Anniversary Bridals in the North Cascades
One of the best things about being an adventure elopement photographer is that every single event is unique. Couples have their own stories and personalities, even returning to the same location yields different experiences. This hiking bridal session for Casey and Derek’s anniversary in the North Cascades of Washington was no different. When we first got in touch and started to discuss ideas, I knew this was going to be epic. Casey and Derek were celebrating eight years of marriage and thought this would be a great time to renew their vows.
They are avid hikers. So avid that they almost always take their two little girls, who are only ages two and four, on year round hikes. I knew they were up for an awesome anniversary adventure. We had originally aimed to catch the end of the wildflower season in August but after deciding to push it back and really put in some good work, Casey and I searched around for hikes that would work for late September with fall colors instead. Casey also decided to mix it up and use a different dress than the one she wore on their wedding day. She did a fantastic job searching online for budget friendly gowns that looked amazing and we were both stoked on the one she selected. Rather than the black tux Derek wore on their wedding day, this go around he chose a solid gray. I thought this would help stand out rather than blend into the background for the environment we chose to shoot in.
This particular hike is a favorite of theirs and with good reason. The hike is a total leg killer as you climb 4,000’ in 4 miles to reach the top, but the views are worth the sweat equity. We decided to shoot on a weekday to mitigate the odds of having crowds, which is always one of the best tips to employ for your elopement, anniversary, or session of any kind. We paused at various spots along the way as the views just got better and better. Upon reaching the top we took a few minutes to relax, take in the hard earned views, and enjoy some hearty snacks before Casey and Derek changed into their formal attire.
One fundamental pier of being a photographer that I’ve always been conscious of, but have found even further appreciation for as of late, is documenting life organically. While it’s arguably impossible to be entirely unbiased as storytellers since we have agency over how and what we photograph, to me this means including all areas of the narrative spectrum, both good and bad. So, I’ll let you in on a secret. Casey and Derek had intended to renew their vows for our photo session, but frankly weren’t able to get them written in time due to the acute reality of raising children, running a business, and all the other busy factors of life. To be honest though, we all laughed it off and even saw this as a blessing in disguise for a couple reasons. They were slightly on the fence about whether to renew their vows this year or wait until their ten year anniversary. It’s awesome to go with whatever feels right and not be influenced by superficial factors, but at the same time ten years of marriage is a wonderful accomplishment and seems an appropriate time for a vow renewal. They still wanted to do photos though. Casey was also happy to wait because, as I mentioned, we found so many awesome hikes and locations to do photos that now she’s happy we can do another epic photo session down the road at one of the other locations.
The cloud inversions were so beautiful, but shortly after Casey and Derek were dressed and we began shooting we had some weather move in on us. That’s one thing about the Pacific Northwest. You never know when the weather might change but sometimes that’s half the fun. The rain began falling at a steady rate, but we just smiled our way through it. I was really impressed with Casey and Derek’s positive attitudes and their willingness to embrace whatever happened which is one of the best mindsets to have during any photo session. The rainy images foster such a cool atmosphere too and sometimes end up being some of, not only mine, but the couples’ favorites. Thankfully we lucked out as the rain didn’t last more than fifteen or twenty minutes before dissipating. The views appeared to be clearer at a lower point we had passed on the way up, so we hiked back down a few minutes to our second location. We all couldn’t stop remarking how amazing the mountain peaks surrounding us were. We took photos, cracked some beers from our favorite local brewery, Redhook, and danced beneath the mountains.
As we began our hike back to the car the sunset broke through beneath the clouds and was so beautiful to take in. We had to pause one more time to set up the hammock and chill with the sunrise. It’s funny how you remember so many little moments that accompany the photos. Derek made a joke about feeling like a bear burrito as they were wrapped up in the hammock. Hiking down in the dark with our headlamps was a wonderful way to end the day and I couldn’t be more grateful for this time with Casey and Derek. I have a feeling this won’t be our last adventure together and can’t wait to photograph their vow renewal, for real this time, in a few years.
Hey, I’m Warren and this is my why behind everything I do!
I believe this is where it all starts and is at the heart of everything, so let me tell you. I have a soft spot for sentimentality and I think love is awesome. I’m so grateful that I discovered photography early in life because I’ve been able to document my own journey in a creative fashion. For that reason, I have a strong passion for giving that same experience to others and take great pride in getting the responsibility of documenting their stories. Each picture has a story or feeling behind it and I love to capture that novelty. Arresting those moments in time allows us to remember and feel more intensely. I know how much I value that and enjoy passing that along to others through photography. I would love to be a part of telling your story.