wedding day.
Super Nintendo World
Bright. Colorful. Playful. Completely ridiculous in photographs.
In the best way.
This is perfect for couples who want their wedding photos to feel energetic, fun and nothing like a traditional wedding gallery.
How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk
Dragons.
Do I need to keep selling this one?
Epic Universe gives us these four dramatically different worlds to explore, which is part of what makes it such an incredible location for photography.
You don't necessarily have to choose just one world for your entire day, either.
Your ceremony can happen somewhere meaningful to you, and then we can spend the rest of your photography time exploring.
Where Should You Stay for an Epic Universe Elopement?
Stay on Universal property if you can.
Seriously.
One of the biggest advantages is early park admission.
The parks aren't as busy during early-entry hours because access is limited to eligible hotel guests, which gives us a much better opportunity to photograph you before the heavier crowds arrive.
For Epic Universe specifically, my favorite option is Helios Grand Hotel.
Helios has its own entrance directly into Epic Universe, which means you don't have to travel nearly as far while you're wearing wedding clothes.
Stella Nova and Terra Luna are also nearby, and Universal transportation makes getting between the resorts and parks relatively easy.
And staying on property gives you somewhere to disappear to in the middle of the day.
Which brings us to something very important...
Don't Spend Your Entire Wedding Day in the Park
You do not need to walk around Epic Universe in a wedding dress for eight consecutive hours.
I actually prefer breaking the day into pieces.
For my Epic Universe package, an example timeline for couples with early admission looks like:
Morning: Three hours inside Epic Universe
Afternoon: Break (at the sun's peak and time for lunch and rest)
Evening: Two more hours inside Epic Universe around sunset/nighttime
Without early admission, we shift those hours around the park's normal operating schedule.
That big afternoon break is intentional.
Go back to your hotel.
Take your shoes off.
Eat.
Nap.
Swim.
Fix your hair and makeup.
Change your outfit.
Make out with your new spouse.
Whatever you want!
Then we meet back up when the light changes and the park begins glowing. Celestial Park is so pretty at night!
You're not trying to survive your wedding day.
You're supposed to enjoy it.
Getting Ready Photos at Your Universal Hotel
If you're staying on Universal property, we can also add getting-ready coverage before heading into the park.
This is where we can photograph all the little wedding-day pieces that don't make as much sense once we're running around Epic Universe:
Your dress hanging up.
Your rings.
Vow books.
Jewelry.
Shoes.
The two of you getting ready together.
Or getting ready separately and doing a first look.
It gives the beginning of your gallery that quiet wedding-morning feeling before everything turns into absolute theme-park chaos.
And I love that contrast.
Getting-ready coverage is available as an add-on with my Epic Universe package.
How Do You Legally Get Married at Epic Universe?
You still need an actual Florida marriage license.
You will need to apply for your marriage license, pick it up in person in Florida and bring the license with you on your wedding day.
And here's one of the fun parts:
I'm also your legal officiant.
My Epic Universe elopement package includes me legally officiating your marriage and signing your marriage license.
So you don't have to bring another person into the park just to perform the ceremony.
It's you two.
Me.
Your vows.
And whatever completely ridiculous magical place you've chosen to get married.
What Should You Wear?
Whatever makes you feel like you're getting married.
Wear the wedding dress.
Wear the veil.
Wear a suit.
Wear something sparkly.
Wear something black.
Wear something completely untraditional.
You do not need to tone down your wedding clothes just because you're getting married inside a theme park.
But remember:
We're walking. A LOT.
So think about what you're willing to carry and what you'll actually be comfortable wearing for several hours.
If you're wearing dress shoes, I highly recommend bringing blister Band-Aids or moleskin.
You can also plan an outfit change during your afternoon break and come back into the park with an entirely different look for nighttime photographs.
Honestly?
Please do.
Can We Ride Rides in Our Wedding Clothes?
Your wedding day doesn't have to become an eight-hour portrait session just because you're hiring a photographer. I've never had a couple turned away from riding anything because of clothing so far. I'm sure there are exceptions, but let's be reasonable. You can definately ride the ministry of magic ride in a large dress as long as you only take up one passenger seat, and there are several other rides that haveing a dress or suit on is absolutley no different than normal attire.
Go experience the park.
Ride something.
Get food.
Buy the wand.
Meet the characters.
Drink the Butterbeer.
Laugh when something goes completely wrong.
Those moments are part of your wedding photographs too.
This entire experience works best when you stop thinking about your day as a photoshoot and start thinking about it as:
We're getting married and then going on the greatest date of our lives.
I'm just following along documenting it.
What Should You Bring?
Pack light.
You're going to be carrying whatever you bring through a theme park, so this is not the day for seventeen emergency tote bags.
Some of the things I recommend bringing include:
Your marriage license and ID (we can leave the license in the hotel after the getting ready photos and sign it there).
Park tickets in the Universal app
Vow books
Clean rings/ring boxes
Reusable water bottle
Portable phone charger
Sunscreen
Lip balm with SPF
Face mist
Small battery-operated fan
Umbrella
Blister Band-Aids or moleskin
Any prescription medications
Wands or other interactive park items you want to use
And yes, my actual packing list says:
Cute umbrella — it's going to rain.
They do sell really cute ones there too!
Because...
Florida.
What Happens if It Rains?
We work with it.
Florida weather is dramatic, unpredictable and occasionally personally offensive.
That's part of planning a wedding here.
The nice thing about structuring the day with a break is that we have room to adjust the timeline if weather rolls through.
For my Epic Universe package, I'm on property throughout the day and available to make timeline changes during the break if rain changes our plans.
Sometimes we wait it out.
Sometimes we move things around.
Sometimes we grab the umbrella and make really freaking cool rain photographs.
The goal isn't to force the day to follow a perfect schedule.
It's to build enough flexibility into the schedule that your day is still amazing when it doesn't.
What About the Crowds?
They're part of it.
This is Universal Orlando. Other people are going to exist around us.
That's why early admission, smart timing and knowing where we're going matter so much.
I don't approach Epic Universe elopements like a traditional wedding where we expect to control the environment.
We move.
We wait.
We find pockets of space.
We photograph between people.
We change locations.
Sometimes something unexpected happens and we lean into it.
That's part of what makes these photographs feel alive.
Always Have an Epic Universe Plan B
This is probably one of the most important things I tell every couple considering this kind of wedding.
Epic Universe is not a private wedding venue.
Universal's policies can change at any time, and neither you nor I can control decisions made by park management.
So every Universal elopement I photograph has a backup plan.
During the planning process, we'll choose a Plan B location together.
If we're ever asked to stop photographing or leave the park, we're not standing there on your wedding day trying to figure out what the hell to do next.
We already know.
We move to our backup location and continue your elopement.
Your wedding isn't ruined.
The story just changed.
And sometimes the unexpected parts end up being the ones you talk about forever.
Can We Bring Guests to Our Epic Universe Wedding?
My in-park Universal elopement packages are specifically designed for the two of you.
That's intentional.
The smaller we keep these elopements, the less impact we're making inside the park.
If you want parents, siblings, friends or a larger group involved, I would rather help you plan something designed to accommodate them properly.
I've photographed weddings at Universal-area venues including Voodoo Doughnut, Hard Rock and Portofino with weddings ranging from intimate groups to much larger celebrations.
You can still have Universal be part of your wedding story.
We just plan it differently.
How Much Does an Epic Universe Elopement Cost?
My current Epic Universe Elopement Package is $2,745 and includes five hours of photography split throughout the day.
It also includes:
Legal officiant services
Timeline planning assistance and support
My Epic Universe park ticket
Video clips of highlights throughout the day
Flexibility to adjust our timeline around weather
Your own park tickets, hotel, travel, parking, food and drinks are not included.
Getting-ready photography at a Universal property can also be added.
And if one park isn't enough for you, I also offer Universal Studios + Islands of Adventure and an Ultimate Harry Potter three-park option that combines Ministry of Magic, Diagon Alley and Hogwarts into one completely ridiculous wedding adventure starting at $2,200.
What Does an Epic Universe Wedding Actually Look Like?
This is where Chelsea + Sean come in.
Because you can read every planning guide on the internet.
You can look at maps.
You can make timelines.
You can research hotels and park hours and weather.
But sometimes you just need to see it.
Chelsea + Sean got dressed up, went to Epic Universe and made the park part of their wedding story.
Their day is exactly why I love photographing weddings like this.
It's not about trying to make a theme park look like a ballroom.
It's about embracing exactly where you are.
The people walking around you.
The ridiculous moments.
The giant buildings.
The rides.
The food.
The nighttime lights.
The two of you wandering through all of it dressed like you just got married.
Because you did.
Ready to Get Married at Epic Universe?
If you've made it this far and you're thinking:
Wait. We could actually do this?
Yep.
And you don't have to figure the whole thing out by yourselves.
I've created my Universal Orlando Elopement Guide to help couples plan weddings and elopements at Epic Universe, Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure.
It goes deeper into park tips, timelines, outfits, weather, crowds, ride strategies, photography ideas, backup plans and everything else you need to start imagining what your own Universal wedding could look like.
Or if you're already sitting there texting your partner:
holy shit, we're getting married at Epic Universe...
Then let's talk.
Wear the dress.
Say the vows.
Ride the rides.
Stay until the lights come on.
Your wedding doesn't have to look like anyone else's.
And honestly, that's kind of the whole point.
Very well explained.