Tips for How to Plan Your Hiking Elopement in 2024, including information about What a Hiking Elopement Actually Is, How to Choose Your Elopement Location, and more! Featuring day two of Elaine & Nathan’s beautiful Montana Elopement Photography.
Picture this, you wake up on the morning of your wedding, nervous but excited. There’s no crazy hubbub or nerves about walking down an aisle in front of over 100 people. Instead, you and your love get ready calmly and head off to a beautiful trailhead. We start the hike, either in your wedding clothes or with them at the ready for when we arrive, and soon arrive at an epic viewpoint. It’s enough to take your breath away, and this is where you decide to exchange your vows – surrounded by some of the best nature has to offer. No need for carefully planned decorations or styling, that’s all taken care of for you (and you can come back to see it all again any time!). You spend the rest of the day exploring. You could do more hikes, share a sweet picnic, have a first dance on a mountaintop. The sky is the limit!
Of course, you’ll still need to do a little planning, but there’s no doubt that planning a hiking elopement is a completely different experience to planning a traditional wedding. Elaine & Nathan’s two-day elopement in Glacier National Park is a beautiful example of what a hiking elopement can look like, from sweet & easy trails to more adventurous ones, and everything in-between. (If you’d like to see more, don’t forget to check out Day 1, here!).
HOW TO PLAN A HIKING ELOPEMENT 2022 | MONTANA ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY
What is a Hiking Elopement?
A hiking elopement is basically any small or intimate wedding that involves hiking! Whether you take on a mountain hike or something a little easier, a hiking elopement is a way to celebrate nature and adventure at the same time as you celebrate your wedding. It’s a beautiful way for adventurous couples and nature lovers to stay true to themselves as they make this epic commitment to each other.
How to Plan a Hiking Elopement 2022
Choose your Hiking Elopement Photographer
Technically, you could plan your hiking elopement all on your own, but more often than not your hiking elopement photographer will have a wealth of information to make planning so much easier. This is what we do! We hike year-round, with wedding clothing and heavy camera equipment in tow. We’re constantly exploring to find new trails and beautiful viewpoints where you could share your vows. Plus, we tend to be familiar with the different permits & licenses required to elope or have photos in various US National Parks.
Not to mention, your elopement photographer is the person who you’ll spend the most time with on your day (apart from your love, of course), so it’s really important that you feel good around them! We’ll also be there for you throughout the planning process, so it makes sense to start planning your hiking elopement by finding the right elopement photographer for you. If you think that could be me, I’d love to set up a call so we can get to know each other!
Decide on your Elopement Location and Timeframe
Deciding on where to elope and the best time of year for your elopement is a bit like the old chicken & egg question.
If you have your heart set on a specific date, but you’d also like warm weather, that will definitely cut down on location ideas. But, if you have your heart set on a specific location and aren’t fussy about the date, then we can choose the best time of year to hike and elope there.
That said, once you’ve got the location and timeframe locked in, you can begin planning any other little details!
How to Choose the Right Trail for your Elopement
Speaking of location, it’s super important to make sure you choose a location that’s right for your fitness and experience level. Of course, I’m all about incorporating adventure into your elopement! It’s important that you enjoy the day though – not find yourself struggling through a really difficult trail and wishing it was over. Or, if you love pushing yourself, perhaps a two-day elopement like Elaine & Nathan’s is a good idea for you! One day for more chilled out exploring, sharing your vows and making the most of easy hikes, and another day for you to take on that challenging trail. And if you’re new to hiking but love the idea? Don’t worry! I know plenty of easy, beautiful trails that are perfect for all levels, and I’d love to help you find the right spots for you.
Montana Elopement Photography
Of course, the US is home to so many incredible State and National Parks that would all make beautiful spots for your Hiking Elopement in 2022. You can choose from places as varied as Sedona National Park to Zion National Park to the Rocky Mountain National Park and so many more. One of my favorites though is Glacier National Park in Montana, which is where Elaine & Nathan chose to celebrate their very own hiking elopement.
Montana’s Glacier National Park is packed fill with beautiful hikes, all along the Going-to-the-Sun Road. It’s got everything from epic mountain ranges to roaring waterfalls, peaceful lakes to wildflower fields (if you go at the right time!). The hiking trails also really vary in difficulty levels, so there’s something for everyone, no matter your level of hiking experience.
Would you like help Planning Your 2022 Hiking Elopement? I’d love to help you create an epic plan that is unique to you, and capture all the magic as it unfolds. Just get in touch!
Did you love Day 2 of Elaine & Nathan’s Montana Elopement Photography? Let them know in the comments below!