A Moody PNW Fall Elopement in the North Cascades
Tory and Phil had road tripped to their elopement destination all the way from the other side of the country – the south shore of Massachusetts (which is actually where Gabi grew up)! They did it in their newly diy renovated camper van, turning their elopement into a big, long, two-month round-the-country adventure. Obviously we strongly approve of this decision 😉 Crazy enough, their van broke down in Bellingham just as they got here! Luckily, it was the day before their elopement and not the day of. No biggie, they just hung out at one of Bellingham’s delicious breweries and sipped some suds while it got fixed. The next day, they drove up to meet us for an epic evening of adventuring.
Want to see more moody elopement goodness? Check out this romantic Mt. Rainier elopement with wildflowers
It was late September in the North Cascades. On this particular day, the weather was being extra moody. An early winter storm was on the horizon (and would hit overnight), but for the time being it was just rain and mist in the air. On days like this, you can watch thick clouds spill over the tops of mountain peaks, evaporating as they drift into the valleys. The dewy moss and grass glistens in the light and the fresh smell of earth and alpine makes you feel extra alive. Every now and then the sun would pop through a break in the clouds, illuminating the fall colors that crept across the hillsides. In the fall, the wild huckleberries that cover the hillsides ripen and turn bright red. Aside from the bonus of being able to pluck and eat the ripe huckleberries, it’s just downright gorgeous. Despite the sometimes tricky weather patterns, fall is our favorite season to be out here exploring.
After romping around for a bit, sipping hot toddies and snuggling in blankets to keep warm, we wandered over to the perfect ceremony spot. With mountain peaks shrouded in mist standing tall behind them, Tory and Phil (accompanied by their cute little pup) made it official. This was seriously one of the most beautiful ceremonies we’ve ever witnessed. Definitely got more than a little choked up at multiple points. With about an hour left of daylight, we decided to head up to the end of the road to see if we might catch a lucky break in the clouds. Just as we left the parking lot and got on the trail, the most incredible sunset burst though! Scroll to the end of the photos to see what we’re talking about because it was seriously spectacular.
Related: Check out this gorgeous backpacking elopement in the North Cascades
The one and only Anastasia Allison joined us with her violin and played 500 Miles (the acoustic version from the movie 500 Days of Summer) for their first dance song. We all danced as the light faded, with Anastasia busting into a jig after the song ended. Days like this are what adventure elopements are all about – an unpredictable, fun-filled, carefree adventure in a magical landscape with your favorite person. Hope you have half as much fun looking through all the photos as we did creating them!
Check out our Best Places to Elope page for more epic elopement location inspiration
Vendors: Anastasia Allison (Violin) // Pacific Brides (HMU)