Magical Washington Elopement // Aly + Karle
Planning a wedding is a crazy thing under the best of circumstances. There are so many different moving parts to a machine that you never thought about until you are neck deep in fabric swatches, color palettes, and pinterest boards. There are meetings and phone calls and tours. There are guest lists and fittings and negotiations. All of the decisions, big and small, really add up and can take a mental and emotional toll. It can be a total minefield of relational politics (if we invite this person do we have to invite that person?) and again that is when there is not a global pandemic and world wide lock downs and restrictions.
So what is it like to plan a wedding when there shutdowns and quarantines are par for the course?
Or more accurately: what is it like to completely throw the wedding of your dreams (that you planned BEFORE COVID) out the window and put together something else entirely?
Well. Maybe you should ask Aly and Karle.
When I was first brought on board to capture the love story of these two magical creatures the idea was as simple as it could be considering we were in different time zones. There would be engagement photos in the cherry blossoms of Seattle in April. We would play board games and they would invite friends. We would eat food and explore and have spontaneous photo adventures through it all.
Then in September we would head to the Grand Tetons with the most select family and friends, a small wedding already, and spend two days hiking and creating gorgeous images together. There were so many things and ideas we talked about, dreamed about. From early in 2019 we started plotting just what was important to them and what wasn’t. We had a game plan. I had airfare and rental cars lined up. Then COVID-19 hit.
Everything was put on hold.
The cherry blossoms in April bloomed and fell without any magical photo excursions or epic board game parties. There were no planes boarded, invitations ordered, or images created. Like the rest of the world, these wedding plans were on hold indefinitely.
Then, slowly, as the world began its grinding restart decisions had to be made.
The Tetons were out. The spaces we were going to use were closed until at least 2021. On top of that Washington state (where the bride and groom took residence) also had pretty tight restrictions on group gatherings which meant that the guest list (already comparatively small) would have to be cut even further. Enter the politics of wedding invitations.
If you have ever planned an event of any type then you know there are different levels and categories of who gets priority and who doesn’t. On top of that there is always the fun and wonderful task of ranking those who might score and invite. Family only? What family then? Siblings or no? Aunts? Uncles? Cousins? Second cousins? The removed? What about God parents and that one friend of your mom that was basically an aunt? And suddenly the small group you were sure was going to be so easy to throw together is anything but.
So what to do?
Aly and Karle wanted to get married but there were so many wrenches in the machine that it was difficult to see any way that the wedding they had dreamed for over a year ago could happen the way they had planned.
Now a note about the wonderfulness that is Aly and Karle.
These kids are fearless. They love to adventure and are avid explorers. I mean for heck’s sake they got engaged while attempting to summit Mount Kilimanjaro! So these two are NOT the kind that just lay down and say die when the going gets tough. If anything they level up and press in harder. So when it came to their wedding there was no exception to this rule.
Once the initial strangeness and shock of a global shutdown faded and social distancing allowed some hope of participation in the outside world hese two came to me with an interesting proposition.
What if instead of the intimate wedding they had planned – they switched the dates up a bit and eloped in their home state of Washington? Would I come? Would I be okay traveling to and then with them? It would just be them, the officiants, and me. I’d have to sign as a witness on the marriage certificate. Would I do that for them?
I had to make a choice. Was I going to chicken out from this once in a lifetime opportunity to photography this couple in a completely unique setting and scenario? It was a photographer’s dream except for the pandemic part so I weighed my options and took the leap. I was invested. I wanted to capture this love story.
So without looking back I re-booked my tickets (that were changed several times due to airline craziness in this wild time) and prepped accordingly.
Before I knew it the time had come to jump on the plane and head up to Washington.
I met Aly and Karle at our hotel the night before the wedding and went through last minute details (as well as a long conversation about the enneagram, but that is an entirely different topic).
It was a surreal feeling to sit across from them on the eve of their wedding. After the facebook video chats, skype calls, and zoom meetings - we were sitting face to face. After so much back and forth, turmoil and trouble, the day was almost here! I could feel my excitement rising through me even though I’d been traveling for eight straight hours. This was happening!
When it came down to it I slept about as well as a kid on Christmas Eve the night before (and not because of the train that passed right by the hotel in the middle of the night several times). I was just so ready for the day to start!
Aly and Karle had asked a pair of their equally (if not moreso) adventurous friends to officiate their ceremony (shout out to Celina and Drew!). At the hotel on the morning of the wedding the boys and girls split hotel rooms like middle school dance. Hair and makeup started in the girls’ room as the lounging and relaxing started in the dude’s room.
There are so many things I love about elopements and one of those is that there is plenty of time to capture all of the little details that the couple have brought along.
Beautiful details like the bride’s ring that was a joining of so many different parts of her life. Pieces of her own engagement band were worked together with her mother’s original diamond, and her grandmother and grandfather’s wedding bands to create a 100% unique ring that speaks of generations of love and commitment.
Pandemic details like the Mr. and Mrs. masks that they brought on the hike to wear after the knot was tied.
The sweet little notes and vows they wrote to each other.
The entire environment was an inspiring mix of heightened energy and relaxed ease.
Instead of the usual rushed or tight wedding timeline we could go at our leisure. If hair and makeup took a few minutes too long we were not catching up for the rest of the day.
It was such a delight!
The guys and gals took different cars up to the appointed meeting area that was so far north I was pretty sure I could see Canada if I squinted. The first was Picture Lake (yeah it is as pretty as it sounds. Check the pictures below) where we did a first look with the mountains looking on. It was a sweet and special moment as I feel both Karle and Aly experienced the sweet relief and excitement of knowing that even if the world was a crazy mess - they had each other.
They were ready.
They had made their plans, had those plans turned on their heads, and ended up in a place where the only thing that was the same was the photographer (me) and that they were getting married to each other. If I said I wasn’t honored I would be lying.
After the first look we drove some more and started hiking. All of us in our formal attire we made our way as a quintet in a region so far north I felt wasn’t entirely sure I could be there without a passport. Regardless we dogged up into the Pacific Cascade mountains to find the perfect place. There were many well-wishers and cell phone snaps from strangers during the journey (after all it is not every day that a movie star looking couple tramp down trails).
The sun beat down on us on this unusually clear day. Our only reprieve was the occasional shade and gentle breeze wafting through the pines. There was a slight haze in the distance, a reminder of fires that were raging up and down the coast, but visibility remained good. Celina and Aly made sure to introduce me to the snow capped mountains around us. I remember thinking how strange it was to see snow when I was sweating so profusely in a short sleeved dress! Regardless of the heat or discomfort we felt we soldiered on.
Another lovely thing about being an elopement we were able to take our time finding the perfect spot for the ceremony (including Celina climbing like a mountain goat and scouting the best of the best for us!) and when we were ready to start (even though some vows were left in the car and had to be retrieved – DREW TO THE RESCUE!) it wasn’t a big deal. We made the most of the time and enjoyed the shade on the unexpectedly warm Washington day (80+ degrees in September, what!?).
The energy was very relaxed and excited all at once.
No moment encapsulated this feeling more than the moment where Drew RAN back (in slacks and dress shoes, by the way) with the missing vows, Celina got us to the perfect spot, and it was showtime. This was happening. Karle and Aly were getting married. Global pandemic be dashed to heck!
The funny thing about the spontaneity of elopements is the gravity shifts quickly. Without the strictness of schedules or timelines the start of the ceremony can catch you breathless with the reality that oh. Oh. Oh! This is it!
That is a bit of what happened in those gorgeous Pacific Cascades with Mount Shucksan (I called it Mount Suction) looking on. Our merry, joking band shifted from a haphazard group of adventurers to a sweetly solemn collective prepared to usher and witness this transformation of two to one.
It was there on that gorgeous secret place off the trail of Artist’s Point that Aly and Karle officially became mister and missus. The vows and smiles and tears were precious, unrehearsed, and lovely. There was no audience besides the officiants, me, nature, and God. On top of that Drew and Celina even managed to work Lord of the Rings into the marriage charge which was pretty cool. 😊
All in all it was everything you can hope a wedding ceremony to be: authentic, sincere, and honest.
It could have felt strange to not have any applause or cheers when the ceremony was over and it was sealed with a kiss, but somehow for Aly and Karle it felt so right to have just the excitement of Celina and Drew along with the rushing breeze amidst the pines. This couple, faced with challenge after challenge in regards to their wedding, had done it and they had done it on their terms.
Afterwards we had such fun creating beautiful portraits before driving back to our hotel and catching the sunset on the pier (shoutout to Koa the puppy that makes an appearance!) for a champagne moment. As the sun set on this unusually clear Washington day it was clear that this was something extraordinary.
The dinner was so much fun complete with a Star Wars cake served by a waitress that had changed her last name to “Skywalker” (hey Abby!) and many great laughs.
The next day (after a bit of rest) Aly, Karle, and I headed back up to the beautiful mountains to hike to Lake Ann. It again was a warm, mostly clear day. The haze from the fires was more prominent than it had been the day before on their wedding but we were determined! It was not the most difficult hike by far, but for a Kansas girl who has to search for hills this Washington terrain was a bit of a challenge. Needless the say the views at the end were breathtaking and worth every gasping breath and bead of sweat.
Much more valuable was just how much the couple lit up during all of this.
You could tell this is something that they not only love doing but that they love doing together. It was so fun and energizing to be with humans that were celebrating their love by doing something they both enjoyed together in exploring new territory and hiking to beautiful, previously unseen places.
When we arrived up at Lake Ann we could hear the waterfalls from the glacier off of Mount Shucksan (and see them too!). Lake Ann itself was crystal clear. Her water frigid but welcoming after the punishing climb up the rocks to her banks. I stripped off my shoes and socks and waded to my ankles for a refreshing cool down.
After we indulged in water and snacks the fun of the shoot began!
We covered it all from cute moments, to connected moments, to playing a spontaneous game of tag on the rocks (which Aly and Karle completely committed to!). We got so many amazing pictures in such a short window of time that it honestly feels like we shot for hours. Also captured towards the end were some of the photos from our hike out.
On that outward hike there was:
A double Pika spotting
A potential bear threat (Karle managed that bear spray like a PRO)
300 adorable moments
9,129 incredible views
One insanely cute couple
Honestly I have written over two thousand words about these two days and still have not covered everything I want to say.
Mostly what I want you to know is that this was a magical few days that I will not soon forget.
I suppose I just wonder how can you encapsulate all you take from an adventure like this to a single blog post? For as much as I give my couples, I feel that they always give me more.
If nothing else, only this:
Ladies, find yourself someone who looks at you like Karle looks at Aly.
Gentlemen, find yourself someone that smiles at you the way Aly smiles at Karle.
Now enjoy some photos
