Jennifer & Giancarlo flew out from Florida to elope in Mt. Rainier. While they had traveled all over the world together, they wanted to go somewhere iconic in the US where the landscape felt completely different than anywhere they had been. Jennifer was super excited to see the meadows covered in wildflowers that we get here in Washington during peak summer season. To get the most out of their adventurous elopement in Mt. Rainier National Park, they opted to explore at both sunrise and sunset from different areas within the park. While it was a little extra driving, it also meant getting to see Mt. Rainier from two entirely different vantage points.
We met before sunrise at the trailhead and hiked down the trail to a place that is often covered in wildflowers during the summer. It’s one of my favorite spots to share with couples because of the iconic view of Mt. Rainier on a clear day, the wildflowers, and of course the stunning alpenglow that you can get at sunrise. Even just from the trailhead, these two were blown away by the massive size of Mt. Rainier: talking about how they kept seeing it even in the dark on their drive up together.
After getting dressed, we hiked out to the spot for their vows, and they soaked in the views together holding hands. They were both in awe of the landscape they had been dreaming about. They were giggling and so full of energy for their day. While some couples get nervous for their vows, Jennifer & Giancarlo were just so excited. It just meant the start of their celebration and they felt like they had already been married for years. So this truly was just the celebration of their relationship and making it official.
After their very sweet vows filled with lots of laughter and kisses, we made our way down the trail so they could enjoy coffee together. We found a spot on trail where they could enjoy looking out at all of the wildflowers in the morning light and they shared about some of their favorite memories together as a couple. Then Jennifer surprised Giancarlo with a sweet gift of letters and sweet notes. It was a complete surprise and he loved how much detail she put into it too.
We made our way back to their cabin for charcuterie and to sign the marriage license. It was a cute cabin tucked away in the forests, with a beautiful deck to enjoy the view. Jennifer put the charcuterie board together herself, and it looked absolutely amazing. After taking a moment to enjoy their early celebratory breakfast, they grabbed their marriage license and made it official! It was such a special moment for them because they really felt like they had been married for years. So to finally make it official and have such a great sunrise adventure, these two were giving each other such sweet looks all morning.
Then it was time to rest up after a beautiful sunrise to meet again in another area of the park for sunset. I was really excited to photograph in this area of the park because it had been a few years since I had taken an elopement couple over here. It’s wild to think just how enormous Mt. Rainier is and all of the different ways you can see it for an elopement day.
Jennifer had worn another elopement dress for sunset, and I absolutely loved the bright yellow against the reflections of Mt. Rainier in the lake behind us. It was such a summery feel and a great way to end the evening too. They shared more stories about their travels and life back home while taking in the final moments of sunset. I was so grateful to be a part of their day and can’t wait to share more!
