Today we’d like to introduce you to Thomas Tobin
Hi Thomas, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a fulltime professional wedding officiant and elopement coordinator. I specialize in adventure elopements in desert-landscapes in and around Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks.
How it started
The origin story of Outland Adventures began as Outland Officiant and was based around two simple ideas. 1- All couples should be able to be married anywhere they want. 2- A wedding ceremony should be about the couple, not the officiant nor aunt “Karen”.
1- Couples should choose where they want to elope.
I started my journey as an adventure officiant because I saw a need that was not being filled. My daughter and son in law are adventure wedding photographers (Kyle and Tori of Kyle Loves Tori Photography) expressed their frustration that officiants wouldn’t travel to the remote, awe-inspiring locations they had scouted in the backcountry of Southern Utah. Kyle and Tori believe in doing whatever they can to provide couples with everything they want. That usually means a couple asking for a beautiful spot in Zion National Park with epic views but with no crowds. As anyone that has visited Zion National Park knows, crowds are inevitable. And the crowds are not going away. In 2001 2.4 million people visited Zion National Park. In recent years that has almost doubled, ballooning to over 4.6 million. More and more, to get couples a location they wanted required driving off road and hiking. The only way to have an elopement there requires an officiant willing to get up before sunrise and make that trek with the couple.
When I heard that couples could not get married where they wanted just because there was not an officiant willing it both broke my heart and blew my mind. I had become an ordained minister years before to officiate and loved helping couples progress their love story to its natural apex. I also have always enjoyed hiking and exploring the outdoors. So the idea of being able to go for a hike and have the honor of officiating a marriage at the same time seemed like a fulfilling calling and a great adventure. I had a hard time imagining someone caring enough about a couple to marry them at the same time not caring enough about the couple to hike with them. The only way I could reconcile this cognitive dissidence was to conclude the officiant did not care about the couple to begin with.
I told Kyle and Tori I would absolutely love to help any couple get married anywhere. Not figuratively “anywhere” but quite literally anywhere the couple would go I would go. One example is a time we traveled (round trip) over 380 miles on paved roads, drove dirt roads for 4 hours, and then hiked a few miles just so a couple could get married on the exact place they got engaged at. The couple had finished a long multiple day hike three years before. At the campsite by the fire he proposed a life together and she accepted. We were able to find the exact spot they had sat and performed the elopement ceremony. The couple said that they could not believe my wife and I did so much to make their elopement happen. I told them I could not believe what an honor it was to be part of such a special and intimate moment in their lives.
2- Wedding ceremonies should be about the couple.
While officiants perform important legal services, we are more than a clerk or notary. I believe strongly that being allowed to officiate a wedding is an honor and officiants should work to make clear to couples we serve that we understand the honor. This means respecting the couple, their beliefs, their faith, and their time.
I do some things to make my ceremony scripts show the couple they are first and foremost in charge of all things. These include learning about the couple, focusing on them, and never ever waxing on about my feelings or expectations for them in the future. No script is used twice because no two couples are the same.
I make sure my ceremonies are short and sweet without being rushed. Typically they take around 10 – 15 minutes. No one is standing outside to hear me lecture. I talk to the couple about the love story they shared with me highlighting key moments they have shared. I also talk about the locations they have chosen for their ceremony because the location’s importance is demonstrated by their travel across the country to be at that exact spot. The couple typically share personal vows they have written before I offer vows of consent to marry. When I ask for willing consent I do not say “do you take…” because taking sounds more like buying property than a love match. I offer the question more like “Having heard all that [partner] has committed to you, do you freely give yourself to them in the bonds of marriage and freely accept them to be your spouse…”. I use these terms because love is not about taking, it’s about giving. The couple typically exchange rings and then I pronounce them married.
I began working only with Kyle and Tori as a fun side gig. Soon after setting up my company and building my website it became apparent that many more photographers had a need for an adventure officiant. My passion project grew to become my fulltime job.
How it grew
The majority of the work we do now is as Outland Adventures, and is much more than just officiating. In the last few years we have started offering more services to our clients. Most of my clients are from outside Utah and come to us from places like Florida or New York. Over the years I noticed that couples were having a lot of stress about navigating logistics. When a couple from Florida wants to have an elopement near Zion National Park they are faced with challenges no one should be expected to know how to deal with. Some of these challenges include figuring out where elopements can legally take place, who the land management authority is, if a permit is needed, how to apply for a permit if one is needed, where to order a bridal bouquet or elopement cake, how to get a bouquet or cake delivered to a location in the middle of a desert the couple has never been to. It broke my heart when I saw couples stressed out about to process, about having dead flowers and a melted cake, or just believing they could not have all of the things they wanted.
Now we offer much more help and services. We help couples find elopement locations and the land management authorities, apply for special use permits, and how to apply for a marriage license before they ever fly to Utah. We offer services such as flowers, elopement cakes, hair and makeup, and photography to mention a few.
My goal is simple: to minimize stress and maximize joy, allowing couples to fully immerse themselves in the beauty of their love and the landscapes that inspire them. Whether the couple wants to hike into a remote canyon, exchange vows beneath towering red rock cliffs, or stand on the edge of a vast desert overlook, we are here to make it all possible.
I don’t want to just officiate weddings—I craft experiences that honor my couples, their love story, and sense of adventure.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My progression has been pretty smooth. The challenges I face are just ways of figuring out how to make my clients experience less stressful. This means innovating new services and offerings.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Outland Adventures?
I want readers to know they can request a free consultation and learn all about our services at outlandadventures.net
I answered most of this in the first question. As a recap and to add a little more:
I am a fulltime professional wedding officiant and elopement coordinator. I own and operate Outland Adventures and DBA Outland Officiant. I specialize in adventure elopements in desert-landscapes in and around Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks.
Outland Adventures business model is based on facilitating adventure elopements for couples from all over the United States and abroad.
What sets me apart from other officiants is my willingness to travel anywhere.
What I focus on during a ceremony is my couple. I do not believe in lecturing couples or speaking just to hear myself talk.
I am proud of the knowledge I have gained over the years on how to navigate the pitfalls of adventure elopements. I know the ins and outs of applying for permits from many different land authorities.
I want people to know that it is okay to focus on themselves. It is their day. I want them to know that while planning a wedding in another state or country can be frustrating and scary, there is help.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
My favorite memories as a child were about camping with my dad. I loved to explore streams and mountains.
Pricing:
- Adventure elopements in and around Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks is $350
- Our Zion and Bryce Canyon Pampered Plus elopement package includes: wedding officiant, assistance with permit application, marriage license application, elopement cake, bridal bouquet, boutonniere, hire and makeup, and 4 hours of photography is just $3850, normally $4500
- Our Zion and Bryce Canyon Basic Elopement package includes: wedding officiant, assistance with permit application, marriage license application, elopement cake, bridal bouquet, boutonniere start at just $1250 making it affordable to any budget.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://outlandadventures.net
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/outlandofficiant/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OutlandOfficiant/
