Photo by Stacy Burk Photography

For the past four years, Scottsdale residents Dave Roesch and Shannon Grenz-Roesch have explored and hiked many Arizona trails with one another. During one such adventure two years ago, the then-dating couple discovered the Merry-Go-Round rock formation in Sedona and agreed that if they were to ever get married, it would be on that rock.

“In August, he proposed to me while hiking in Bryce Canyon and, on October 5, we eloped in between rain storms on this beautiful-but-dangerous cliff,” Grenz-Roesch says. “It poured rain all day as I sat in a salon getting my hair and makeup done. The weather forecast called for a one-hour break between storms that afternoon and we decided to go for it.”

Stacy Burk Photography and minister Karen Lynn met the couple at the bottom of the mountain and everyone rode to the top of the hill in a Jeep Rubicon. From there, they hiked a quarter mile to the cliff and Grenz-Roesch changed into her wedding dress behind a huge boulder.

“The weather cleared long enough for our ceremony and some spectacular photos,” Grenz-Roesch says. “I had no idea the lightning was striking behind me in this epic photo. My veil blew out for a final picture and then blew off my head over the cliff, never to be seen again. It started raining and we all made a beeline for the Jeep. It was truly a fun, challenging adventure in gorgeous natural Arizona scenery!”

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