Ann and Chad’s Elopement in North Idaho Featuring Zip lining & a Guitar Solo

Ann and Chad planned a “just us” elopement day in Idaho filled with memorable moments important to them, including ziplining and a beautiful guitar moment. If you’re considering planning an elopement together, get all the details below to learn how memorable, romantic, and personal eloping can be on your wedding day.

Ready to elope? Check out our Idaho elopement packages to learn more.

About This Elopement

Photography by Karlie Larson Photography

“Ann and Chad decided to travel from Iowa to North Idaho to get married amongst the mountains and the biggest lake in Idaho! They got custom tattoos of their ceremony location, the zipline tour was so much fun and breathtaking, their rental had the most stunning view of Lake Pend Oreille, the list goes on and on. But the best part of the day was these two getting to tie the knot in one of the most beautiful places in the world!

Ann and Chad got matching tattoos of the ceremony coordinates, which included views of the mountains they could see from their ceremony location. They placed them perfectly so when they hold hands, they are visible right next to each other. I also am in absolute awe of how much they incorporated Idaho in any way they could, even after their elopement day.

Ann’s bouquet was made from native Idaho wildflowers, and they wanted a whiskey specifically made in Idaho. Even after they went back home to Iowa, they ordered custom things from Idaho to help them stay connected to Idaho for their home, like a hand-made ponderosa pine needle basket, and for their one year anniversary a pen made out of ponderosa pine. Their cake was also unique as it was replicated from a place they visited while dating, and each time they visited they crossed off the last date and added the new one showing how long they’ve been together. And Ann’s bouquet leather wrap was hand made by Chad – it was so unique and something I’ve never seen before!” [Karlie, the photographer]

Top Tips From the Photographer

“We didn’t need any permits for the locations we shot at, but since it was a State Park for the ceremony, in some other cases depending on group size, and what you plan to do with the location, a permit may or may not be needed. Always make sure to check if you need one or not when working in state parks, national forests, national parks, etc because each place has different rules.

Northern Idaho is such a beautiful spot to elope! There are so many jaw-dropping locations to choose from – from easy access locations with epic views to finding an off the beaten path hike where no one has gotten married at before. May and June are my favorite times of year to photograph elopements here, as well as in the fall. Ann and Chad eloped on a Thursday in June so I also recommend during the week for an experience with less crowds!” [Karlie, the photographer]

Deciding to Elope

“This wasn’t ‘our first rodeo’ so when we got engaged, we knew we didn’t want to do more of the same – where the wedding and reception were all about the decorations, the food, the guests… We wanted it to be about US and our love for one another. So we talked with our adult children and our parents and told them our plans to elope, and they were supportive.

We both love water and the mountains, so we browsed Airbnbs and located one that had the most gorgeous views of Lake Pend Orielle. We quickly booked a reservation and then started the planning process! We chose the actual ceremony location in Farragut State Park from a variety of places sent to us by Karlie after we talked with her about what we were looking for.” [The couple]

Check out these reasons to elope. 

Planning Process

“To be honest, it consisted of finding a photographer we loved, who also happened to be a local and who offered planning as part of her photography package. Karlie made the whole planning process incredibly worry-free and helped us plan the absolute perfect day…from 1400 miles away!” [The couple]

Estimated Cost of This Elopement

• $454 florals (bridal bouquet, groom boutonniere, hair flowers)
• $95 cake
• $300 bride & groom’s attire
• $3,025 photography package
• $450 hair and makeup
• $2,771 Airbnb (7 nights)
• $100 donation to church
• $28 marriage license
• $28 Farragut State Park (2 trips)
• $408 ziplining (us and Karlie)

Total $7,659

Learn more about elopement costs.

Memorable Moments During This Elopement

From the photographer:

“During their ceremony, Chad played Ann a song he wrote. And during the planning process, Chad messaged me separately because he wanted me to pick up a custom guitar he ordered from a shop in Sandpoint Idaho to surprise Ann with. The song during the ceremony was the perfect touch for them, you can just tell how connected they are to each other.”

From the couple:

“The day before the wedding, we got tattoos of the mountains and coordinates of our ceremony location.

As we were preparing for our ceremony, a group of 60 second graders and their teachers arrived on a field trip. It was precious to hear their comments and a perfect addition to our day, as I’m a former school counselor! We can only imagine what they talked about with their families that evening!

During our bridal pictures, two sailboats passed by. We didn’t think the view could be more beautiful, but they added such a special touch to our photos!

Everyone in Idaho was incredibly welcoming and kind. We are already talking about when we can return.”

Final Words of Advice

“Don’t be afraid to go all out with meaningful details! Photographically, this gives photographers a story to tell and when looking back through your gallery everything will be so cohesive and memorable, and it’ll be like getting to relive your story each time you look through your photos. Even if you’re keeping it simple with just the two of you eloping, this is your time to invest in what matters to you!” [Karlie, the photographer]

Learn how to elope here.

Vendors

Photography | Karlie Larson Photography

Hair and Makeup | Terri Reece Studios 
Florals | Makenna Rene Floral
Cake | Kate’s Cakes in Sandpoint
Officiant | The North Summit
Custom Tattoos | Ink Smith Custom Tattoo
Leather Bouquet Wrap | Diamond M Custom Leather
Ziplines | Zip Timberline

Photos From This Elopement