A Spiritual Meeting in the Sand and a Wedding There, Too

Emily Arnold and Youssef Ait-Khouya met while riding camels in Morocco.

On the morning of April 24, Emily Arnold and Youssef Ait-Khouya walked over the dunes at Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park outside Kanab, Utah, chose a spot to get married and began accessorizing it. They laid down Moroccan rugs and pillows, set up a portable table and decorated it with vases of flowers, a tea set and Moroccan lanterns. The surrounding dunes were continually changing shape because of the near-constant wind. A sign inside the park reads: “When you left your car in the parking lot, you left stability behind.” Before the wedding began, the wind really picked up. “Where’d the rug go?” asked the bride, who was wearing a taupe tulle gown, a sparkly capelet and glittery sneakers. The small rug the couple intended to stand on while saying their vows was now buried in the fine, yam-colored sand. Ms. Arnold, 34, grew up in a Mormon family in South Jordan, Utah, and was known for being studious and devoutly religious, but also venturesome and independent. “Super duper” is one of her favorite phrases and one of her favorite books is “I Married Adventure” by Osa Johnson. “I loved the idea of wanting to marry adventure, not just marry the boy next door or somebody from school,” she said.