Mount Rainier Sunrise Hiking Elopement
When a couple comes to me and they already have done a ton of research on their location, I already know their elopement is gonna be a good time. A direct quote from M: “After an extensive review of the moderate/hard hikes in the park, I created a matrix that factored in beauty, elevation, distance, water features, crowds and bugs. This one scored the highest.” How can one couple be so cool?
Enter M+C! These two long-time hikers and backpackers knew that Mount Rainier National Park was the spot for them. They wanted to hike into a part of the park they had never been, say their vows privately at sunrise, and spend the rest of the day with their kids. Amazing, right?!
This trail seriously blew me away. Not only was it one I hadn’t heard of more than once or twice, we didn’t see a single other person until we were on our hike back after we were done with the ceremony and taking their photos.
We started super early in the morning, I’m talking meeting at the trailhead at 2:30am to get a start on our hike long before the sun was set to come up. That means I set about twelve alarms the night before and tried to get to sleep by 6:00pm (even though my excitement for this elopement definitely kept me up way too late). When the sunrise is at 5:30am and the first light of the day is even earlier, you gotta start EARLY to beat the morning.
The three of us strapped on our headlamps in the dark, tied our hiking boots, checked our packs one last time, and started our Mount Rainier adventure. We took breaks for snacks and fuel together, bonded over how early we got up, and spent time getting to know each other even more. I feel like friends to most of my couples before we ever meet in person, and M+C were no different!!
Once we got a ways into the trail, we heard the rushing water of Comet Falls but could just barely see it in the darkness. The sun still hadn’t made its appearance! We knew that we’d be making a stop at that spot on our way back to the car and I couldn’t wait to see what was making such a HUGE sound. Once we hit the sign “END OF MAINTAINED TRAIL”, we knew everything was about to get extra spectacular. While unmaintained trails aren’t managed nearly as much as maintained trails, the park still expects you to follow Leave No Trace principles on your adventures, and M+C were already familiar with how to respect the park. My favorite kind of people.
We finally reached our destination, unloaded our packs, and M+C both got started getting ready. They wore hiking clothes on the way up to keep their wedding outfits pristine (wanna know how to hike in a wedding dress? I’ve got a blog just for you) so it was time to swap outfits and get ready for the ceremony. They took off in different directions to find a quiet part in the trees to prepare. I helped M out by holding a mirror so she could make final adjustments to her hair and makeup, and I saw C off in the distance peeping his vows one last time and staring off into the distance.
After a SUPER cute, super joy-filled first look, these two went right into their vows. The sun hadn’t yet peeked up over the ridges next to Mount Rainier, but Mother Nature knew exactly when we needed the sun. Mid-sentence, the sun popped out and both M and C stopped their vows to just take in the beauty of the light. Rainier was illuminated, the valley below us was still dark and the warmth was falling perfectly on their faces. Couldn’t have planned a better ceremony if I tried.
Once we wrapped up the ceremony, M+C enjoyed some champagne together (they gifted me a mug to join them in celebrating 😭), took some time to stare at Rainier, and we packed up and headed back down the mountain. Along the way we met a sweet couple who agreed to sign the marriage license as their witnesses, and we made their marriage official!
Before wrapping up for the day, we met up with M+C’s kids to take a few photos, especially one important one by the Mount Rainier National Park entrance sign. Even though cars were lined up for over a mile, a few cars generously stopped and made space for us to take a couple of group photos.
I always ask my couples what specifically made them decide to elope versus having a traditional, big wedding, and this was their response: “There are so many reasons, including stressful family member, cost, and a pandemic. Our love of the outdoors and simplicity outweighed the importance of a traditional wedding. We just didn't feel like being sucked into the commerciality surrounding the entire thing. We wanted it to be something enjoyable, rather than something that created crippling anxiety.” Sounds like an easy decision, right?
This elopement was such a collaborative effort by everyone, and I’m so thrilled I got to meet these two. Getting to experience a new corner of Mount Rainier was incredible, and having the privilege of documenting every moment of their day is something I’ll never forget.
Vendors
Photographer: Van Gachnang Photography
Venue: Mount Rainier National Park
Dress top: Anna Campbell
Skirt: M’s mom!!
Rings: The Sapphire Theory
Want help planning your Mount Rainier Elopement? No biggie. Contact me!
OR read through my Complete Guide to Eloping at Mount Rainier National Park
