Off-Road Elopement at Hart’s Pass and Washington Pass Overlook

Elopements

Apr 12

Are you a 4x4 vehicle lover and is your ride your first love? Excuse us, we mean second love ;). Then, maybe an off-road elopement is the perfect way for you two to adventure on your wedding day and get some rad photos!

Including your car in your wedding photos might not be everyone's cup of tea, but for all the off-road fanatics out there (Sanne waiving), it’s a way to get to the coolest and less traveled locations in the US!

off-road elopement at Hart's Pass Washington State

A few years ago, in the very early stages of our business, Kai and Blake reached out to us and told us that they absolutely loved our work and wanted us to capture their engagement photos. They showed up with their 4x4 Nissan and we drove up to Winchester Mountain in the North Cascades.

They were extremely happy with the photos we shot for their engagement session and decided pretty quickly that they wanted to hire us again as their elopement photographers. And they wanted to include their car in their wedding photos!

There was this one off-road trail I (Sanne) always dreamed of exploring. It’s called Hart’s Pass and it’s Washington's highest-maintained forest service road in the state. But unfortunately, I never got the chance. Until, drumroll, Kai & Black decided to pick this location for their wedding day.

On their day, we met up at K&B’s Airbnb for some getting-ready photos. After we finished, Kai drove in Sanne’s Jeep, and Brooke drove with Blake’sNissan up to the mountain pass. We drove up in the dark for an hour until we made it to the top. We had no clue what our surroundings looked like and when the sun started rising, the scenery blew us away. The first light of blue hour lit the area and the mountain layers, stretching as far as our eyes could see, were covered in the pink and blue tones of the morning sun. We got so excited!

Washington Elopement photographers capturing an intimate wedding in the North Cascades, Slate Peak and Hart's Pass

As we mentioned before, Kai & Blake wanted to incorporate their 4x4 car in their wedding photos because off-roading/overlanding is what they love doing the most. So, we did some brainstorming and came up with the idea to include their vehicle in their first look, which made it fun and unique. While Kai & Blake were patiently waiting on each side of their car, Brooke drove their vehicle backwards and revealed their outfits to each other.

After their first look and the exchange of their personal vows at sunrise, we drove down the pass and got surprised by all the views we didn't get to see while driving up. We found a little hidden meadow where K&B smoked a joint and enjoyed their time together before meeting up with their family members.

For their ceremony, they chose Washington Pass Overlook. This location is easily accessible and perfect for a ceremony with a bigger group. After their ceremony, we drove back to their Airbnb/accommodation. There they had a small reception with their closest friends and family members and celebrated their marriage for the rest of the day.