Venture Ever After

Post 3/3 highlighting this epic, all day elopement in Olympic National Park, and oh the chills I still get when I look back at these photos and remember these moments.

Some important context here: Morgan (she/her) and Seth (he/him) ended up hiking 3 miles more than anticipated to get to experience the viewpoint they originally planned on. This location has incredible views from almost anywhere, but the panoramic spot they were dreaming of was at the end of a road that's currently barricaded off most of the week for seasonal work. But these two were determined, and they came into this day with an adventure mindset (and a huge amount of enthusiasm for spending as much time as possible with the mountains).

The pay off was multiple hours of absolutely breathtaking views, the most magnificent cloud inversion all the way through sunset, and speaking of sunset, my goodness, I couldn't have dreamt up a more stunning sunset for these two. What an absolute dream of a day.

Thank you all for coming on this journey with me, reliving this day. I very genuinely wish I could do this one over and over.

M+S, you two...I can't tell you how grateful I am for you. Just beyond. Thank you so so much for choosing me, taking me on this wedding adventure with you, and giving me the honor of being a part of it in so many ways. You two are true gems. CONGRATULATIONS! You deserve the best, and I know your life together will be just that.

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Post 2/3 recounting a magnificent elopement day in Olympic National Park. I know many of you were waiting to see what came after Morgan (she/her) and Seth's (he/him) ceremony...

After officially getting married with their closest family members beside them, it was time for these two to take some time for themselves. One of the most important things to them on this day was lots of quality time in nature. And the VERY cool thing about Olympic National Park is that you can get a wildly diverse mixture of scenery, all within pretty close proximity of each other. In fact, this mossy, magical forest fairyland and waterfall are in the same exact area of the lakeside view that these two had their ceremony (see my previous post a couple days ago).

This spot is such a gem. It's home to a gorgeous falls, and while it can get pretty busy (it's so accessible, it's no surprise), it's still very possible to find quiet pockets of the day if you're strategic about your timing. It's also just so worth the extra planning and sharing the trail with others. Especially in spring, I love this spot. Just look how green it is!

M+S had a blast exploring this trail before heading out for the last part of their adventure (more on that soon). And once you see their third location, you'll really understand just how incredibly varied the scenery is in Olympic National Park. There's just no place quite like it.

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I told you there was more coming from this unforgettable Olympic National Park elopement, and because there was SO MUCH beauty on this day (in all ways, shapes, and forms), let's try a new thing: I want to share different parts of the day at different times so you get a chance to fully immerse into each part of this glorious celebration.

Morgan (she/her) and Seth (he/him) started their day quietly getting ready at their lodging. They shared space, but stayed visually separated from one another so they could have this heartbreakingly sweet first look moment in the surrounding forest. And yes, I cried from behind the camera.

After that, we headed out to their ceremony spot where family was waiting. These two honored me with a first: They asked me to make opening remarks to begin their ceremony (my heart 🥹). Then, Seth's daughter did a beautiful reading. Morgan and Seth then exchanged vows that had everyone laughing *and* crying. It was perfect.

Once they were officially married, everyone shared delicious cupcakes before parting ways. Family was off to relax, and Morgan and Seth were ready for the next part of their adventure - which we'll dive into in a couple days! Stay tuned!

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A whole entire year since this beautiful, sweet day, and I still get a little teary when I look at these photos.

Mara + Kasey eloped in one of my favorite places in the PNW, doing all the things they most love doing together. Climbing, nature, movies, ice cream…it doesn’t get much better than this! After their adventures, they met up with family at the courthouse to make it official. And many more sweet moments ensued.

This day was so much more than this summary of the things that happened…but it’s hard to describe the way an event like this *feels* sometimes. It encompassed *so many* feelings and ways of being together - playfulness, tenderness, peaceful silence, enthusiastic laughter, shared contentment at truly being in a moment together…it was all this and so much more.

M+K, I’ll never be able to express how grateful I am that we met that day at Skamania Lodge and how much it means to me to have gotten to document this time in your lives together. Thank you so much for inviting me to be a part of it.

A very happy first anniversary to you 🥂 I can’t wait to hug you again during your bigger celebration soon!

So full of joy to be wishing these two a happy first anniversary. One year ago, we met up with a small group of their family members at Hoyt Arboretum to sign their marriage license, take some portraits, and generally celebrate their sweet love story.

In the early morning hours, the light in the redwoods was so peaceful. It felt like we had the whole park to ourselves, and it was a true honor to spend a few hours with these two, learning about their journey together and all their planned adventures ahead (of which there were - and still are, I’m sure - many!).

Ben + Eddy: Thank you both for inviting me to be a part of these moments and helping you relive this milestone in your lives for all your future years together. Looking back at this day makes me so happy, and I know that you two will continue to explore, do great things, and overall build a beautiful life together. What a privilege to have documented a little slice of it all.

Happy one year, you two! 🥂