Micro Mount Rainier Wedding in Washington State

The Best Mountain Location For Your Micro Wedding!

Mount Rainier is quite possibly one of THE BEST mountain locations for any micro wedding or elopement! It’s true, we might be biased considering it’s the most iconic mountain in our home state of Washington. But it’s iconic for good reason!

Mount Rainier is a 500,000 year old stratovolcano located southeast of Seattle, Washington. It’s the tallest mountain in Washington and the Cascade Range standing at over 14,000 feet tall. And it’s one of the top searches for best mountainous elopement locations in the contiguous U.S. But enough of the “facts,” let’s get to the good stuff. Why should you choose to elope at Mount Rainier?

1. There are over 260 miles of maintained trails in the park! So many great options for adventures, private vow locations, and spots to take EPIC photos. 
2. Paradise, Mount Rainier is accurately named for the way it makes you feel like you’re in another world when experiencing the wildflower meadows! The best time of year to experience the bloom is during the end of July to the beginning of August. 
3. There are an endless number of waterfalls in Mount Rainier National Park. With all the snow melt, early summer is the best time of year to experience mostly snow-free trails and rushing waterfalls!
4. Wanting to get married in the winter? No problem. Longmire and Paradise are open year round (with occasional road closures from Longmire to Paradise due to snow), and offer incredible views of Rainier even when covered in tons of snow. 
5. In the nearby towns of Ashford and Packwood, you can find a ton of awesome Airbnbs for just the two of you, or for a small group of wedding guests! 
6. Is the mountain being shy? She’s not always visible on cloudy days, but fear not. No matter where you choose to have your elopement within the park, you’ll have incredible views. Whether it’s massive douglas fir trees, an alpine lake, the Tatoosh Mountain Range, or rivers of glacial runoff, you’ll have great backdrops for your special day. 
7. Ah! We almost forgot! Mount Rainier is only 2 hours from Sea-Tac International Airport, making it super accessible.

Still need some more convincing? Keep reading to check out this incredible micro wedding at Rainier, and I think we’ll have you ready to plan your next Mount Rainier adventure 😉

Getting Ready At A Packwood Airbnb

When planning your elopement or intimate wedding day, please don’t forget to schedule time for getting ready moments. Even if you aren’t getting your makeup done, or if you don’t think it’s entirely necessary, trust us when we say it is. 

These two booked an incredibly beautiful Packwood Airbnb for the two of them and their families to stay at for their micro wedding. The rental had been newly updated with an eclectic and contemporary feel. Adam and I had so much fun capturing all of the little moments during the morning, from Jessica’s mom helping her get into her wedding dress, to Ryan’s brother getting ready with him on the back deck. While I don’t agree with the term of photographer’s being “flies on the wall,” I do love hanging back for getting ready moments, and just capturing things as they unfold. Oftentimes, we help navigate our couples to find the best lighting, but then we give them the space to get ready on their own.

Our point being, if you can work some getting ready moments into the overall timeline for your day, DO IT! It’s worth it, so that you can look back and remember everything from your wedding!

Riverside First Look

After documenting J + R’s getting ready moments with their family, we took them down to a little river spot by their Airbnb. Quite a few Packwood rentals have access to the Cowlitz River, a 105-mile long river that originates from the Cascade Range and finishes its journey by emptying into the Columbia River. And if your rental doesn’t have access, there’s a newly created public access park on your way from Skate Creed Rd to Packwood!

Their family let the two of them share a private first look down by the river. From that point on, I don’t think either of them stopped staring at each other and smiling! 

First looks can be such an important part of your day, especially when inviting friends and family to your celebration. It’s a chance for the two of you to share a moment that’s just for you. We try to carve away about 15-30 minutes for first looks, so that you two can have time to enjoy each other’s undivided attention before returning to your guests.

Mount Rainier Micro Wedding Ceremony

After spending the first part of their day at their Airbnb, we all loaded into cars to drive into the park. Unfortunately, not everything goes according to plan, and half of the convoy accidentally went another direction. The other park entrance was closed, so they had to turn around, cutting almost an hour out of the evening. When we got to the park, there was another ceremony that was about to take place. Since the bride and groom were still on their way to the ceremony location, we told the other couple and their photographer to take our earlier time slot. They went ahead and said their vows while we waited, and once J + R arrived, we hustled to their designated ceremony location.

We had secured a Special Use Permit for a Mount Rainier ceremony location along a paved trail, making the trail access easier for their family members. We got permission to set up some chairs for their family members, and then got everyone ready for the ceremony. Jessica and Ryan chose to incorporate some traditional wedding aspects into their day, such as having a maid of honor and best man, as well as having a procession down the “aisle.” It was a beautiful ceremony full of love, kind words, and laughter. Keep scrolling to see the hilarious moments prior to Ryan’s first kiss with Jessica!

Toasting Their Wedding!

After their ceremony, we rushed to take some couples portraits with the fading sunshine! Then, we jumped into family photos and toasted their marriage with sparkling cider. We weren’t able to take any more sunset photos due to the time we lost from the driving debacle, so we just focused on celebrating together as the sun went down.

If you’re inviting friends and family to witness your small wedding or elopement, we always suggest building in some time to celebrate with them! This could be a fun brunch prior to getting ready for the day, a post-ceremony picnic with champagne and charcuterie, or a catered dinner after sunset for example. It’s just a great opportunity to bask in that newly-married joy with the people you love!

Hiking Sunset Portraits at Mount Rainier

Since we missed out on those epic sunset portraits with J + R (things happen on wedding days all the time that are out of everyone’s control, so it’s important to just roll with it), we added some extra coverage for another day where we could hike and take our time. After sending a few good hiking options, Jessica and Ryan chose this beautiful trail. It climbs very quickly, making it a super steep hike (we’re talking 1,500+ feet of elevation in a little over a mile). But the reward is worth the sweat! We spent the evening hiking, sharing stories, talking about newly married life, and capturing some incredible moments.

Keep scrolling to the bottom of the gallery to see Mount Rainier showing off at sunset 🤩

Full Gallery Below!

Want to see more images from this incredible elopement? Check them out below! And before we go, here’s what the couple had to say about their final gallery and film:

“OMGGGGGG THANK YOU SO MUCH! We love every single picture, and the video is PERFECT! Reliving these precious moments all morning 😍” – Jessica