Well, that’s another incredible year of elopement adventures in the books! The team all had a pretty wild elopement season, with adventures taking us to the desert, the coast, the mountains, and even out to Iceland. Collectively, we helped 104 couples plan and document the elopement of their dreams. We are so grateful to have met so many amazing couples and share in these unbelievable memories with them. We can’t even begin to scratch the surface of all the fun stories we have from 2021, but we gathered a few standouts into this recap. We hope you enjoy seeing what the team was up to this year, see you in 2022!
1. our foxpack photo retreat in moab
As creatives, it’s so important to constantly push ourselves in our art, to experiment, perfect, and learn new techniques to bring to our future photo shoots. We kicked off the 2021 season doing just that, putting together a 2-day photo workshop in Moab. Hannah and Zoe met us in the desert and we spent two days romping around cliffs and canyons, photographing two different couples and critiquing each other’s work. We also managed to slip in a canyoneering adventure on the last day – highly recommend trying that next time you’re in the Moab area! It was so fun to get the gang together to create and adventure together. And the work we ended up creating this year is some of our favorite ever!
2. Crazy Weather Makes For Amazing Days - The Foxes
Soaking wet, cold, nearly getting blown over, and yet full of smiles having the absolute best time ever! That was our second Iceland elopement and it’s one we’ll be reminiscing about forever. The country literally shut down the highway because the wind gusts were so strong! But that didn’t deter Phoebe and Zach. We all went out into the elements and had a wild experience that makes for great storytelling. We sipped whiskey to stay warm under the shelter of a cave by a waterfall, nearly got blown over by the wind, and created some magical images. This day wouldn’t have been the same without the wild weather, we and the couple wouldn’t change a thing. We always say that crazy weather makes for the most unique experiences and these two were the perfect example! The next morning, the weather gave us a brief break and we even got to see the sunrise on a black sand beach. We really had it all on this elopement.
Check out the Super 8 Film of their elopement to see this wild weather in action!
3. They Said "I do" shortly followed by "We're Pregnant!" - Hannah
Aly and Rick invited some of their close loved ones to their elopement in Oregon and had a big surprise in store for them after the ceremony. They had coordinated with Hannah secretly ahead of time to plan the surprise – during the group photos, instead of saying “say cheese!” Hannah said “Say Aly’s Pregnant!” The guests kind of chuckled at first and posed for the picture until they realized what was going on lol. The couple surprised everyone with their pregnancy announcement and no one knew because the bride had been ordering drinks all week that the groom would then secretly drink. Watch the video Hannah got of the surprise below – wait for the Mom’s scream!
4. A Decked-Out Double Day Adventure in Moab - Zoe
Francois and Chasity’s wedding day in Moab, Utah was nothing short of a showstopper! When Zoe saw the ceremony and reception setup, she was at a loss of words – they took desert elegance to a whole new level. There was an incredible ceremony setup complete with crystal clear chairs, a glass runway filled with flowers, and elegant floral arches framing the wedding isle. Afterwards the couple partied it up with their guests under the stars. There was a DJ and bumpin’ sound system, fire dancers, and a private firework show to cap off the evening.
But, the event didn’t end there. They had booked a double-day adventure, so the following day Zoe set off with Francois and Chasity to explore Canyonlands National Park and captured an unbelievable sunset with them. Can’t wait to blog this full elopement, so stay tuned!
5. Hiking with the Fam - The Foxes
When we started planning Crystal and Jess’ elopement in the North Cascades, the plan was to have the ceremony and celebration with guests and then we were going to go with just the couple on a hike for sunset pictures. Normally the guests don’t want to go on the sunset hike since sunset is so late (10pm in Washington!) but their guests were up for the adventure and wanted to see the views!
This was one of the few times we’ve hiked over a mile with guests who don’t consider themselves hikers. It was so fun to see everyone blown away by the views, laughing and exploring together.
6. No Raining On This Parade - Hannah
When it comes to adapting to Mother Nature, Jami and John are the pros! We got news of a storm that would occur during our time in Yosemite, but had no idea we would experience a record-breaking storm! After just 36 hours, over six inches of rain/snow had fallen in the National Park, a very welcomed storm by locals as usually this time of year is a lot drier in Yosemite.
And we couldn’t agree more! Despite last minute location changes, we captured their love amongst the mountainous landscape bursting with fall colors. And the waterfalls were raging with the fresh rainfall, making them extra impressive. The photos speak for themselves in showing how spectacular this day truly was!
7. An RV crash on the way to the elopement! -Zoe
The week of their elopement, Myranda and Ty were planning for a cross country road trip in their RV when a terrible storm caused a bad car accident. Everyone was okay, but the RV was destroyed! Ty’s suit was covered in gas, and, understandably so, they were shaken up by the recent events. So we ended up changing their elopement date and location last minute. Fortunately Zoe had some flexibility and so did they!
They ended up rescheduling to a fall mountain elopement in Washington. Out of all of the weddings that Zoe has photographed in the North Cascades, this one is hands down her favorite. The weather was better than you could imagine, the fall colors were starting to pop, and they accomplished one of the best hikes in the area. Myranda and Ty were such great sports throughout the entire planning process and ended the day with the biggest smiles on their faces, the RV crash a distant memory
Fun fact: Myranda ended up purchasing a used dress from a past Foxpack couple that Hannah photographed in 2020!
Photographer: Zoe | Location: North Cascades | Couple: Myranda and Ty
8. "Tying the knot" literally and figuratively - The Foxes
If you know us at all, you know that climbing is our lifestyle sport. So when Valerie and Adam hit us up and said they wanted to do some climbing on their elopement we were psyched. We ended up taking them to one of our favorite alpine routes in the state, deep in the heart of the North Cascades. Their two best friends joined for the ceremony, then we embarked on the climb. At the base of the route we were met by the cutest lil family of mountain goats! Always love running into those buddies on the mountain. Once we reached the summit, Valerie and Adam said their vows surrounded by the most stunning sea of peaks. The views, adventure, and memories from this elopement are the stuff we live for!
Watch the super 8 Film of this elopement to see more of this wild adventure
We saw a family of goats as we were hiking to the peak of the mountain!
Photographers & Videographers: The Foxes | Location: North Cascades | Couple: Valerie and Adam
9. Boho style and a perfect day wandering amongst giants - Hannah
Boho chic was the name of the game for this beautiful elopement! April and Hunter celebrated in style in the Redwoods, where they got married with their family and set up a cozy picnic to enjoy some sweets and treats. There was a 100% chance of precipitation in the forecast, but we didn’t get even one drop of rain, making for a super fun and stylish day!
10. Third Times A Charm - Zoe
Like many couples, Jorie and Lucas had planned to get married in 2020, but COVID put those plans to a halt. After dealing with two planned-but-cancelled weddings because of the pandemic, this couple decided to celebrate their marriage just as a couple in the Redwoods and they couldn’t be happier that they did.
The two decided to bring their four-legged family members who seemed to enjoy the adventure as much, if not more, than the hoo-mans. This magical day was filled with exploring and adventuring through the forests and along the coasts, and the day was everything they could have wanted.
The day before the elopement, Zoe texted Jorie saying, “Hey, do you trust me because I think I just found the perfect spot for sunset photos.” She replied back with “Of course, let’s do it!” Now, those are probably some of Zoe’s favorite photos she’s ever taken.
11. Full Bellies, Full Hearts - The Foxes
Our love for food is allllmost as much as our love for elopements, and when we got to experience the meal at Rachael and Dan’s wedding, we knew it would be one we would never forget.
Living in Seattle, Rachael and Dan love Kamonegi, a local restaurant known for their soba noodles handmade by female Chef Mutsuko Soma. They wanted to share their love of this food with their guests, so they had the Kamonegi team come out to Mt. Rainier National Park and cater a private meal with their guests. The whole Kamonegi team slayed it – we can still taste the delicious Japanese flavors. Afterwards, we went on a moody hike in the park, which is actually Rachael and Dan’s preferred weather. Gotta say, we agree! Seeing the Washington mist move through the tall evergreens and spill over mountain tops was what first captured our hearts and made us want to move to this state. There really is no such thing as ugly weather here.
I mean just look at this spread…is your mouth watering yet?! This restaurant is a must-do on your next trip to Seattle!
Photographer: The Foxes | Location: Mount Rainier | Couple: Rachael and Dan
12. Conquering the mountain with a medieval flare - Hannah
As lovers of medieval times, Amanda and Nate knew that they had to incorporate this theme into their wedding. Both the bride and groom wore medieval and fantasy-style attire, which complemented perfectly with the backdrop of the luscious greenery and jagged mountains in Olympic National Park. The couple hiked up one of the steepest trails in Washington to earn these views, conquering it like true warriors.
This rockstar groom rocked his medieval armor all the way up the mountain during their hike!
Photographer: Hannah | Location: Olympic National Park | Couple: Amanda and Nate
13. From Mexico to Moab - Zoe
There are very few couples out there who have the same amount of love for the desert as Zoe does, so when she had the opportunity to connect with Bryon and Nayeli, they chatted endlessly about their shared love for Moab and all of the exploring they had done there. Nayeli’s family traveled all the way from Mexico to witness their marriage and it was the first time the two families came together in-person. The ceremony was bilingual and Nayeli’s friends translated so everyone was involved, which was such an incredible experience for everyone!
