Erin & Ryan live in Seattle and knew they wanted to elope in Mt. Baker, one of their favorite places to hike and adventure together. They had tons of memories in the North Cascades backpacking, kayaking, and hiking on their weekends. They opted for a slow morning at their cabin before heading out on a longer hike in the Mt. Baker area. It was a beautiful and moody day in the rainforest surrounding their cabin. The two of them got ready separately before having their first look together in front of the cabin. It was such a sweet moment where they were able to hold each other and get out those initial nerves.
Since they knew they’d be hiking most of the day, they decided to jump straight into cake and celebrate. There’s absolutely no wrong time to eat cake on your elopement day. And I loved that they did this together! It definitely was a lot easier than packing it for the hike, or doing it afterwards in the dark. They got dressed in their hiking outfits, and we slowed down to enjoy the beautiful, moody morning before starting our hike from the trailhead.
I’m always blown away by how impressive Mt. Baker is even on a moody day. Mountains appearing out of nowhere in the clouds, the quietness of the trails, and the adventurous feel of the landscape. As locals, they embraced the moody weather and were making jokes with each other while hiking down the trail. I loved how this felt authentic to their weekends adventuring in the Cascades together. It was like just another weekend adventure with a flourish of celebration and extra meaningful details.
Miles into the backcountry, they chose a beautiful alpine lake for their vows. Nobody else around. The lake was still and quiet. They took a moment to hold each other after getting dressed again in their wedding attire, tucked away in the trees. Ryan let out a deep breathe before starting his vows first. Their ceremony was filled with pauses, with tears, and with laughter. It was a very meaningful moment and their vows really showed the depth of their relationship together. It had me tearing up too.
After their vows, we made our way to another area for them to make tea together and have their first dance. I think it’s brilliant when couples bring their backpacking stoves and make cozy, warm drinks in the backcountry. It’s such an easy way to make the day feel special and have your favorite tea or coffee together. Especially on a cooler, moody day.
The clouds were getting lower and lower, and we still had to climb up over a ridge before getting back to the trailhead. So we made our way down the trail, enjoying the dancing clouds around us in the trees, and they shared more about their love for hiking and adventuring around the Pacific Northwest. We were able to take a few moody headlamp photos before descending back to the trailhead. It was such a quiet and peaceful day out on the trail. And it felt like such a fitting adventure to start their marriage. Thanks to Erin and Ryan for letting me document their beautiful elopement adventure!
Elopement Tips:
- Incorporate activites you do together on your weekends or vacations to make it feel authentic to your relationship.
- Bring a Jetboil or backpacking stove to make hot coffee or tea, even when we’re miles from the trailhead.
- Embrace the moody weather (if it happens on your day). The trails will likely be quieter and it can be quite romantic.
