Courtney and Ryan originally had booked me for a large wedding with all of their family and friends at a venue in Washington. With COVID, they pushed their wedding date out but still wanted to continue with having a ceremony. So, we began planning an elopement for them in Mount Rainier National Park with 3 of their closest friends in attendance.

Courtney, Ryan, and their friends rented a cute little cabin outside of the park in Ashford where they spent the weekend together to celebrate Courtney and Ryan. I met Courtney, Ryan, and their friends at their cabin while they were getting ready. Courtney’s best friend helped her with her make-up and hair and helped her into her dress. Ryan’s best friend helped him put on his boutonnière on the porch of the cabin while Courtney was in the cabin putting on her boots.

Once everyone was finished with their final touches, we all loaded up in our vehicles and headed up to Sunrise in Mount Rainier. It was about a 45 minute drive from their cabin in Ashford and we arrived to the park a few hours before sunset. Courtney and Ryan had opted for an insanely beautiful viewpoint of Mount Rainier off of Nisqually Vista Trail that was a brief 1 mile hike from the parking lot.

Courtney’s best friend officiated the wedding with the most beautiful ceremony. She played voice recordings from friends and family that couldn’t be there on their wedding day. They shared stories and their love for Courtney and Ryan which had us all in tears. Then, finally, after a COVID wedding postponement and then planning an elopement on their original wedding date, Courtney and Ryan shared their first kiss as husband and wife in front of a snow-peaked mountain top in one of the most stunning National Parks in the United States. What better way to start your marriage together than surrounded by nature?!

After the ceremony we hiked back up to the parking lot and up the Sourdough Ridge Trail for their couples portraits, portraits with friends, a champagne spray, and a toast!

After Courtney, Ryan, and their friends took a few group photos, the fog started to roll in on us and we could only see a few feet around us! It was insane how quickly the fog came and how dense it was. Courtney opted for a fun little bouquet toss with her friends and then we walked down the trail a bit to be near some beautiful pines for their couples portraits. After snuggling up and sharing lots of laughs, Ryan broke out the champagne for some nice spray action. One little tip for your elopement day is to bring two bottles of champagne, a cheap one for spraying and a more expensive one for drinking! Or you can opt for what Courtney and Ryan decided on and brought one bottle of champagne for spraying and then they brought Tequila that they had gotten on a trip to Mexico! They broke open the bottle and toasted with their friends to an amazing day!

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