All Day Mt. Baker and Artist Point Elopement
There’s no denying that Mount Baker is one of THE best mountains in all of Washington and the Pacific Northwest. She’s covered in glaciers, you can see her from hundreds of miles away, her distinctive shape is easy to pick out, and the North Cascades wouldn’t be the same without her.
Mount Baker is a stunning stratovolcano, renowned for its picturesque snow-capped peak and year-round outdoor recreation opportunities. Standing at 10,786 feet, it is one of the most glaciated peaks in the continental United States, attracting hikers, climbers, and skiers year-round. Known as Komo Kulshan by the Indigenous Lummi people, the mountain holds cultural significance and is revered for its natural beauty. With its active volcanic history and proximity to lush forests and alpine meadows, Mount Baker offers breathtaking vistas and a rich ecosystem, making it a favorite destination for nature enthusiasts.
Artist Point, located near Mount Baker, is a breathtaking destination celebrated for its panoramic views of Mount Baker and Mount Shuksan. Nestled at an elevation of 5,140 feet, this high-altitude spot offers stunning vistas of rugged peaks, vibrant wildflower meadows, and pristine alpine landscapes. Accessible seasonally due to heavy snowfall, it serves as a gateway to popular hiking trails like the Artist Ridge and Chain Lakes trails.
With all of that information, Mount Baker and Artist Point are simply some of the best places you can elope in not only Washington state, but in the entire United States!
Fun fact: I took a 5-day intro to mountaineering course with Northwest Alpine Guides in 2023 and while I didn’t summit, I made it up to about 10,000ft! Here’s a very off-center film photo from my highest point:
Before we dive into this incredible Mount Baker and Artist Point elopement, let’s learn a little about eloping there!
How to Elope at Mount Baker and Artist Point:
It’s no surprise that Mount Baker and Artist Point are popular locations to elope at not only because of the beautiful views, but also because of the wide range of accessibility! There are trails that go on for miles and miles that will get you epic views, but there are also dozens of spots that are not only a short walk from the parking lot, but are also fully paved. This means that folks with mobility limitations can access these areas without any barriers!
Another great factor about eloping at Artist Point is that because the area is on National Forest land, there are no strict permits required to get married on the land. This can change in the future, but as of 2025, no permit required for Artist Point or Mount Baker!
X steps to eloping at Artist Point:
Pick a general season to elope (for snow-free months, go for mid-July to early October)
Hire an elopement photographer who can help you every step of the way (hey, that could be me!)
Pick a specific hike or location such as Artist Ridge, Chain Lakes Loop, or Picture Lake to say your vows at and take photos
Plan a timeline that utilizes sunrise or sunset for the best lighting in your photos
Make sure to pack the ten essentials and be prepared to be out of service while exploring Artist Point
Get your Washington state marriage license
Pack your bags and hit the trails!
Things to note about eloping at Mount Baker and Artist Point:
The final 2.7 miles of State Route 542 typically are unplowed and closed to vehicles from mid-October to mid-June, as over 95 feet of snow can accumulate throughout the fall, winter, and spring!
Weekends in the summer and fall can get incredibly busy, and finding parking can be nearly impossible. Opt to get married on a weekday OR before sunrise/close to sunset on a weekend to minimize travel difficulties
Watch where you step! Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest has beautiful wildflowers that pop up just about everywhere in the summer, and these flowers can be extremely fragile when it comes to human impact. Make sure to review Leave No Trace ethics before hitting the trail
And now for the best part of this blog post:
All Day Artist Point Elopement
Wheeeeeeew, this elopement was notable for quite a few things: Watching the glowing sun go from being hidden behind a North Cascade peak to peeking out as a full sphere over the course of just a few minutes, the lack of any people around us (no seriously, we had 3 hours all to ourselves out there), and being able to see both Mount Baker and Mount Shuksan so vividly from this super secret spot that I love taking couples and their guests.
Plus I got to work with Chelsea from Radagst Creative who filmed their elopement video and we made SUCH an awesome pair - I love getting to be creative with other creatives!!!
One of the first things you’ll notice about these photos, especially the morning photos, is the vibrant oranges and yellows you see all around the couple. This wasn’t your average sunrise - there was a wildfire a handful of miles away that wasn’t impacting our locations, but sure was leaving a ton of smoke. While it can make for some incredible pictures that really highlight the dramatic mountains, it’s not fun to be out in! It’s easy to get dehydrated, have a sore throat or dry eyes, and get a headache before too long. Make sure you drink plenty of extra water, keep an eye on your symptoms, and get indoors to take breaks when you can!
We met in the Artist Point parking lot at 5:30am, about 50min before sunrise, so we could get to our spot before the sun actually rose. A+J wore hiking outfits to start the day to keep things simple, put on their headlamps, and we all hit the trail.
Once we reached our location, we planned out where we wanted the first look to take place, and A+J went off to their respective corners to change into their wedding outfits (let’s be real, they just walked away from each other and faced opposite directions, there’s not much cover out there 😂). They united once again to officially kick off their elopement and it was time for them to read their vows just as the sun was starting to rise.
Chelsea and I gave the couple some space, put on long lenses, and quietly got our photos and videos while A+J soaked in the moment with each other. Once they read their vows, looked around at the mountains and valleys in front of them, and felt like they had their moment to slow down and bask in it, we all got together and took some more portraits, they danced in the sunlight, and eventually we packed up to head towards the parking lot. We made a few stops along the way for photos with wildflowers and more pretty light, and eventually got back to the trailhead.
The best part? A+J’s family was waiting for us at a nearby spot to have an intimate ceremony while the sun was still low on the horizon, and it turned out beautifully! The lovely Naova Nupitals led the ceremony, everyone shared some tears and hugs, took group photos, and and eventually ended the morning half of this all-day elopement.
After grabbing lunch and taking a nap with my dog Fern (my favorite kind of elopement days), we had two stops left on the agenda: Canoeing and sunset photos!
First of all, taking your camera out onto open water isn’t for everyone - it’s a risk and can end really tragically! I’ve photographed couples from canoes before and it’s not too difficult if someone else is paddling for me (shoutout to A’s brother who was on top of it), and I’ve never dropped anything in the water. Yet!
The trick to securing all of your photos for this type of photoshoot is either to rent waterproof casing for a camera or two, or to be extra, super duper careful with your camera bodies! For example, I bring a large dry bag onto the canoe with me that’s sealed until we’ve stopped moving on the water. Then, I only take out one camera at a time to use, and keep the other sealed away in the dry bag. One other tip: Make sure if you’ve taken other photos on the elopement day to back up those photos FIRST or get brand new memory cards that can’t ruin any already-taken photos if you were to take a spill into the water!
We paddled around the lake, stopped along a shore for more photos, and had so much fun relaxing on the lake before heading off to Artist Point one last time.
We wanted to catch sunset at Artist Point and Mount Baker to end the day, but we got SO much more than that! As we approached the sun beginning to set, we got a total cloud inversion that we got to watch roll into the two valleys below us and eventually completely encompass us. There’s nothing quite like feeling a cloud on your face after witnessing it miles in the distance start to head in your direction.
Once the cloud had fully set in, the sun also disappeared and we wrapped up A+J’s elopement day. I’m telling you, it was so much fun to explore multiple parts of Artist Point, see the sun rise AND set, get them into a canoe for some awesome portraits, and every moment in between.
Shoutout to A+J for planning such a lovely day with me and for being so fun to take photos of and hang out with all day!!
The incredible Vendors:
Videographer: Chelsea from Radagast Creative
Dress: Blush Bridal
Officiant: Naova Nuptials
Florals: Free Range Flowers
Kind Words from the couple:
“Hiring Van to photograph our elopement was one of the best decisions we could have made. From the start of video chats and getting our personalized location guide to our elopement day, she was there every step of the way to answer our questions and make sure our day went as smoothly as possible. We are from Ohio and we were not super familiar with the area and she made us feel very comfortable and made sure we had nothing to worry about. On top of all of this, the photos she was able to capture of our day are absolutely incredible, we will be looking at these in shock for multiple decades to come that these are our real life wedding photos. We could not recommend Van enough.” - A+J
