Written by our rad team member, Jessica Dastous
Two-Day Hiking Wedding in Washington State
Having a two-day hiking wedding gives my couples the most diverse gallery of photos and the best opportunity for great weather (keep scrolling to see what I mean)! Cady and Tyler truly had the most magical hiking elopement in the North Cascades surrounded by friends and family! Right before Cady and Tyler’s ceremony, the classic Pacific Northwest fog rolled into the North Cascade, and left us literally standing in a cloud at the trailhead. But luckily, the area we were in is one I know like the back of my hand. I pulled the soon-to-be married couple aside and suggested a different location at lower elevation. Cady and Tyler decided to put all trust in their adventure elopement photographer to find the perfect location with mountain views that wasn’t completely fogged out! Well it paid off and we had the most incredible two-day hiking elopement that included THE MOST AMAZING sunset, literally like nothing I’ve ever seen before! Keep scrolling to see what I mean and for a few tips and tricks on how to plan your own adventure elopement in the North Cascades!
Meet Cady and Tyler: The couple of this hiking wedding
Meet Cady and Tyler who are both from West Virginia and are traveling nurses (how cool is that?)! After deciding to elope in the North Cascades, Cady and Tyler chose to have a rotation in Washington to explore the North Cascades prior to their elopement. They really wanted their North Cascades elopement to be filled with family, dramatic landscapes and truly ALL THE MAGIC the mountains have to offer! Right off the bat when we were planning, Cady and Tyler chose to do a two-day hiking wedding. The reason they chose to spread their hiking elopement out over the course of two days was because their entire family was traveling from West Virginia. They didn’t want to have everyone travel out to Washington state and just spend a few hours with them during their special day. What they really wanted was to be surrounded by their friends and family, taking in all the special moments of their best day ever and then head out on an adventure the next day, just the two of them (and a few friends and family who wanted to come along, too!).
On the first day of Cady and Tyler’s hiking elopement, we started out at their gorgeous cabin! We took photos of the two of them getting ready, Cady’s first look with her dad and Cady and Tyler’s first look. We then headed into the forest (one of my favorite places of course!) and spent time looking at all the ferns and pine trees. We even found a glacier fed river, that was truly magical!! The forest in the Pacific Northwest is such a stunning place, it is unlike anything else in the Pacific Northwest. I always try to incorporate the forest into every elopement I photograph so that my couples find themselves between the pines (I had to say it) and on mountaintops for their elopement!
After our forest adventures, we met back up with Cady and Tyler’s family to say their I do’s! When we arrived at the trailhead for the original hike we had planned, it was completely fogged out and you couldn’t see any of the gorgeous mountain views Cady and Tyler wanted for their Washington state elopement. I pulled Cady and Tyler aside to let them know of two other locations that are at a lower elevation and are within a five minute drive, that will likely have clear views! Cady and Tyler decided to call an audible 10 minutes before their ceremony and go with a different location in the hopes of getting mountain views. It totally paid off! We had an INCREDIBLE intimate North Cascades elopement, overlooking the mountains and an alpine lake below. Friends and family celebrated Cady and Tyler’s marriage by popping a bottle of champagne, giving speeches of love for the couple and toasting together! We then headed back to their cabin where they had a gorgeous reception and spent time with friends and family. Many toasts were had, laughs were shared, and amazing drinks were drunk.
The next day, I met up with Cady and Tyler for their second day of their hiking wedding. We adventured up into the North Cascades even deeper. I was SO STOKED to take them on one of my all-time favorite hikes in all of Washington (and you know I was totally geeking out per usual on all of the fun facts I could share)! We set out on our hike and spent the evening adventuring, taking in all the magical mountains, and sharing a few snacks of course, too. Cady and Tyler got to soak in the incredible views of the North Cascades. They put their wedding clothes on one last time to take sunset photos and honestly, this sunset was one of the best sunsets I’ve ever seen in Washington (keep scrolling to see what I mean)!
There are two big pros to choosing a two-day hiking elopement. First, you get to spend a full day with your friends and family! You don’t have to leave at any point to take photos (unless you want to!!). You also aren’t dictated by timelines and don’t have to worry about when exactly the sun will set for sunset photos. Your Washington state elopement can be centered around spending time with your family and enjoying your reception! The second pro to having a two-day hiking wedding is you can have two different weather patterns in your photos! Cady and Tyler totally lucked out for their North Cascades elopement because they got the best of the Pacific Northwest! Their first day was rainy and moody, while their second day was super sunny. Spreading out your hiking elopement over two days allows your gallery of photos to be more diverse and have a wider selection of locations to visit! I highly recommend choosing a two-day adventure elopement when planning your best day ever!
The best place for a hiking elopement: Washington State
If you are dreaming of having a hiking wedding, the Pacific Northwest is the ideal destination for you! I know I say this all the time, but Washington state is truly one of THE MOST magical places in the entire United States and I really mean that! There’s mountains, forests, waterfalls, alpine lakes, beaches, rainforests and SO MUCH MORE (you really can’t choose a place with better options)! Narrowing down a location can often be overwhelming because the landscapes are so diverse, but don’t worry I’ve got you covered! I work with my couples to narrow down the options for their Washington state elopement based on their preference like accessibility, backdrop, length of hike, including friends and family and SO MUCH MORE! If you are thinking of having a hiking wedding in the same area where Cady and Tyler had their special day, check out this blog post for more about the North Cascades. If you are wondering how to even elope in Washington state, don’t worry, I got you! Click here on how to elope in Washington state! And last, but certainly not least, of course I couldn’t not share the best places to elope in Washington state, click here to learn more about all of these incredible locations!
Oh and one more thing! If you are needing more inspo on the different seasons we have here in Washington and what that can look like during your hiking wedding, check out these blog posts:
Hiking wedding packages: everything you need to know
Oh hey…I know of a pretty cool Washington state elopement photographer who would love to document your hiking elopement…just saying (lol). But, truly, hiring the right adventure elopement photographer is a really important step in your hiking wedding planning process! Of course, you’ll want photos of your day to treasure for years to come. But, you also want to book a photographer with experience in Washington state elopements and hiking weddings. From day-of timelines, Pacific Northwest weather patterns and uniquely scouted locations (and backup locations), it’s so important to work with a photographer who is well-versed in adventure elopement photography. I work really hard to care for my clients to make the planning process simple and their Washington state elopement day unforgettable.
Click here to explore the elopement packages I offer. I recommend the full day or two-day elopement packages the most often to my couples.
Meet your hiking wedding photographer
I feel most at home outdoors, so it is no surprise that is where I gravitate towards as a North Cascades elopement photographer. In college, I was known as the “granola girl” because my outfits were always fit to go to class or hiking (not that I ever skipped class to go to the mountains, lol). From my days of exploring the hills of the Ozark Mountains, I am now hiking mountain trails across the Pacific Northwest, exploring the bases of waterfalls in Kauai and experiencing as many mountain top sunset views in Washington as possible. I am passionate about this job of mine and adventuring to the most beautiful locations to document North Cascades elopements. I’m a Washington-based adventure wedding photographer who knows the North Cascades and other mountain elopement locations well. Basically, I’m dying for a reason to head back to the North Cascades, and I’d love for your adventure to be the reason! Click here to learn more about me, your North Cascades elopement photographer! I can’t wait to share this whole new world with you.
Ready to explore more elopements, weddings and adventures? Wander away below!
Between the Pine is an adventure elopement and wedding photography brand created by Mollie Adams. Based in the Pacific Northwest, Mollie travels with her camera in hand to document “I dos” in epic landscapes including Washington, Oregon, California, and Hawaii.
There are so many incredible destinations to choose from when eloping, with some of the best places to elope in the US just at your fingertips, which is why I compiled this list of my all time favorite locations in the United States. Keep reading to find your dream location!