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!

What to Do If You Have to Cancel Your Elopement

Wondering What to Do If You Have to Cancel Your Elopement? It’s a situation we hope never happens, but it helps to be prepared.

If we’ve learnt anything from the last two years, it’s that even the best laid plans can go wrong. 2020 brought with it a whole lot of uncertainty and for couples planning their weddings, it was really hard to know what to do next (and the same for wedding vendors!).

Eli & Marie were the first of my couples who had to cancel their elopement plans when the pandemic hit in March 2020. With so much uncertainty, and because they had elderly grandparents who couldn’t travel easily, they decided to cancel their Joshua Tree elopement plans and get married locally instead. They still wanted to have some adventure portraits though, so we met up for Shenandoah Couples Portraits a year later.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE TO CANCEL YOUR ELOPEMENT

Cancel or Postpone Your Elopement

While the pandemic seems to be slowing down and life is starting to get back to normal, things can still happen that disrupt your plans. Of course, we hope it never happens, but in case you can’t follow through with your original elopement plans, don’t assume you have to cancel it! Before you do that, ask yourself if you can postpone instead?

The first step is to understand your plans and contact your wedding vendors. They’ll most likely be able to help you with this decision. If you can postpone instead of canceling, it shouldn’t be too complicated. Just:

1. Choose a handful of alternative dates that could work for you

2. Contact all your wedding vendors, and check which of those dates they’re available for

3. Hopefully, there’ll be a date when everyone is free, and you can just postpone your elopement plans for that date!

Of course, it’s good to be aware of the terms of your contracts with each vendor as well. Different vendors will have different policies around cancellations and postponements.

To-Do List in Case You Have to Cancel Your Elopement

In case you really can’t postpone, and you have to cancel your elopement, then first thing’s first – I’m really sorry. Whether it’s due to covid or other unforeseen circumstances, canceling plans you’ve been dreaming of isn’t any fun. That said, it doesn’t have to be the end of the world!

Notify Your Elopement Vendors

Just like a postponement, you should be reaching out to your vendors to let them know. The more notice you can give them, the better. Some cancellation policies change closer to the date of the booking. Plus, they likely have more inquiries coming in and they’ll have a better chance of rebooking that date if they have more time!

Understand Your Contracts

Before you reach out to your vendors though, have a quick look over the contracts you have signed with them. Just like each vendor should have specific clauses around postponements, they’ll likely have cancellation policies as well. Most vendors won’t be able to refund your deposit, but it’s worth seeing if you can exchange it for another service. This is what Eli & Marie chose to do when they had to cancel their elopement due to the pandemic!

Have to Cancel Your Elopement Photography? Get Portraits Instead!

Depending on the circumstances of your cancellation, we might be able to use your retainer towards an adventure portrait session instead. While Eli & Marie had initially planned to elope at Joshua Tree, they were instead able to meet me at Shenandoah National Park for portrait photos a year later.

Of course, it was different to what they had planned, but they were just such a sweet couple. It was so lovely to have that chance to reflect on the year that had passed and how they’d come through it together. And of course, it was a lovely excuse to get out and explore Shenandoah National Park together!

Do you have questions about planning and preparing for your elopement (including more about What to Do If You Have to Cancel Your Elopement? Let me know! I’d love to help you plan something epic.

 Do you love how Eli & Marie made the most of a bad situation with their Shenandoah Couples Portraits? 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!