Imagine this. The reddest huckleberry fields you ever did see on a mountain top. A lookout cabin all to yourselves. Helping each other get ready and stealing a quiet moment before gathering with all your favorite people. This is exactly what Lu and Ian got to experience! From the moment I first met them at a mutual friend’s wedding, they were the sweetest adventure couple. They were go-with-the-flow, enjoy-the-beautiful-surroundings kind of people. That’s why I knew their elopement would be so beautiful and so full of love.

The morning of the elopement, I met Lu and her bridesmaids at a local airbnb cabin. The girls helped each other put on make up and get ready in the most gorgeous morning light through the giant two-story high windows. At the airbnb, we got a few first looks of Lu with family members and the bridesmaids. But we quickly got going for our morning hike. Ian and his groomsmen had camped out there the night before for a night apart from his bride-to-be, so he met us there. At the trailhead, we got reorganized and packed the flowers and the formal clothes in a large backpack and hiked straightaway to the lookout to maximize our time up there.

It was a weekday so the trail was nowhere near crowded except for a couple of local hikers. Lu and Ian got the lookout all to themselves and took their time to get ready, savoring the last few moments they had with each other before they officially became husband and wife. They soaked in the gorgeous North Cascades mountain views, scrambled on rocks, munched on wild blueberries, and simply enjoyed the morning together. We laughed together and shared stories, got all their formal and candid portraits even under the bright midday sun.

On our way back to the cars, we stopped a couple times for a few more pictures of the adventurous couple. Back in town, their family and friends had already set up the ceremony and reception, ready to get the party rolling as soon as Lu and Ian got back. It was the best of both worlds, an intimate time prior to the small wedding festivities gathered with 60 of their closest friends and family, sharing vows under the arch that Lu’s father built for them as they embarked on a new chapter of life as a married couple. There were so many little touches from a handpainted guest book and pictures of their childhood strung around reception area. It’s a testament to the support of their love and what a wonderful, thoughtful way to celebrate the couple!

Photography: Cherlyn Eliza Photo

Dress: Handmade

Hair and makeup: Friends

Floral Arrangement: Friends