Cabin Elopement // Mount Rainier National Park // Cherish + John
Cherish and John finally were able to say their vows and tie the knot after months of planning and a temporary postponement due to COVID-19. Cherish and John chose a location right outside of Mount Rainier National Park at a beautiful cabin on the Cowlitz River.
Cherish and John were originally supposed to elope back in April. But, of course COVID-19 had other plans for them. All national parks in Washington state temporarily closed so we pushed for the same date for 2021. After a few months, Cherish asked for my availability for August/September and we started to plan for a much sooner date for the two of them to finally get married!
Cherish and John drove up from Oregon the day before their elopement to spend the weekend at their cabin and explore a little of Mount Rainier and the surrounding area. Cherish and John started their morning of their elopement with an absolutely magnificent view from the windows of their cabin. Seriously, this cabin had some epic views. When I arrived, Cherish was in the master bedroom having her hair and make-up done. I gathered all of her adorable details and walked around the cabin photographing the little details that she had set up. She even made her own cupcakes and they were seriously delicious. I was drooling over all of the details that she incorporated into the space and even the ceremony area on the porch in the backyard. Cherish put so much thought into her details, everything just came together perfectly! After photographing all of the details and Cherish had on her dress, these two had already opted for a first look (which is one of my favorite parts of the day). John went outside and stood at the bottom of the stairs waiting to see his bride in her dress for the first time! Cherish walked down the stairs, John turned around, and it just warmed my heart to see John’s reaction when he finally got to see his bride.
After the first look, we walked back up the stairs to the ceremony location and the ceremony began! The officiant put together the most beautiful ceremony and Cherish and John exchanged their own vows that they had written themselves. Their vows brought tears to my eyes and I’m not a big cryer. Once the ceremony was finished, we all walked back inside to sign the marriage certificate (yessss, I can be your witness for your elopement!) and Cherish and John shared a cupcake and some champagne. They finished of their glasses of bubbly and we took off together to explore the little path from the cabin to the river bank. Once we reached the river, we were overtaken by the striking views of the mountains that stood tall around us. While they were snuggled up taking in this amazing view of the mountains before them, John shared with me that he had brought a little surprise that he just had to have as a part of their day. They towed a vintage 1966 Chevrolet behind them all the way from Oregon! John’s had this car since he was only fourteen years old. He and his father fixed cars together as a past time while he was growing up and this car has just always stuck around, being a huge part of John and Cherish’s relationship together with their late afternoon drives around their hometown in Oregon. It’s quite an amazing car!
We spent quite some time walking up and down the rocky riverbank before heading back up to the cabin. John pulled around the Chevy and they hopped in, reminiscing on all the times they’ve rode together in this car, I hopped in the backseat to grab some shots of them. After talking about vintage cars and what it’s been like for John to own one, we swapped vehicles and headed to the Grove of the Patriarchs in Mount Rainier as our final stop. The Grove of the Patriarchs isn’t your typical Mount Rainier picturesque moment, but the stunning redwood giants that you’ll find here provides nothing short of a stunning and intimate location for your to take couples portraits together. The hike through the trees with moss dangling from their limbs is just enchanting. Large green ferns surround the trail as you head to the swinging bridge that goes over the icy blue Ohanapeccos River. The color of the water in this river is like no other. Cherish and John strolled through the Douglas Firs and large Cedars just admiring the true magic of nature and getting lost in the moment with one another. Walking among these giants was so humbling for all of us.
Once we made it back to the parking lot, Cherish and John brought a second bottle of champagne for another toast (you can never have too many toasts on your elopement day) as the last bit of light began to vanish beyond the horizon.
I am SO happy for Cherish and John and that they were able to finally tie the knot and have their Washington elopement dreams come to life. Congrats you guys!