Melissa and Tommy’s Pinnacle Peak adventure elopement was one of the, well… peaks of my elopement photography career 😉 Sorry, I had to! But seriously: it was such a beautiful fall day at Mt. Rainier, with a cozy celebration at Packwood Brewing to end the night. Keep reading for all the Pinnacle Peak elopement + brewery reception inspo!

Melissa + Tommy’s Pinnacle Peak Adventure Elopement

A cozy cabin morning at the Brewery Lofts

Melissa and Tommy’s elopement started and ended at the same spot: Packwood Brewing Co., a cute little local brewery that serves delish homemade food, award-winning craft beers, and even sometimes hosts live music. It’s such a great place to celebrate after your elopement in or near Mt. Rainier National Park, since it’s just 12 miles from the Stevens Canyon Entrance!

Fun fact about Packwood Brewing Co.: they actually offer on-site lodging, too! Yes, you can stay the night in the same place where you guzzle down beers after your ceremony—the dream, haha. No need to coordinate transportation or hop in a limousine at the end of the evening, you can literally just head into your loft and enjoy the picturesque, cozy spaces. And, you can obviously get ready inside of your loft just like Melissa and Tommy did. We had sooo much fun making use of the gorgeous loft space the morning of their elopement, including some couch snuggles and coffee in the kitchen before they went their separate ways to get dressed.

Check out the two beautiful lofts they have available here (one of which has amazing views of Rainier)!

Anyway, I loved joining Melissa and Tommy while they got ready here; it had all the rustic, charming mountain cabin vibes that they were envisioning for their adventure elopement. One of my favorite details to take photos of was their vows—they had them printed on this cool, vintage-y paper instead of in traditional vow books/on the Notes app on their phones! Plus, it made for a great prop to use in their detail shots, along with their beautiful rings, jewelry, RSVP, and fall-toned bouquet. 10/10 recommend spending quality time together like this before you get ready, so you can experience all the excitement and anticipation of the morning before the official stuff begins!

A picturesque elopement ceremony at Pinnacle Peak

After their adorable first look in their elopement attire, right outside of the brewery, we headed off to Mt. Rainier National Park to hike to their ceremony spot. Melissa and Tommy chose Pinnacle Peak Trail for their elopement day hike, which takes you from Reflection Lakes up to a saddle between Pinnacle Peak and Plummer Peak. It was glorious as ever on this early October day, with red wildflowers and autumn foliage lining the trail as we climbed up. The mountain was a liiittle shy, but she showed off all her dramatic snowy ridges the majority of the time we were taking photos, even if the peak was covered by clouds. 

Melissa and Tommy exchanged their vows as they admired the incredible view, and then we explored the entire rocky area up at the peak for some stunning mountaintop portraits. The sun came out intermittently for a few brighter shots, but honestly, the cloudy, foggy skies gave us such dreamy overcast light! It reallyyy made the fall colors pop, and it gave us the perfect weather for the next portion of this day: a post-ceremony picnic. You know I love it when couples add a picnic to their elopement—so much, in fact, that I wrote a whole separate blog about it!

We found a pretty little spot near the trees and the wildflowers to set up a blanket, and Melissa + Tommy enjoyed bagels, champagne, and energy drinks to fuel the journey back to their Airbnb. They were adorable as they changed back into their hiking attire and helped each other pack up for the trek! Not sure who gave them permission to look so cute while hiking down a mountain, lol.

A post-elopement party at Packwood Brewing Co.

Melissa and Tommy didn’t want to spend their whole day in private, so they joined back up with friends and family at Packwood Brewing for a small reception. It was laid-back, chill, and the most amazing way to wrap up the day & invite their favorite people to celebrate with them.

I loved how they kept the whole national park theme going throughout the night, with their custom decor inspired by the classic national park sign: “Our Next Adventure” for the cake topper, “Welcome to Our Adventure” at the welcome table, and “The Adventure Begins “ for guest favors—which were the most precious little packets of wildflower seeds, btw. And did I mention that, in addition to their cake, they handed out packets of Nerds gummy clusters as a sweet treat? Obsessed. Give me more wedding candy bars/buffets!!

Pinnacle Peak Elopement Photographer

That’s me! Hi, I’m Bree, your fave new adventure partner, thriller reader, and reality TV watcher. Oh, and your Pinnacle Peak elopement photographer, of course 😉 

If you’re dreaming of a personalized, stress-free, and intentional elopement among some of Washington’s most insane mountain views, I’d love to show you all my fav spots in this amazing park. Get in touch now and let’s make it happen!

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Want to plan your own epic Mt. Rainier adventure elopement? My Ultimate Mt. Rainier Elopement Guide will make it a whole lot easier for ya!