Gold Creek Pond Wedding Photography | Accessible Adventure Elopement

Beautiful Gold Creek Pond Wedding Photography, featuring some information about how to plan an Accessible Adventure Elopement

Are you torn between an adventure elopement and a traditional wedding? Perhaps you love the idea of photos together exploring the best that nature has to offer, but you also want to include your nearest and dearest. No worries! It’s definitely possible to include both of these things by choosing to have an intimate wedding instead of a more ‘traditional’ elopement, like Emily & Jack. Emily & Jack initially planned to elope, just the two of them. After the pandemic delayed their wedding plans, though, they realized they wanted their closest loved ones to celebrate with them. In the end, they decided to combine Gold Creek Pond Wedding Photography with an Intimate Snoqualmie Wedding  

GOLD CREEK POND WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY | ACCESSIBLE ADVENTURE ELOPEMENT

Gold Creek Pond Elopement Photography

Gold Creek Pond is a really sweet little trail in Washington, found just above the Snoqualmie Pass. At only 1 mile long, roundtrip, it’s perfect if you love the idea of adventurous wedding portraits, but perhaps don’t have the time or ability for a longer hike. It’s got beautiful mountain views out over the Cascade Range, meadows filled with wildflowers (if you go at the right time of year), and of course, Gold Creek Pond itself. Basically, Gold Creek Pond has got everything you could want to feature in the backdrop of your elopement portraits! The Gold Creek loop trail is also officially an ADA-accessible paved loop hike, making it an ideal location if you want to include loved ones who are older or differently abled.

Accessible Adventure Elopement

Emily & Jack didn’t choose to have their Intimate Wedding at Gold Creek because of the trail’s accessibility rating, but I wanted to take the chance to talk about it all the same. Many of my clients choose to have a few close family & friends attend at least their wedding ceremony. It can feel hard knowing how to do this though if you have a loved one who can’t easily navigate hiking trails. Thankfully though, there is a growing list of resources to help make hiking more accessible, like this list put together by Outside Online. It’s a great starting point if you want to plan an Accessible Adventure Elopement.

Also, there are plenty of amazing spots that are easily accessible and would make beautiful backdrops for an Intimate Wedding Ceremony that aren’t necessarily classed as a trail! Personally, I spend a lot of time exploring National Parks looking for amazing photo spots for my clients, and I’d love to help you find the right spot to include everyone you’d like to have at your Intimate Wedding.

If you’re planning your elopement, and you’re looking to plan an Accessible Adventure Elopement, get in touch. I’d love to help you find the right spot for your elopement and photograph your epic day for you.

Did you love Emily & Jack’s Gold Creek Wedding Photography? Let them know in the comments below!

Hoh Rainforest and Lake Crescent Elopement in Olympic National Park Washington

A relaxed, elopement in Olympic National Park, featuring Lake Crescent and the Hoh Rainforest with the sweetest couple from Mississippi.

If you read these posts often, you might have noticed I speak a lot about making your day your own – how to add personal touches, stay true to yourself, and have an intimate wedding that really represents the two of you. I might even seem a bit like a broken record! But it’s because I really believe in how beautiful a wedding can be if you take a step back from all the noise and plan your intimate wedding or elopement as if you were really just trying to plan the best day of your life.

Audrey & Peyton’s Intimate Wedding in Olympic National Park is another beautiful example of how to do this. These guys were married in Olympic National Park and have been together since the eighth grade – how precious is that? Audrey really loves to travel and Peyton was happy to make that a key part of their day, which also included some beautiful Lake Crescent Elopement Photography.

INTIMATE WEDDING IN OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK | LAKE CRESCENT ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY

Intimate Wedding in Olympic National Park

For Audrey & Peyton’s Intimate Wedding in Olympic National Park, they decided to start their day with a sunrise session in the rainforest. We met there, first thing in the morning, and they shared their vows amongst massive trees and moss and ferns. If you’ve been in a rainforest before, you’ll understand the magic of these silent, green spaces, so it was a really special moment to share there. Audrey is an only child, so her parents came to their Intimate Olympic NP Wedding Ceremony, all the way from Mississippi, which was really sweet. From there, we headed off to take some wedding portraits and explore more of the trails around their ceremony spot.

It was just a really simple, slow, relaxed day which was exactly what they wanted! It was particularly special because it meant we didn’t need to worry about the day’s timeline when we spied some Elk across the river. We spotted them just after Audrey & Peyton had signed their papers to make it official, and were able to stay and watch them for a while.

If you’d like to know more about How to Elope in Olympic National Park, check out my blog post from Chloe & Tyler’s Intimate Wedding there!

Lake Crescent Elopement Photography

Chloe & Tyler were staying at Lake Crescent Lodge for their Intimate Wedding in Olympic National Park, and both really wanted to get some photos there, so that was our next stop! Lake Crescent is this really beautiful blue – there’s almost no nitrogen present in the lake, so algae can’t grow there. It’s so clear, that at some points you can even see 60 feet down! We took some beautiful Lake Crescent Elopement Photography around the lake and its surrounding trails, before Audrey & Petyon headed back to the lodge to spend the day chilling out with family and friends. It was the perfect ending to their sweet, relaxed intimate wedding day in Olympic National Park.

Are you planning your own Intimate Wedding in Olympic National Park? I’d love to help you plan something epic, and photograph your day for you! Just get in touch!

Did you love Audrey & Peyton’s Lake Crescent Elopement Photography? Let them know in the comments below!

Olympic National Park Hiking Elopement at Hurricane Ridge and the Elwha River

A beautiful Olympic National Park Hiking Elopement, featuring Hurrican Ridge and the Elwha River.

If you’re planning an elopement, I’m guessing you’re not the most conventional couple. Perhaps, a big wedding has just never appealed to you. Maybe, you stumbled upon elopement photography while researching how to plan your wedding and it struck a chord. Or you could be like Gabby & Ryan, who really aren’t a couple to let tradition stand in their way! This beautiful couple, who come from Pennsylvania, did everything in what might be considered reverse order. They had kids first, then bought a house, and last year, they decided to get married after 10 years together.

They travelled all the way up to Olympic National Park from Pennsylvania for the elopement, and they really prioritized relaxation and joy throughout their day. The most important thing to them was that they were together, and that they spent the day doing something they love. Safe to say, their Olympic National Park Hiking Elopement, with an Intimate Elwha River Wedding Ceremony was truly something special.

OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK HIKING ELOPEMENT | INTIMATE ELWHA RIVER WEDDING

Intimate Elwha River Wedding

Gabby & Ryan really wanted to make the most of their time at Olympic National Park, and they found the most gorgeous Airbnb to do that. The cabin was designed by an Olympic National Park ranger, who designed it to really reflect the park and what it’s like staying in the park itself. It was the perfect place to get ready, especially because their host was able to help them with some lesser-known hiking trail recommendations – including one that starts immediately behind the house and leads to the Elwha River.

The Elwha River is this incredible bright blue river that also has an incredible history, featuring an impressive restoration project that took two decades to plan. The restoration, including a dam removal, was completed in 2011 to return the river to its natural state. The Elwha River now runs freely and is the most beautiful example of pristine wilderness. The hike there was super special as well. We followed this silent, green, mossy path, and we didn’t see a single person on the whole trail. It made Gabby & Ryan’s Intimate Elwha River Wedding Ceremony even more beautiful. 

Olympic National Park Hiking Elopement

When planning their Olympic National Park Hiking Elopement, Gabby & Ryan were really aware of the fact that the weather can be a bit iffy. Olympic is part of America’s famously rainy Pacific Northwest, after all, and so we created two timelines for the day – a rainy day timeline, and a no-rain timeline. In the end though, they decided to do the ‘no rain’ itinerary even though it was most definitely raining! We headed up to Hurricane Ridge, with the aim of doing the Hurricane Hill hike, through 17 miles of non-stop cloud. Still, they remained optimistic, and we were rewarded with the most amazing view of the surrounding mountains and Pouget Sound.

Gabby & Ryan chose to do a mix of rainforest and mountain hikes for their Olympic Hiking elopement, but you could also choose to do Coastal Hikes or Lowland Forest Hikes. The best thing to do is speak to your elopement photographer and they should help you plan an itinerary that you’ll love!

Would you like to plan your own Olympic National Park Hiking Elopement? I’d love to help you plan your day and document it beautifully! Just get in touch to find out more.

Did you love Gabby & Ryan’s Intimate Elwha River Ceremony? Let them know in the comments below!

Intimate Wedding in Jackson Hole at the Wort Hotel

Meaghan & Trey’s beautiful Jackson Hole Elopement Photography, featuring their wedding reception at the Wort Hotel.

When you start planning your elopement, I’d really encourage you to forget traditional ideas about weddings for a second, and just picture your ideal day. What would you do? Where would you go? Who would you spend it with? 

Meaghan & Trey were sure about a few things. They wanted to go fly fishing. They wanted to be near the Teton Mountains. They wanted to celebrate with just their closest family & friends. They combined these things over two beautiful days, making for a beautiful day and some really special Jackson Hole Elopement Photography. 

JACKSON HOLE ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY | THE WORT HOTEL

Jackson Hole Elopement Photography

An adventurous elopement doesn’t have to involve a National Park. In fact, there are plenty of locations nearby national parks or in other wilderness areas that can make for an epic backdrop for your adventurous wedding, like Jackson Hole. Jackson Hole is an incredible town in Wyoming surrounded by national parks, including Yellowstone and Grand Teton. This mountain town is designed for adventurous souls, and you don’t have to enter the bounds of the parks to capture epic views. This can be especially important if you’re unable to get a National Park special use permit for your chosen day, or if you want to include your pet in your elopement (they often aren’t allowed inside National Parks!). 

Including Loved Ones in Your Elopement

Just because you’re choosing to elope, doesn’t mean you can’t include your loved ones, whether that’s your family, your chosen family, or your closest friends. Meaghan & Trey’s two-day elopement is a beautiful example of how you can include loved ones in your elopement day. For their first day, they decided to do something for themselves and go fly fishing, but they invited Trey’s brother along for the fun. 

On their ‘actual’ wedding day, they were able to get ready with their families by choosing a beautiful hotel for their reception, the Wort. Meaghan shared a beautiful, emotional first look with her father and then they were all able to head off to their ceremony together. They took some time to enjoy the scenery and, after taking some time for their portraits, headed back to the Wort Hotel for their wedding reception. 

Weddings at the Wort Hotel

It’s not often I get to photograph wedding receptions in hotels, but the Wort Hotel is exactly what I’d picture if I imagined a hotel setting for Jackson Hole Elopement Photography. It’s got really lovely mountain vibes, with dark paneled timber all around and deer mounts on the walls. It also provided the perfect space for Meaghan & Trey to get ready with their families & friends, as well as to celebrate their reception. Where a lot of Airbnbs have restrictions on parties, choosing to have their wedding party at a hotel meant everyone could really get into the party mood and have a lot of fun! 

If you’re looking for someone to capture your Jackson Hole Elopement Photography, and to help you plan something unique, I’d love to hear from you. Just get in touch to find out more! 

Did you love Meaghan & Trey’s Wedding at the Wort Hotel? Let them know in the comments below!