A Multi-Day Adventure Elopement

When Lexi first reached out to me, she had this to say about what they hoped their dream day would look like, “My fiancé and I are looking for a day about us. We both have fallen in love with hiking and thought what better way to start our marriage! We are looking for a fun and relaxed day :).” I knew right away we could make this happen. A fun, hour-long video call later, complete with their fur babies in the background and we had a plan set.

They traveled all the way to Michigan to elope in the North Cascades for an entire day of hiking, exploring and bliss. We met up at their cabin they were sharing with Lexi’s family. We took off into the mountains for some pre-ceremony photos by alpine lakes, on top of cliff sides surrounded by mountains and a gorgeous forest hike that ended with a giant log bridge out a mountain river. Justin and Lexi were an absolute blast and up for all the exploring. Lexi even had custom Chacos made in honor of the day. They also had a lot of sweet details to their day, including Justin’s ring which was crafted from the wood of a Douglas Fir tree to his custom tie clip Lexi got him with a mountain engraving.

It was a bit windy, but it only added to some of my favorite kind of shots: wind swept wedding clothes photos. If you’re ever in the mountains with me and there’s a breeze, be prepared to toss your wedding attire around to catch the wind. I love those epic movement shots and it only adds to the epic landscapes we’re in. After some adventuring, it was time to meet back up with the family at a trailhead to hike in the ceremony spot. Lexi’s dad, who has known Justin since he and Lexi were in high school together, performed the ceremony. The two said their vows beside a pristine, alpine lake, while the sun was shining and waterfalls cascaded in the background. Their family cheered and there were hugs all around once the ceremony was complete. Then Lexi and Justin had some quiet time with just them, their snacks, cake and a bottle of champagne that they popped all by the side of the lake.

Then it was time for more hiking and adventuring! We drove higher in the mountains to catch the sunset at the pass’ summit. We were surrounded by mountains on what felt like their very own island of stone and the sunset painted the peaks gold and then blue. That was it for day one, but there was a second day planned!

Justin and Lexi took a couple days to explore the region and then we all met up again in the North Bend area for some more shots in the wedding clothes. They ran through fields in front of mountains and soaked in the sunshine. We drove higher into the mountains to end with a sunset session at another alpine lake and mountain backdrop. They were both up for wading into the water since it was the last shoot of the trip, and they were seriously some of my favorite shots. Their smiles were so genuine and infectious as they tried to splash each other and jump in the water. These two couldn’t have asked for better weather and a more epic, scenic, variety-filled adventure elopement and I was stoked to help plan and be a part of it!

Thanks to Lexi and Justin for being awesome adventure buddies and cheers to your next adventure!

Looking for more mountain elopement inspiration? Take a look at these Mt Rainier elopement vibes!