K&J’s family friendly Maine elopement is one of my favorite examples of how to include your kids in your elopement. When they first reached out to me, they knew they wanted two things:
They wanted to invite their best friends and spend time with them
They wanted their 9 year old son had to feel wholly included in the day
I knew basing their elopement in Acadia National Park would be the perfect location. Acadia has so many walk up locations which are perfect for intimate wedding ceremonies, and the park has so many accessible beaches and trails to explore. No matter what age or hiking ability, Acadia’s got range.
There are also so many cute cabins and vacation rentals nearby you can comfortably host a few guests and have a relaxing getaway together. That’s exactly what they did!
ALSO CHECK OUT: Ultimate guide to eloping in Acadia
K&J’s Intimate Otter Point wedding ceremony in Acadia National Park
K&J rented a cabin right next to the water with great views. It was October, so the leaves were changing color and the weather was mild, dry and sunny. In my opinion, fall elopements in Acadia are some of the most beautiful because of the colors. It’s actually on my list of best locations for October elopements.
K had also brought some super cute pumpkins she painted with their names and the date of their elopement. As I photographed the details of their outfits, their son helped J get ready. In another room, K got ready with her friend.
Some other thoughtful details they had were their colorful matching Converse shoes. They are a big Converse family, and getting to pick out their favorite color shoes was an activity they did before the elopement day.
For their ceremony, we all drove to Otter Point, a beautiful cliffside location right next to the water in Acadia. It’s actually one of my favorite easy access spots for groups!
Kayla was the last to come down to the ceremony spot, so that her partner and son could see her approach. Their son was so thrilled to be there, and his reaction to seeing her was one of the most precious parts of the day. He had a very proud look on his face the whole ceremony – and it was clear he loved being able to be there.
Their friend officiated and they both read their vows, surrounded by their favorite people. There was so much love between them all. We went straight into family and group photos before our next activity. Tabitha from Luxury Picnics Acadia had a setup waiting for us nearby.
Picnics are one of my favorite elopement day activities, especially when kids are involved. It’s a very low effort way to keep everyone happy!
ALSO READ: How to plan a glamping elopement in Acadia
No family friendly Maine elopement is complete without some kid-size adventures
Now that everyone had some snacks, we explored a few of my other favorite areas of the park. We went down to Little Hunter’s Beach for a peaceful stroll along the water. Connor had some freedom to run around, explore some waterfalls and toss rocks in the water. A bit of freedom and unstructured time is really important for elopements with kids. They need some time to play, and this was a great location for everyone to unwind a little.
The last place we went to was Cadillac Mountain, the highest spot in Acadia. On that day, we hesitated to drive up there. It was getting really foggy, and usually if it’s foggy below, it’s even worse up at the summit. We took the chance, and it 1,000% paid off.
When we drove up, the clouds thinned and we popped above the mist. The sun was shining and we were looking at a very rare cloud inversion.
ALSO CHECK OUT: Easy to get to locations in acadia for photos
We were all excited about the phenomenon, especially their son who had never seen anything like it before. While I took portraits, he played videographer on my iPhone. Another fun way to include your kids is to hand them a camera and see what their perspective on the day is! He did a great job and we spent the rest of the time watching the sun go down.
Back at the Airbnb, everyone was waiting for us including pizza. A spread of different pizzas was spread out on the counter, along with cookies and a special home brewed beer crafted by their best friend especially for them.
A truly family friendly Maine elopement wrapped up by comfort food and comfort friends!
Are you considering your own family friendly Maine elopement?
Reach out! I’m Nicole, and Acadia National Park is a place I know inside and out. Contact me to find out more about packages, or read more of my Acadia blogs below to get ideas!
