If you thought it was impossible to incorporate your favorite hobbies into your elopement day (think: video games and reading), then think again!! Luke and Cori’s summer adventure wedding at Mt. Rainier was full of enchanting locations, dreamy lighting, and lots of happy tears. Anddd one of the best champagne pops I’ve seen to date (with to-die-for views) 🍾
Luke + Cori’s Mount Rainier Adventure Wedding
Video games + snuggles in the Airbnb
Starting your elopement day by playing video games in your Airbnb is SUCH a fun idea! Luke and Cori were adorable as they snuggled up on the couch of their cozy A-frame in the woods, Nintendo switch in hand. Cori was smart and had her hair and makeup done before they got this quiet time to hang out, so she didn’t have to worry about making sure they still had enough time for that—she would be ready to go whenever it was time.
There are so many fun and unique ways like this that you can start your wedding day off together, such as:
- Reading your fave books (although, spoiler alert: Luke and Cori did that later in the day)
- Making coffee + cooking breakfast
- Listening to your favorite music + dancing in the living room
- Writing your vows
After they had plenty of cuddles on the couch and found a good stopping point in their game, Luke and Cori split up to get ready on their own. Cori had her hair up in the prettiest bun with a floral headpiece to match her jewelry, and Luke wore a clean-cut pair of suspenders with my personal favorite type of tie, a bowtie! I loved the way these two kept things simple yet classy, and they both SHINED in their chosen elopement attire. I’m always a sucker for a neutral color palette in the mountains!
A sunny ceremony at Reflection Lakes
Luke and Cori had their ceremony at Reflection Lakes, since it’s breathtaking (obviously) and also the trailhead for a hike they’d be going on later in the evening. These lakes are so beautiful even if you can’t see the reflection of Rainier in the water (we couldn’t due to the breeze), with such a lush tree line in the foreground and subalpine meadows all around. It’s important to stay on the trails at all times when you elope at Reflection Lakes, since there are lots of beautiful wildflowers!
We drove to Reflection Lakes from the Airbnb to meet their family, and then went right into the ceremony—Luke and Cori were too excited to wait any longer. Oh, and we made sure to stop at the Nisqually park entrance for pictures with the iconic Mount Rainier National Park sign!
Their friends and fam sat on benches as these two babes exchanged their vows on the lakeside, and at one point added cards with well wishes into a dedicated box mid-ceremony. This goes to show that there are plenty of spots around Mount Rainier National Park where there’s space for a ceremony with a few guests—you don’t have to elope in private if inviting loved ones is really important to you!
Check out more of my fav permitted ceremony locations on the Paradise side of Rainier here!
Sunset wedding photos at Pinnacle Peak
Once all the official stuff was done, Luke and Cori said goodbye to their fam, packed up their wedding attire, and we hit the trail off to Pinnacle Peak. This trail on the south side of Mount Rainier National Park is one of my faves, because it starts at Reflection Lakes along Stevens Canyon Road! That means you get sooo many stunning spots to take photos, starting right at the literal trailhead. The views of Mount Rainier and the Tatoosh Range were to die for as we made our way up the trail, which is about 2.5 miles round trip.
At the top, Luke and Cori put their wedding attire back on (because you gotta stay stylish even in the middle of the mountains!) and poured a couple glasses of champagne to celebrate. I’m still dying over how pretty the champagne pop turned out with the amazing sunset lighting, and the crystal clear views of Rainier in the background!
My dream: bookish wedding portrait inspo
This part of the evening deserves its own section!! You already know I’m a big reader and love me a good (cheesy) romantasy, unpredictable thriller, or cliche romance. So I was obsessed when Luke and Cori pulled out two of their favorite books for our sunset portraits on the mountaintop! Why not incorporate your love for reading and all things bookish into your wedding portraits?!
Cori flipped through House of Flame and Shadow while Luke went a little darker with a Stephen King novel, the two of them all cutesy and cuddled up with the most GORGEOUS views. Talk about the dream reading spot right there, looking out at the snow-capped ridges of Mount Rainier as golden hour shines down on the alpine valleys? I would’ve stayed there forever if I were them, tbh.
Thankfully they didn’t lol, and were still down to pull out a couple of lanterns for some romantic blue hour pics as we made our way back down the trail. The soft glow of the last bit of sunlight as it sank down beneath the mountains was unreallll. The most magical evening ever!!
Mt. Rainier Adventure Wedding Photographer
Wanna hire me to tag along on your own adventure through the magical mountains of Washington? Send me all the deetz and let’s make it happen!! Or if you wanna browse the blog a little more first, check out some of my recent posts that I think you’ll love 👇
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