Paradise Mount Rainier and Ohanapecosh Elopement

This day began in the early morning! These two aren’t usually morning people and didn’t exactly want to do a sunrise adventure, BUT they were still up at the wee hours of the morning getting ready for their big day. We met them at their Airbnb in the town of Packwood, where Loretta was getting her hair and makeup done by the amazing Anne Timss Team! We highly recommend them for any adventure elopement hair and makeup needs. After Loretta was done getting ready, we caravanned to Sunrise, Mount Rainier where we began hiking to their ceremony location.

We found their ceremony spot and these two began getting ready on opposite sides of a rock. They really wanted to do a private first look, and luckily we had this secret little trail all to ourselves (except for some wildlife that you’ll see later… hint hint). Loretta got her beautiful dress on while the sun continued to shine on them. Larry got ready while listening to an audio piece that Loretta made for him. Keep scrolling for more of their Mount Rainier elopement story!

The First Look

Their first look was so special! Adam and I were on another trail a bit further from them because we wanted to give them privacy for this intimate moment. It’s super important to remember to do your best to stay on trail at all times! This elopement was in the summer during wildflower season, so we made sure to be respectful of the fragile meadows.

Sunrise Rainier Ceremony

While our view of Rainier was a bit obstructed by some trees, Loretta and Larry really wanted the epic views of the Cascade range for their ceremony. This trail was located at the Sunrise Mount Rainier area, but there are a ton of other locations where you can get expansive Cascade mountain views. Some of our favorite spots include trails in the Goat Rocks Wilderness and the Tatoosh Wilderness.

If you want to incorporate multiple locations or different adventures, we highly recommend doing a sunrise to sunset or two day elopement! This couple was able to experience BOTH sides of Mount Rainier with an all day package. We started on the east side of the mountain for their morning ceremony. We did a short hike, took some epic portraits, saw a black bear, and had some snacks for lunch!

Oh! And how stunning are those dainty florals from New Leaf Floral Design?!

Then, we made our way back down the mountain towards Packwood. Before heading to the other side of the mountain, though, we stopped at Ohanapecosh Campground to explore the forst and river. We recommended that Loretta and Larry do this because it was a really hot summer day. So, being by the river and under the cover of the trees was a nice break from the scorching sun. We all even dipped our feet into the river to cool off!

Paradise Sunset Portraits

After spending some time there, we headed towards Paradise to end their Mount Rainier elopement adventure! We chased the sunset up one of the main trails and took a ton of beautiful portraits along the way. Once we made it up a ways, Loretta and Larry shared a first dance as the sun went down. They didn’t have a song saved, but Larry hummed and sang one of their favorite tunes while they danced on the trail. We were the only ones up there and it was just so dang magical!

Celebration!

Sometimes the best adventures don’t end when the sun goes down! When we made it back down to the car, we pulled out some champagne and cake to celebrate their elopement. Loretta really wanted a champagne tower, so she DIYed a plastic one that would be easy to travel with. We took some fun flash photos while they poured champagne and ate a green tea cake from Lady M in Seattle!