A rainy ceremony in the mountains, dramatic portraits at an ice cave, a lush rainforest adventure, and a candlelit pizza dinner. . . count me in! Avery and Josh had everything required for the most magical Granite Falls ice caves elopement ever, and I was sooo happy to be along for the adventure.

Avery + Josh’s Moody Granite Falls Elopement

Getting ready at Canyon Creek Cabins

Avery and Josh stayed at the Canyon Creek Cabins, where they got ready separately the morning of their elopement. The views from their cabin, cabin #1, were SO stunning, looking out at the lush greenery and cloudy skies that drizzled rain onto everything in sight. I was obsessed with how much natural light we got while Avery was getting her hair + makeup done, and Josh was putting on his suit—the prettiest and most peaceful space to ground yourself on the morning of such a big day!

Plus, the three Canyon Creek Cabins are a dream come true for eloping couples: they’re only an hour away from Seattle, they each have a private hot tub facing the river, AND they’re dog-friendly. Did I mention the cozy 1970s-fishing-cabin vibe they give off? It’s because—shocker—cabins #1 and #3 were actually originally built in the 70’s as fishing cabins! This is the perfect place to stay whether you’re eloping on your own, or with a few guests and you want to keep everyone close together. It’s also super easy to get to BEAUTIFUL spots on the South Fork of the Stillaguamish River, where Avery and Josh had their first look!

A moody ceremony along Mountain Loop Highway

The picnic and meadow area near the trail to the Big Four Ice Caves (along the scenic Mountain Loop Highway) made for the most perfect ceremony spot for Josh and Avery! With Big Four Mountain in the background—and covered in dramatic clouds + fog, I might add—the lush meadow was the dreamiestttt setting for these two to exchange their vows. They invited a small group of guests to be a part of the ceremony, only the people who mattered most, and everyone watched with tears in their eyes.

Can’t decide whether you wanna invite guests to your elopement or not? I got you, go read this guide next. . . and then let me tell you why eloping on your own isn’t selfish HERE!

Dramatic elopement portraits at the Big Four Ice Caves

The Big Four Ice Caves are probably one of the COOLEST places we have in Washington that’s accessible via a relatively quick trail. So after Avery and Josh claimed their newlywed status, we split off from their fam and friends for a little adventure to the ice caves in private! When I say I made these two stop every few steps for photos, haha—the boardwalk, the bridge, the gravel path to the caves. . . literally everywhere was gorgeous and worthy of documenting. Once we got to the ice caves themselves, the clouds had risen just enough to let the snow-covered caves peek through for the moodiest of moody portraits. You’d never know it was a summer day in the middle of June, and honestly that’s the magic of the PNW at work!

A candlelit dinner back at the Airbnb

We headed back to their cabin to end the evening surrounded by their loved ones, sitting around a candlelit table in the dark enjoying pizza, champagne, beers, and emotional toasts. All wrapped up in cozy blankets, Avery and Josh cheersed to the big day and signed their marriage license to make things official. Bigggg fan of couples who come up with a cute way to have dinner on their elopement day, like this gorgeous nighttime setup that these two did, or even a cutesy elopement picnic out in nature!

How to Elope in Granite Falls at the Big Four Ice Caves

This is honestly one of my favorite and lesser-known locations in Washington for an epic elopement! The trail to the ice caves is fairly short and easy, meaning it’s accessible for any guests you might want to bring along, and the views are gorgeous every step of the way. Sooo to convince you to elope at this unique spot (and make your life easier), I wrote a guide to How to Elope in Granite Falls at the Big Four Ice Caves, with everything you need to know about the area!

Inside this easy-to-read guide, I tell you more about:

• How to hike to the caves
• The best time of year to elope at the caves
• Cozy places to stay in the area (including the other two Canyon Creek Cabins)

Plus my top 5 tips for eloping at the Big Four Ice Caves. Give it a read here if you’re craving more planning tips, reccs, and inspo!

Granite Falls Ice Caves Elopement Photographer

I would be remiss not to mention that I’m an experienced Granite Falls ice caves elopement photographer who’s ready to tag along for your adventure! I’ll show you all the best spots in Granite Falls, tell you how hot you look in front of the freezing cold ice caves, and capture you all snuggled up in your cozy cabin at the end of the night. Sound like a plan? Let’s make it happen!

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Another one of my favorite, underrated elopement locations in WA is Index, a cute little town in Snohomish County  along the Skykomish River. Read all about how to elope in Index here!