Weddings at Nebraska State Parks

Outdoor weddings are all the rage, and couples are always looking for the best places to hold them.

Some of the most common outdoor wedding sites include city parks, but even a back yard works for many people.

If you’re an outdoors person, like many people in Nebraska, an outdoor wedding will probably be appealing to you. Plus, outdoor settings work great for wedding photographers like myself – particularly if you are in a picturesque setting at a state park. There’s plenty of material to work with for your wedding photos.

If you are looking for some beautiful photos of your wedding, have you ever considered a state park? Nebraska has dozens of parks, recreation areas and historical parks that allow weddings.

According to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, 33 park locations hosted weddings in 2014 and 2015. There were a total of 269 weddings those years in state parks.

In 2016, 17 park locations hosted 110 weddings. In 2017, 28 weddings are already planned.

These numbers, of course, reflect only the weddings that the commission knows about. Some people hold impromptu weddings at a state park without notifying the commission.

Some of the most popular park wedding venues include: Eugene Mahoney State Park in Ashland, Ponca State Park in Dixon County, Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park near North Platte, Fremont State Recreation Area in Dodge County, Lake McConaughy near Ogallala, Niobrara State Park in Knox County, Chadron State Park in Chadron and Platte River State Park in Cass County.

Other desired park venues include Ash Hollow State Historical Park in Garden County, Branched Oak State Recreation Area in Lancaster County, Johnson Lake State Recreation Area in Gosper County and Fort Robinson State Park near Harrison.

Some of the more unique sited by Game and Parks include the Mahoney Tower and Lake Minatare Lighthouse.

So if you want an outdoor wedding in the perfect setting, take a look at Nebraska’s plethora of state parks and recreation areas.