Artist Point Sunrise Elopement + Wedding Day Mountain Biking
I don’t think I’ll ever, ever, EVER get tired of spending time up at Artist Point and the surrounding areas. Every single time I find a new view, a new weather pattern, or a new little spot to show my couple that winds up blowing my mind. And J+M’s elopement was no exception to that!
I asked J+M why they decided to elope very early on, and this is what they said: “We want to get married out in nature where we are happiest. It’s just our dream wedding. We were both married once before and went the more traditional route then. This time it’s our turn to do what we really want. Our families are pretty laid back and are supportive of this decision and very happy for us, so we don’t feel we’re letting anyone down either.” Pretty easy decision, right?
Funny story - this couple was set on Olympic National Park as their location when they first inquired, and after talking for a while, they came across Artist Point and fell head-over-heels in love with it. Can you blame them?!
With this elopement being in early July, the Artist Point area can be tricky! The road is closed to vehicles for the last 2 miles up until late June or early July because the snow is still anywhere from 2-10 feet deep, so we kept a close eye on conditions in the days leading up to the elopement (always check your road conditions before heading up there!). With a plan B ready in my back pocket, the road opened just a few days before J+M’s elopement and we made concrete plans to drive all the way to the top and play in some snow!!
The morning of the elopement, we met up at Chair 9 to form a caravan with J+M, along with their officiant Cherise Klosner at Another One Ties the Knot, so we wouldn’t have a hard time finding each other in the dark! The sun had juuuuust started to come up when we parked at Artist Point, so with blue hour still in full swing, we strapped on headlamps, microspikes, and a few extra layers to walk out to the most perfect ceremony spot.
We found a little patch with very little snow and decided this was it! Everyone got ready for the ceremony as the light started to peek out from behind the mountains, and Cherise began the ceremony, ready with rechargable handwarmers and all. After sweet vows, the pronouncement, and sealing the ceremony with a kiss, it was official! J+M WERE MARRIED! The marriage license was signed, we parted ways with Cherise, and ventured around the area to take more photos in the snow with the pretty morning light.
I wanted to take the couple out to an iconic spot at the end of a short hike that showed off Mount Shuksan super well, and boyyyyyyyy did that iconic spot really show off it’s iconic-ness. A vibrant blue tarn was in place of the pond that normally exists in the summer, plus just enough snow had melted that there were plenty of places to stand and walk without being deep in snow. J+M were real MVPs - they embraced the snow, wanted to touch the ice cold tarn, and even had a snowball fight. What better winter-but-also-spring conditions could you ask for?
Once we adventured around the area for a while, we wrapped up the Artist Point section of our day and quickly transitioned into the next (and the most adventurous): MOUNTAIN BIKING. Yep. If anyone in history has ever said you can’t mountain bike in a wedding dress or in a suit, they just hadn’t met J+M yet. They shipped their mountain bikes across the country just so they could ride them on their wedding day! Coolest couple ever, in my opinion.
We headed to Samish Overlook to get on the mountain bikes and get some true action shots of the two. This is a sport that they’ve bonded over together since they first met, and couldn’t leave it out of their elopement day. Sometimes you gotta just hike your wedding dress up, throw on a helmet and gloves, and get on a bike!!
Watching J+M race through the trees on some mountain bike trails was so thrilling - I hadn’t photographed bikers like this before and we all had such a great time racing back and forth to get THE shot. J even made some cute cans to drag behind the bikes to commemorate their marriage and date. Adorable, right?!
This is me telling you once again, you can do ANYTHING you want on your elopement day. Even if it’s something that’s never, ever been done before on a wedding day. I’m sure very few people in history have mountain biked in wedding outfits before, but why the hell not! That’s the truly glory of eloping over having a big wedding - the day is yours and you can make it into the most adventurous day of your lives.
If you’re not sure how to make your day super special, I’ve got some ideas for you!: 9 Fun Ideas to Make Your Elopement Truly Unforgettable
Vendors
Photographer: Van Gachnang Photography
Venues: Artist Point and Samish Overlook
Officiant: Cherise at Another One Ties the Knot
Looking to plan a truly adventurous elopement yourself? Here are some blog posts to get you moving in the right direction:
What Month Should I Elope in Washington State?
How to Plan a Hiking Elopement
Creating the Perfect Elopement Ceremony Script without an Officiant
Want help creating the most YOU elopement day ever? I’m about to be your bff. Contact me and we’ll get started!!
