How to Elope in the Mountains

How to Elope in the Mountains

How to Elope in the Mountains | Guide to Planning Your Wedding in the Mountains | Planning Tips + Top Locations

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If your reading this and the mountains are just calling your name - keep it going because I’m going to let you in on a few secrets on Eloping in the Mountains!

How to Elope in the Mountains | Planning your Mountain Elopement Experience

Of course so many things can go into planning an elopement in the Mountains but the major things to think about and ask yourself what you want to include are things like; Do you have any activities you want to do? This could be as wild as a helicopter ride or as low key as enjoying a picnic as the sunset or hitting up some near by breweries. Are you having guest involved in your day? How much of your day do you want to spend with them? Does an intimate reception to end your day sound like the perfect way to celebrate or is morning brunch and yard games your kind of vibe? What does your ceremony look like and how long do you want it to last?

Things to consider for your Mountain Elopement:

1. What are the local marriage requirements?

2.  What permits to do need to have a ceremony and photography?

3.  If you’re having guest to your mountain elopement or intimate wedding, how many is allow per the locations limits?

4.  Do you want a well-known trail, where there may be other people around, but the most epic views? or would you prefer a location that’s more ‘off the beaten-path’?

5. What vendors do you need and how easy are they to find?

6. What kind of celebrating or activities do you want to do?

ACCESSIBILITY:

You don’t have to hike very far or even at all in some areas for even the most amazing mountain views - or do you want a nice 4+ mile hike, where you change into your wedding attire at the top? Something to consider when thinking about accessibility is, are you eloping in the mountains with just the two of you or having an intimate wedding in the mountains with short list of family or friends? What are their limits to get to your ceremony location?

Sunrise or Sunset?:

When getting married in the mountains, some locations photograph dreamier depending on if its sunrise or sunet - and that mainly has to do with how the light is hitting the scenery. Want to hit that perfect golden hour & blue hour lighting?

MOUNTAINS IN THE EAST ARE GREAT FOR SUNRISE:

If you're getting married in a mountainous region on a clear day, if the main dramatic view faces east, sunrise is ideal because it means that the sunlight will hit that view first—causing the mountains to glow with gorgeous pinks, oranges, and yellow colors. Sunrise is also typically more secluded, if you are concerned about how much privacy you are going to have while you are saying your vows to your partner, then a sunrise intimate wedding might be a good idea – especially if you choose a heavily-trafficked or well-known area. One of my favorite things about having your mountain wedding in the morning - it's just a great way to start your day. Starting early and having your intimate wedding ceremony right at sunrise also gives you plenty of time to relax for the rest of your day and enjoy any other things that you and your partner want to do.

MOUNTAIN VIEWS IN THE WEST ARE BEST FOR SUNSET:

Wanting to say your vows with a beautiful west-facing view behind you? Then getting married at sunset means that the sun’s final rays will be hitting the features behind you–and if the view behind you includes mountains to the west, then they will be illuminated with alpenglow towards sunset on a clear day. While typically the afternoon can have potential for less seclusion in popular areas - in the evening, most people, whether they are tourists or locals, tend to return home or wherever they are staying to have dinner, which means that many locations become less busy at sunset. So similar to sunrise, you can get privacy if you say your vows toward sunset. However, this doesn't hold true for every location, as some spots are particularly known for their sunsets. Does sleeping in or have a slow start to your morning sound more your vibe? Sunet is probably the way to go.

WANT THE BEST OF BOTH?:

It’s also always an option to do a full-day elopement that spans both sunrise to sunset or a multi-day experience where you get both as well, especially if you really care about that epic lighting but also want to spend the most tine with your guest.

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Eloping in the Mountains | Creating a Timeline

Think about how you want the flow of your day to go - aka your elopement timeline

This is where your elopement or intimate wedding experience starts to feel super real as you see your vision coming together into a seamless, exciting plan. When creating a timeline it’s not about scheduling out every single minute of your day, but rather making sure that you have time for everything you want to do, see, and experience together—leaving room for spontaneity and relaxation.

It’s the story painted for you and just like any other part of your day - don’t let any tell you what does or doesn’t matter. I honestly have never photographed an elopement or intimate wedding that I thought the couple had me there for too long - but there have been countless days that i wish i could have documented a fuller picture of how awesome their entire experience was.

things to consider when planning out your timeline or figuring out how much photography coverage you need.

1. Do you plan on getting ready at an Airbnb or out in the mountains?

2. Where is the place you are staying or having your post-ceremony celebration in reference to your ceremony location?

3. Wow important is lighting and do you have a preference to sunrise or sunset?

4. Would you rather have a sunrise first look, followed by couples portraits, your ceremony and then spending the day with your guest (if you have them) or would do you prefer a slow, relaxing morning, getting ready mid day and heading out for a sunset ceremony, golden hour portraits and dancing under the stars at night.

5. Does being able to have an intimate ceremony or vow reading with just the two of you then meeting up with guest for a more formal ceremony sound amazing?

6. What if you could dedicate a day or half of a day for a “just us” experience then a full day with the ones you love?

Possibilities are endless and while timeline could be a one size fits all, heres a few common scenarios for mountain elopements:

2-DAY EXPERIENCE:

Day 1 - With Guests

●      2:45 pm – meet at ceremony location & set up for first look

●      3:15 pm – first look followed by capturing details

●      4:00 pm – family arrives & set up for ceremony

●      4:30 pm – ceremony begins

●      5:15 pm – ceremony wraps up, pop champagne to celebrate

●      5:45 pm – family photos

●      6:30 pm – family photos wrap up & family heads into town/airbnb

●      6:45 pm – exploring & portraits with just the couple

●      7:45 pm – sunset, head to airbnb (1 hour drive)

●      8:45 pm – arrive at airbnb & meet family for dinner, toasts, and cake

●      10:45 pm – photo coverage wraps up

Day 2 - Just The Two of You

●      4:30 am – meet at trailhead, begin hiking up trail in the dark (2 mile hike in)

●      6:00 am – arrive at summit, change into wedding attire

●      6:30 am – sunrise portraits & exploring

●      8:30 am – begin hike back down, portraits along the way (2 mile hike out)

●      11:30 am – arrive back at the trailhead, photo coverage ends

ALL DAY EXPERIENCE:

Sunrise/Morning Ceremony

●      4:00 am – meet at the trailhead, gear up

●      4:15 am – begin hike in the dark (1.5 miles)

●      5:45 am – arrive at first look location, alpenglow begins, change into wedding attire

●      6:30 am – sunrise first look followed by portraits & exploring

●      9:00 am – begin hike back to trailhead, portraits along the way (1.5 miles)

●      10:30 am – arrive back at trailhead, head to airbnb (30 min drive)

●      11:00 am – arrive at airbnb for ceremony

●      11:30 am – ceremony

●      12:00 am – family photos

●      12:30 pm – brunch party with champagne popping & mimosas 

●      5:00 pm – photo coverage ends

Sunset/Evening Ceremony

●      8:00 am – meet at airbnb for breakfast mimosas

●      9:00 am – begin getting ready + detail shots

●      11:oo am – first look at airbnb

●      11:30 am – head out to ceremony location (1 hour)

●      12:45 pm – walk out to accessible ceremony location

●      1:00 pm – ceremony

●      1:30 pm – family portraits

●      1:45 pm – family heads back to airbnb or their stays for a break / couples portraits begin

●      3:00 pm – couples portraits end / head back to airbnb (1 hour)

●      4:00 pm – arrive at airbnb + take a few to chill 

●      4:30 pm – family arrives + reception begins

●      8:00 pm - photo coverage end

8 HOUR EXPERIENCE

Sunset/Evening Ceremony

●      2:00 pm - details + end of getting ready

●      2:45 pm - first look

●      3:00 pm - head to trail head

●      4:00 pm – meet everyone at trail to hike out (1 mile)

●      5:00 pm - ceremony

●      5:15 pm – hugs/family/ guest photos

●      5:30 pm - family heads to airbnb

●      5:45 pm - sunset couples portraits

●      7:00 pm - hike back to car + head to airbnb

●      9:00 pm - toast, dancing ect.

●      10:00 pm - photo coverage ends

6 HOUR EXPERIENCE:

●      6:00 am - details + end of getting ready

●      7:00 am - first look

●      7:15 am - head to ceremony location

●      7:00 am – couple portraits

●      9:00 am - ceremony

●      9:15 am – hugs/family/guest photos

●      9:45 am - head back to airbnb

●      10:15 am - mimosas + toast w/ guest

●      11:00 am - photo coverage ends

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Eloping in the Mountains | Where to elope in the Mountains

Deciding where to Elope in the Mountains?

Once you have a better idea of what you envision for your mountain wedding, let’s narrow down some locations that has the different scenery elements you are looking for. If you’ve been to a lot of different mountain ranges or maybe you already have one in mind, this will make narrowing things down a little easier but if you want to get married in a place you’ve never been before then get ready because these are some of my favorite tips for finding the perfect mountain wedding location.

first lets talk about mountainous sceneries:

Wait all mountains don’t look like same? haha - okay you might find yourself chuckling a little - but seriously some people don’t know that. The feeling I get every time I visit a new mountain range or even one I’ve been to a hundred times, never fall short of amazement. The pacific northwest holds some of the most amazing mountains (not even being biased, theres epic) - Washington is known for its earthy - green, rugged mountain peeks, from the North Cascades to Mount Rainier, all the way over to the Olympic Peninsula. Want to check out the “the Switzerland of North America,” head over to the San Juans mountains of Colorado. speaking of the San Juans + Colorado - the Sangre de Cristo mountains have to be some of my favorites, not only is the great sand dunes stacked right in the middle - they have this clean, crisp, jegged feel that just takes your breath away. Ready for some dry, barron mountain ranges? Head over to Death Valley, California for some pretty insane desert mountain vibes.

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Eloping in the Mountains | Best Places to Elope in the Mountains

While there are so many places to have your dream wedding in the mountains, here are a few that i think are pretty fucking amazing and that you won’t want to skip on considering!

Best places to elope in the mountains | U.S.

1. North Cascades, Washington

2. Olympic National Park, Washington

3. Mount Rainier, Washington

4. Ouray, Colorado

5. Breckenridge, Colorado

6. Rocky Mountains, Colorado

7. Yosemite, California

8. Eastern Sierra Nevadas, California

9. Death Valley, California

10. Grand Tetons, Wyoming

11. Glacier National Park, Montana

12. Oahu, Hawaii

13. Waimaea Canyon, Kaui

Best places to elope in the mountains | destination:

1. Dolomites, Italy

2. Patagonia, Argentina

3. Glencoe, The Highlands – Scotland

4. Aoraki National Park, New Zealand

5. Mount Cook National Park, Canterbury, New Zealand

6. The Swiss Alps – Switzerland

7. Bow Lake & Moraine Lake Banff, Canada

WANT SOME INSPO FOR YOUR CALIFORNIA ELOPEMENT? CHECK OUT SOME OF THESE JOURNALED CALIFORNIA ADVENTURES:

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Eloping in the Mountains | Seasons in the mountains:

One of the most important things when planning your mountain wedding has to be taking their seasons into account. Most mountains at very high elevations can literally have seasons of their own and some areas of the same mountain can be totally different than another.

Summer:

Summer time has to be my favorite season for weddings in the mountains (in most places) - let me explain; more day light, most high elevation locations are open annnddd do I even need to that peek wildflower season is happening freaking everywhere!! You can even sometimes still catch some snow on those mountain peeks which is just gorgeous. With all that being said - other people love the mountains in the summer too, so popular places can defiantly have more foot traffic. (thats okay we’ve have some ways to help avoid the crowds)

Fall:

Something about the leaves changing all around you, those earthy tones, yellows and oranges make it feel like your really being one with nature. Fall elopements & intimate weddings are great in warmer climates where otherwise it may have been to hot to get married in the summer but are now prime weather conditions. In more popular locations for mountain elopements like Washington and Colorado the weather is starting to cool down but not to cold where we are running into snow unless its super late into fall at higher elevations.

Winter:

Dreaming of a snowy winter wonderland? Early and late winter are perfect - while of course this changes from place to place, mid-winter generally hold the most snow fall so you have to be on extra high alert for road closures, snowstorms, and avalanche warnings. Always make sure to be prepare, have a back up plan and leave yourself a little extra cushan for potentially needing to be flexible on your plans. however, winter mountain elopements are so dreamy - my favorite is finding a locations near a nice ski town or resort to add a little snow shoeing or boarding fun to you plans.

Spring:

Spring time is defiantly a limbo season when your thinking of eloping in the mountains unless you’re again looking at those locations like Death Valley or warmer, dryer, desert mountain locations. being from washington - I pretty much never recommend having you wedding in the mountains during srping time - you can plan for temperatures in the 60’s and it be 30’s - freezing your ass of in the pouring rain/hail. there are defiantly areas you can still enjoy some mountain views but still just come prepare for all the seasons :)

Mountain Elopement Packing List:

Wedding Attire & Accessories:

• Wedding attire (dress, suit, etc.)

• Veil

• Tie

• Jewelry

• Hairpieces

• Shoes

• Vow books

Outdoor Clothing:

• Weather-appropriate layers (consider the season)

• Jackets (waterproof and windproof)

• Warm shawls or blankets

• Gloves and scarves

• Hats

• Hiking boots or sturdy shoes

• Hiking socks

• Under layers

• Swimsuits (if planning on any water-related activities)

Hiking Gear:

• Hiking backpack

• First-aid kit

• Emergency/safety kit

• Snacks (granola bars, trail mix, dried fruit, etc.)

• Reusable water bottles

• Hiking poles

• Umbrella

• Microfiber towels

Ceremony:

• Marriage license and necessary legal documents

• Small backpack or daypack

• Rings securely stored

• Wedding vows or speeches written on durable paper

• Any props or special items for photos

Refreshments:

• Bottled water

• Snacks for sustenance

• Portable picnic set if planning a celebratory meal

• Champagne or beverages for toasting

Weather Preparedness:

• Rain gear (ponchos, umbrellas)

• Blankets or wraps for warmth

• Insect repellent

• Sunscreen

• Sunglasses

Permits and Permissions:

• Check if you need permits for the chosen mountain location

• Notify appropriate authorities about your wedding plans

Emergency Preparedness:

• List of emergency contacts

• Knowledge of the nearest medical facilities

• Basic survival gear (flashlights, multi-tool, etc.)

Cleanup Supplies:

• Trash bags for any waste

• Leave No Trace principles – leave the location as you found it

Transportation:

• Arrange transportation to and from the mountain location

• Check road and weather conditions if driving

Timeline and Planning:

• Detailed timeline for the day

• Plan for sunrise or sunset ceremonies for magical lighting

Comfort Items:

• Blankets or cushions for seating

• Portable chairs if needed

• Hand warmers or cooling towels depending on the weather

Entertainment:

• Music playlist and portable speaker

• Binoculars for scenic views

Other:

• Dry bag for valuables

• Camping gear (if planning to stay overnight)

• Power adapters for electronic devices

• Polaroid camera for instant photos

Your Mountain Chasing Adventure Wedding & Elopement Photographer

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All of our couples get all of the experience and knowledge that has come with photographing dozens of adventure style weddings and elopements every year - so we are with you every step of the way from planning, connecting you with the best vendors, location scouting, figuring out all the logistics to even finding you the perfect place to stay.

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Ready to elope in the Mountains?