Elopements

Snow-Capped Mountains and Alpine Meadow Views During This Hurricane Ridge Elopement

Kati and Tom wanted a beautiful seaside rental for getting ready with family and friends and high-top mountain views complete with snow-capped mountains and alpine meadows! This couple ended up planning the best of both worlds during their Hurricane Ridge elopement.

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About This Hurricane Ridge Elopement

Photography by Adventure & Vow

“The couple rented a stay nearby Seattle where they had a private beach all their own. The bride shared a first look with her dad as well as her groom before heading out on the party bus which they rented to shuttle them the over two hours one way to their ceremony location.

Once we arrived at the spot where they’d share their vows, everyone gathered on the paths and after their “I do’s”, we moved into a toast and group portraits.

Following this, just the couple and ourselves broke away onto a very little known trail within the park where there wasn’t a soul around. We hiked the brief but steep trail until it topped out on a beautiful summit with snow, beautiful rock faces, and the rolling Olympic Mountain range. Cute fact! the couple stopped to make snow angels as it was something the did on their very first date.” [Traci, the photographer]

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Permits and LNT in Olympic National Park

“This is in Olympic National Park so a permit is needed if the group size is over 5 people. In this case we needed a permit! This also means we were limited to specific areas to hold the ceremony. The park is huge, this region of the park is up in the mountains, so it is super important to keep the whole group on the trail during there ceremony rather than in the meadows.

The best time to elope here is June through October I would say, but also don’t shy away from winter for a snowy wonderland elopement. The park is really big, so we tell all of our couples to wait to book their stays until they know exactly what locations we will be at. While there are some locations in the park that are super accessible we also tell people to be open minded to a hike that is around 6-10 miles for some super epic views and privacy.” [Traci, the photographer]

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Deciding to Elope

“We wanted a wedding that we could share with the people that mean the most to us, and make it as memorable as possible. Traditional weddings are fun, but they only last a few hours and fly by. We wanted to soak in the moment and truly make it an experience. Also, neither of us had ever dreamed of a big wedding and Kati always wanted to be married in nature. Eloping was the perfect fit for us.

When we sat down to envision what the perfect elopement looked like- we both wanted to be surrounded by mountains and greenery. We also both love the National Park system, and thought Olympic National Park would be perfect. We worked with our elopement photographer to find the best possible spot for our vision that allowed our guests access and was remote enough to be alone. After the ceremony we were able to go off by ourselves for a more adventurous hike and even more privacy. We were the only ones on the trail and it truly felt magical.” [Kati, the bride]

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Planning and Estimate Cost For This Elopement Near Hurricane Ridge

Photographer: $6,500
Airbnb: $5,000
Transport: $2,000
Hair makeup: $500
Private Chef: $2,000
Dress/ suit: $1500
Flights: $1000
Total: $18,500

“We definitely did not go the cheap route: Our Airbnb was a large home right on the coast in Gig Harbor where we could see Mt. Reiner and watch seals and whales. We did a 5 course meal and full bar for our private dinner. There was definitely room to trim, but we spent money on what was most important to us.” [Kati, the bride]

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Details From This Elopement

“I loved the bride’s wedding dress I thought it was perfect for hiking, a mountain background and overall fit. I loved that they shared toasts with their family up on the mountain before going on their own adventure rather than waiting for dinner. The Airbnb the couple rented was so unique and epic for a place to get ready, do a first look and spend quality time with their guests.” [Traci, the photographer]

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Memorable Moments During This Elopement

From the Photographer:

“Some of my favorite moments was the brides first look with her dad as Mt Rainier sat in the background over the water they had just seen whales in together the day before. You could tell her dad was anxious for the moment and they both shared laughter and tears, it was one of those moments you cherish. I loved that the couple rented a party bus for them and their friends to travel to the location, since it was a long drive it was a relaxing way to do it and they could keep the stoke going! During the groom’s vow he stopped looked dead out to the mountains for a second and pointed to say bear, every one laughed saying his hunting eye was still working strong even during the ceremony. Other said that’s how you know you picked a good elopement location! At the very end of the sunset in the blue hour light where all the mountains looked like a painting the groom gave the bride a single flower, it was just a sweet soft moment.”

From the Couple:

“when we were saying our vows – Tom actually spotted a black bear on the mountain range behind us. It was so beautiful to be so connected with each other and nature on our special day. We also had so much fun on our hike after the ceremony – we had a snowball fight, made snow angels and just soaked up the amazing colors of the sky that were changing every few minutes.”

Vendors

Photography | Adventure & Vow
Venue | Olympic National Park
Dress | Jenny Yoo