Jenny & Ben live in Washington and wanted to plan an epic adventure to celebrate their love for backpacking. Ben introduced Jenny to all of his outdoorsy hobbies, so their relationship had started on hiking dates together with lots of “type two” fun adventures. So this felt like a natural extension of their relationship to elope in Mt. Baker!
They started their day off with a first look before sunrise out along the incredible panoramic views of Artist Point. The morning was filled with nerves and excitement, and the first look was a great way for them to get settled into their day together. We then moved along to another beautiful view for their sunrise vows. It was a stunning and quiet summer morning. They took a moment to stare out across the valley below as the light of the day started to make everything visible that morning. Then they exchanged their vows, reaching out to hold each other’s hand, and taking their time to share their love for each other. There vows were really heartfelt and I’m so glad they didn’t rush any of the emotions of the moment.
We continued taking photos after their vows, hiking along the trail. The clouds were hanging low for their sunrise, so they got beautiful morning light over the mountains in front of us before it became a nice overcast morning again. They shared coffee on the trail, shared about some of their upcoming married adventures they were planning, and hiked back to the trailhead for a morning ceremony with their family.
They were able to bring their dog, Scout (the German Shepherd in the photos), for their family ceremony too. The sun came back out again as we all gathered together in the parking lot. Both families were meeting for the first time during this trip, so there was a lot of excitement in the air. After gathering everyone together, we did the short hike out to their ceremony spot with incredible mountain views in every direction. They had a close family member lead the ceremony, and it was such a heartfelt moment for everyone.
After their vows, they took a moment to chat and celebrate with everyone that came out. There were lots of hugs and tears with everyone. While their guests started heading back to their cabins to have a mini-reception, Jenny and Ben snuck away on another part of the trail to have their first dance together. I absolutely love much much time they were able to take to elope just the two of them while still incorporating family and getting to share the views that inspire their adventurous life together. I cannot thank Jenny and Ben enough for including me in their day.
