Mt. Pilchuck is a super underrated peak in Washington’s North Cascades that you’ve probably never even heard of. If you have, good on ya – but if not, don’t worry, you’re about to fall in love at first sight!! Catherine + Jon chose the Mt. Pilchuck fire lookout as their elopement ceremony location and man did they make a good choice. 

These two met on Bumble a while back and Catherine told me that Jon showed up DRUNK to their first date. He thought she was going to be a Russian bot! Very romantic – a love story for the ages. On one of their first dates to a holiday party, he even introduced her as Courtney 😂. Just goes to show that first impressions aren’t always make-or-break!!

They got engaged overlooking Grinnell Glacier at Glacier National Park – she said that “he made me hike 17 miles for the ring” and it looks like that 17 miles was worth it! Then they decided to hold their intimate elopement ceremony at the top of Mt. Pilchuck and man was it an incredible day.

Catherine + Jon’s Mountain Top Elopement at Mt. Pilchuck

Getting ready in the woods

To start off the day Catherine + Jon both got ready in the woods (how else would two outdoor-lovers do it??). Catherine brought out so many beautiful details she’d prepared for the day, including a stunningggg pearl necklace, simple pearl earrings, and the prettiest floral accessories created by Golden Rod Floral. I’m obsessed with how minimal yet elegant she kept it for their hiking elopement!! She even wore an adorable pink cozy sweater that her best friend made for her – love love when couples add in their own touches to make it personal.

A first look by the water with Bruno

Once they were all dolled up & ready to go, Catherine + Jon headed out to the water with their pup, Bruno! Or should I say their child, Bruno – the poor guy hurt his paw beforehand and couldn’t come on the hike with them! 🙁 They were super bummed he couldn’t come because he’s their actual child and favorite thing in the whole world, but I’m glad he got to tag along for the first look and bring his adorable presence into some of their photos.

The ceremony at the fire lookout

We started up the 5.2-mile round trip hike to the summit of Mount Pilchuck and Catherine + Jon soon realized that the hike was way harder for them than they thought. Their officiant  (Jon’s brother) kept running ahead of us because he’s a marathon runner, and then we lost him when he took a wrong turn! But everybody pushed through and we eventually made it to the Mt. Pilchuck fire lookout, an old lookout tower that provides the most insane panoramic views of the Cascades.

They had their private ceremony on the porch of the lookout, with just their officiant, Catherine’s maid of honor (the officiant’s wife), and me there to witness – until a bunch of 21-year-olds in cowgirl hats came up the mountain for a birthday party😅 Luckily they were very polite and stayed back once they found out what we were doing!

A mountain top cake cutting + champagne pop

After the knot was tied and things were official, they all celebrated with a champagne pop & slices of the prettiest cake that Sift & Gather made, two small pale pink cakes with floral decor and yummy cupcakes to enjoy next to ‘em. The sunset we got was unreal, and then Catherine + Jon signed their marriage certificate before we headed down the mountain, with headlamps on their foreheads & their hiking gear back on!

About Mt. Pilchuck State Park

Mt. Pilchuck State Park is located in Washington’s beautiful North Cascades & features a challenging, 5.2-mile out and back hike up to the summit. The panoramic views of the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest & Cascade mountains are majestic as all hell and seriously provide one of the coolest backdrops you could ask for for a Washington mountain elopement!!

Since it’s part of a state park & it begins on Forest Service land, you’ll need a Discover Pass, a Northwest Forest pass, or an America the Beautiful pass to park at the base of Mt. Pilchuck. 

North Cascades Elopement Vendors

Cake: Sift & Gather

Florist: Golden Rod Floral

Dress: La Belle Elaine’s Bridal

Washington Elopement Planning Resources

Lookin’ for more help planning your epic Washington adventure elopement?? Have no fear – I’m kinda an expert in that area! 😉

The Best Places in Olympic National Park for Your Elopement

Washington National Park Elopement Guide: Permits & Info

The 5 Best Airbnb’s in Washington State for Airbnb Elopements