Romantic Fog Wedding on Top of a Mountain with an Adorable Dog.

For Trang and Uriah, an intimate mountain wedding was on their mind. After being together for five years, they decided they wanted something intimate and stress-free.

This elopement was at Mount Baker Wilderness in Washington. According to Kathleen Castaneda, their photographer, the couple wanted to have their ceremony somewhere private and beautiful.

Kathleen tells us how amazing it is to get to know couples who decide to elope. With this specific elopement, one of the questions Kathleen asked Uriah, was how he knew Trang was the one for him.

“He said…The moment I met Trang, I was impressed with her approach to taking on life. I had not come across someone with so much drive. I knew she was the one a few years in and realized that every day she was more and more beautiful to me and that has not stopped. Not a day goes by that I don’t look at her in awe and amazement.” [Kathleen]

Reasons like these are why we love weddings and seeing two people come together. Elopements are beautiful because it allows couples to get married the way they want to.

“We were grateful to celebrate our day doing what we love, with the two dearest people to our hearts, where our four-legged best friend could run around freely, stress-free. Everything about our day was perfect like a red velvet cheesecake, and the clouds clearing for our pictures were the cherries on top.” [Trang]

Photography by Kathleen Elizabeth Photography

Elopement Day in the Mountains

On their wedding day, Trang’s best friend and Uriah’s brother joined the couple and Kathleen to witness their adventure and marriage. Trang and Uriah couldn’t imagine their wedding day without their dog Mazzakine, so they made sure to bring him along too!

During this Fall day, there were hues of yellow, orange, and reds as they all hiked up the mountain. They enjoyed views of the alpine lakes and mountain ranges as they explored the trails. Even the couple’s dog had the time of his life exploring along their side. According to Kathleen, he even packed up all of their food to the top.

“While we had endless views hiking up, the fog quickly rolled in and obstructed all the scenery. But it didn’t matter to Trang and Uriah. All they wanted to do was go and get married already! So we braved the cold and went back out onto the mountaintop.” [Kathleen]

Despite deciding on having a non-traditional wedding, the couple still enjoyed moments like their first dance and first look before they exchanged their vows on top of a mountain. Kathleen was able to capture the look on Uriah’s face when he first saw his gorgeous bride. “The love on his face was clear, and the happiness the two of them shared was beautiful,” says Kathleen. 

How Did You Decide to Have an Intimate Wedding?

Trang told us that an adventure wedding became the best option for herself and Uriah because they realized this day was supposed to be for them and about them. She admits it was difficult to find an option that would make everyone in their families happy.

“I did not want to spend my day pleasing everybody and being told how to put on a great show. The venues were never booked because I hesitated. Eventually, I discovered adventure weddings and everything clicked: it was us, and it was for me. So we booked Kathleen and got married on the peak 3 months later.” [Trang]

After deciding eloping was the right choice for them, they did a lot of research to figure out what location would be best for them.

“I literally went through the website thoroughly and looked at travel time, road condition, trail condition, pictures, reviews, hiking time, etc.. I even went on the Washington Hikers Facebook group and looked for every adventure wedding post there was. There were also a lot of Googling involved.” [Trang]

Planning for location and weather is something every couple who decides to elope needs to consider. Trang admits that they collected weather reports for the past 10 years to find the perfect date to elope. They also had multiple locations they were interested in and had backup plans just in case the weather took a turn for the worse.

No matter how much you plan, however, you can’t control the weather and things won’t always go according to plan. For this elopement, the weather got a bit foggy, blocking the beautiful scenery. Despite this, the show went on. Uriah and Trang got married, and the fog eventually lifted.

Helping Couple’s Plan their Dream Wedding Day

According to Kathleen, in her opinion, eloping is the best way to get married. Many people, however, still don’t understand what an elopement is. Our team can’t agree more, and that is why we love sharing stories like this intimate mountain wedding.

Kathleen loves to help couples plan and execute their special day.

“I’m here to help make their unique vision come to life and to help them have the best day of their lives. There are so many things you can do on your elopement day, and all types of adventures you can have.” [Kathleen]

To better help her creative process, she sends them questionnaires to better get to know them. She then uses that information to curate a list of location suggestions that fit what they are looking for.

“I think that the place where someone says their vows are so incredibly meaningful, and I love helping a couple find the perfect spot for them to elope. I also help my couples in any way I can- with timeline suggestions, vendor recommendations, acquiring permits, and by giving them lots of other helpful information!” [Kathleen]

Why do You Love Capturing Elopements? 

Kathleen shares that documenting intimate moments like this mountain wedding is her passion in life, and she feels fulfilled when she’s able to be such a big part of a couple’s day.

 “Trang and Uriah’s elopement day was truly magical, and a day I will never forget. There’s nothing like being on top of a mountain, in one of the most beautiful areas in the world, witnessing two people in love commit their lives to one another.” [Kathleen]

During this intimate mountain wedding in Washington, Kathleen felt in her element. She tells us how much she loves the feeling of being on top of a mountain and seeing the vast wilderness in front of her.

“It makes you feel so small and puts the world and your life into perspective. Getting to document Trang and Uriah’s wedding day in the mountains only amplified the happiness the outdoors typically brings me. They were so beautifully connected, and their love was very apparent. Their happiness was contagious to everyone we passed on the trail, and it was such an incredibly fun day.” [Kathleen]

Advice to Other Couples

Kathleen believes that everyone deserves to get married in a way that is true to who they are. She loves to inspire more couples to make the brave decision to decide to elope.

“Elopements strip down all the stuff, the fluff, and the expectations of others. Instead, elopements allow for more intimacy and real moments with each other. I think it’s incredibly brave to elope and go against societal expectations to stay true to yourself.” [Kathleen]

So if you are on the edge and feeling like a big traditional wedding isn’t something you both want to do, then you should consider eloping! Are you ready to be brave and elope somewhere adventurous? Tran encourages other brides to take the leap and go for it. 

“If you hate the traditionally elaborated weddings like I do, and you’re not sure if you want people to point fingers and tell you what to do, then perhaps an adventure wedding is for you. It’s a wonderful feeling when two people join hands to plan their first milestone together, free of remarks and unhappiness, filled with details that tug at their heartstrings. We are incredibly happy to start this new journey together with nonexistent debt and leftover savings for our honeymoon.” [Tran]

Thank you to Kathleen for sharing this session, and congratulations to Trang and Uriah!

If you are thinking about starting to plan your own elopement, check out our timeline we created for couples like you.

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