The Ultimate Mountain Elopement Guide: How to Get Married in the Mountains
The Ultimate Mountain Elopement Guide
how to plan an adventure wedding in the mountains
UPDATED 9/2/23
Want to get married in the mountains but have no idea where to start or how to do it? You’ve definitely come to the right place. Mountain elopements are an adventurous wedding trend stemming from the adventure elopement, which is all about turning your wedding day into a unique & adventurous wedding experience. I talk more about elopements here, but this guide is specifically talking about all things mountains!
This mountain elopement guide is filled with the best places to elope in the mountains, elopement inspiration, and a step by step guide on how to plan the perfect mountain elopement. I’ve recently updated this guide for the 2023-2024 elopement season, making it the ULTIMATE guide to help with all your future elopement planning.
KEEP SCROLLING IF YOU WANT TO LEARN EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
on how to plan a mountain elopement!
Related: Interested in a Washington mountain elopement? Check out my Washington Elopement Guide here!
The Best Mountain
Elopement Locations
First things first… can you get married on the top of a mountain?
Yes! Thousands of couples each year get married in the mountains (or on top of a mountain)- this is typically called a mountain elopement.
so where can you elope in the mountains?
Here are the top 25 best locations where you can elope in the mountains:
1. Mt. Baker Snoqualmie Forest, WA
2. Glacier National Park, MT
3. North Cascades, WA
4. Denali NP, AK
5. Olympic NP, WA
6. Grand Teton NP, WY
7. Kenai Fjords NP, AK
8. San Juan Mountains, CO
9. Wind River Mountain Range, WY
10. Mt. Hood, OR
11. Mt. Rainier NP WA
12. Mt. Shasta, CA
13. Mammoth Lakes, CA
14. Bend, OR
15. Mt. Bachelor, OR
16. Yosemite NP, CA
17. Telluride, CO
18. Breckenridge, CO
19. Stowe, VT
20. Adirondacks, NY
21. Columbia River Gorge, OR
22. Lake Tahoe, CA
23. Sequoia NP, CA
24. San Isabel National Forest, CO
25. Mount Bachelor, OR
Mountain Elopement
Step 1:
Choose Your Location
The first step in planning a mountain elopement is to choose your general location. This is definitely one of the bigger decisions you have to make related to your day- so it’s important to do your research!
When choosing a location for mountain elopement, there are a few factors to consider:
Hiking Level
Do you want a 6 mile long hike, where you change into your wedding gear at the top? Or would you prefer a short walk that is right off the road but still has the most beautiful view? Different locations have different levels of accessibility. Some locations are more known for longer & challenging hikes, well other spots have much more drive-able and accessible views!
Types of Scenery
Think about what type of mountain scenery is your favorite. Not every mountainous destination is the same, so narrow down what views are your favorite! Here are some common mountain ‘styles’:
- Alpine lake with mountains the background
- On top of a mountain with 360 degree mountain range views
- Below with towering mountains behind you
- Forests & mountains
- Wildflowers & rolling green hills
- Massive cliffs and valleys
- Rolling mountains in the background
- Snow capped mountains
Popularity of Location
Typically the more accessible of a location, the more popular it is going to be. Want to learn more about avoiding elopement crowds? Check out this blog post about avoiding crowds during your elopement.
research different mountain locations:
Start by narrowing down your location by state or country, Pinterest and Google are your friends here. The best way to search is by typing ‘best mountain views in x location’ The ‘best mountain elopement location list’ posted above is a great place to start.
Research popular hikes in those areas, the AllTrails app is a great resource to find hikes for all different expertise levels. You can search by difficulty, length, elevation gain, and it even has reviews of each hike and photographs of the area during different times of the year.
Need Help Planning your Mountain Elopement?
Feeling a bit overwhelmed with all these things to think about? That’s where I can help! As an elopement photographer, I help all my couples with scouting locations, permit info planning, and I design a customized adventure elopement guide for their day. If you’re interested in hiring an elopement photographer who can help you with all of this, fill out my contact form below to get in touch!
Mountain Elopement
Step 2:
choose Your Date
Once you choose your general elopement location, the next step is to pick the date/time of year you want to elope. Although this might seem like an easy and obvious step, you can’t just pick any date of the year (due to the climate in the mountains).
Mountainous climates & high altitudes tend to have a very short summer season. Each mountain location has varying seasons depending on it’s geographical location, so it’s important to look into this when lining up your date and location!
When is the best time of year to elope in the mountains?
Typically July-late September is the best time to elope in the mountains. This is when the weather will be most optimal and there will be limited snow. At higher elevations there is still snow on the trails in June, keeping some trails less accessible and certain roads will still be closed in the early summer season. Most mountain locations have a short fall seasons because unexpected snow fall can hit at any time as it starts to get colder- so July to September is optimal weather for elopements.
If you’re looking for a snowy mountain elopement, January-March is a great time of year to guarantee snowfall and snow activities in the mountains.
Mountain Elopement Step 3. Find Specific Locations & Apply for Permits
Now that you’ve figured out your elopement location and date- it’s time to nail down some more details! The next step is find your ceremony location and other locations you want to explore- and obtain proper permits for those areas! National & State Parks (and other public land) require permits to get married on their land, so make sure to do your research! Along with permits, popular parks tend to have specific ceremony locations that you can have your ceremony at, which can be impacted by guest count.
Related: Thinking about Eloping at Mt. Rainier National Park? Explore my Mt. Rainier Elopement Guide Here
Mountain Elopement Step 4. Choose your Elopement Activities
One of the best parts about eloping over a traditional wedding is you can do WHATEVER you want during the day. It’s about filling the day with things that make you happiest and turning the day into an experience.
The best way to figure out your elopement activities is to ask yourself these questions:
- What types of activities do my partner and I love to do?
- If we could do anything we want for a day, what would we do?
Mountain elopements give you endless opportunities of different activities you can do! Here’s are a few ideas to get you thinking:
Mountain ELOPEMENT ACTIVITY IDEAS:
Hiking
Backpacking Trip
Camping in a Fire Lookout
Off-Roading Exploration
Campfire & S’mores
Hot Tub/ Pool Session
Outdoor Picnic
Chill at a A-Frame Cabin
Paddle-boarding, Jet Skiing, Swimming
Skiing, Snowboarding, & Snowshoeing
Morning Yoga
Hire a Private Chef to cook for you
Stargazing
Adventure with your dog/pets
Helicopter Tour
Mountain Elopement Step 5: Find Local Vendors & Lodging:
Once you have a better vision for your day, it’s time to book some lodging and find vendors for your elopement! The most common types of vendors elopements include are: Photographer, Florist, Officiant, Hair and Makeup Artist, Videographer, Baker, Caterer, and Planner. You don’t need to include all of these, but pick the ones you think are most important!
ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHER ADVICE:
I know I listed hiring your vendors as step 5, but really you can start to research and hire them whenever you want! My recommendation would be to hire your photographer ASAP. I know it sounds biased saying this (because I am an elopement photographer) but hiring an elopement photographer first can save you A LOT of work because most elopement photographers help their couples with ALL the things I mentioned in the previous steps. So when looking at elopement photographers, make sure you pick someone who actually helps with planning and is experienced in elopements!
For my elopement couples, I help them find locations, get permits, choose other vendors, think of activities, find lodging, create a timeline, and SO much more. So if you’re looking for a photographer who will not only capture your day but also guide you through the planning process- learn more about my process below:
Mountain Elopement
Step 6:Guests
It’s important to think about who you want with you on your elopement day. If you can’t imagine getting married without your closest friends and family, then you should include them! If you want to learn more about the different ways to physically include your family in your elopement, read this blog post all about it here.
If you want to have friends and families at your ceremony, you might want to think about having your ceremony in a more accessible location, and then hiking and exploring with your significant other afterwards.
There are so many other ways to include your family and friends in your elopement.
How to include Guests During your Mountain Elopement:
Facetime family while you are getting ready for your elopement
Have a separate ceremony at a more accessible location in the mountains, and then hike with your partner alone afterwards
Elope just the two of you and have a big party/celebration when you get home
Have a traditional wedding ceremony and then during your honeymoon, say your vows on top of a mountain
Bring just a handful of your closest friends and family to your mountain top elopement
the most important thing is planning your mountain elopement around what will make you happiest.
Mountain Elopement
Step 7:
Create a Timeline
Depending on the location you choose for your elopement, there is so much more to your day than just the ceremony. I know I mentioned this earlier, but elopements are about turning your whole day into an experience- and there are so many ways to do that.
Your elopement day is an entire story, not just the ceremony. It’s about the moments when you get ready and haven’t seen each other yet, it’s about the first look moment you saw each other for the first time. The in-between moments hiking & exploring the mountains and the time you celebrated with family. All of your day deserves to be remembered, which is why it’s so important have a proper timeline and photography coverage. These photos you’ll look back on for the rest of your life and show everyone who couldn’t be there with you.
sample timeline for a sunrise mountain elopement:
4:00am: Meet at Trailhead
4:15am: Start Hiking Up
5:45am: Arrive at Top, start getting dressed
6:15am: Sunrise First Look
6:30am: Golden Hour Exploring & Photos
7:30am: Make Coffee, Eat Breakfast, Hangout
8:30am: Head to Second Location
9:45am: Vow Ceremony
10:15am: Photos & Adventuring
11:30am: Hike Back Down
1:00pm: Head back to Airbnb
1:30pm: Lunch, Hot Tub, Celebrate & Hangout
3:00pm: End Photography Coverage
Mountain Elopement
Step 8:
Have an EPIC wedding day!
And that’s it! now it’s time to have the most epic and breath-taking wedding day possible! if you’re looking for an elopement photographer to help guide you through the process and capture your day, contact me below!
Mountain Elopement
Packages
Are you ready to start planning your mountain elopement? One of the next steps is to find an elopement photographer who can help you plan & capture your day! If you’re looking for a photographer who captures those authentic moments between the two of you on your day, I’m your girl! Here are my elopement photography packages for couples looking for someone to help them plan & photograph their adventurous wedding day!
FULL DAY ADVENTURE ELOPEMENTS
The full day adventure elopement packages start at 8 hours and are for couples looking for a full day adventure in the outdoors while capturing the story of their day with just themselves or with close friends and family. These packages include full planning assistance to find the perfect location, create a custom timeline, and guide you through the elopement planning process.
Includes:
- 8 hours, 10 hours, or 2 Day Elopement Photography
- Personalized Adventure Guide & Location List
- Elopement Planning Handbook
- Custom Timeline Creation
- Option to include both sunrise & sunset in your day
- High Resolution Gallery of Photos
Starting at $6000
HALF DAY VOW CEREMONY & GOLDEN HOUR ADVENTURE:
This elopement experience is for couples who want to say their vows in an amazing location & take adventure photos at golden hour. Couples who choose this option are looking for a simple elopement experience and don’t want full day coverage/planning offered in the other elopement packages.
Includes:
- 4 Hours of Photography Coverage
- Location List of set locations nearby
- High Resolution Gallery of Photos
Starting at $3900
Hey, I’m Amanda
I’m an adventurous travel elopement photographer who believes in experiencing all that life has to offer. I truly love connecting with my couples and capturing their relationship authentically and genuinely.
I truly believe your wedding day should ONLY be filled with things that will make you blissfully happy.