Mountain Adventure Elopement in the Idaho Rocky Mountains

maggiegracephotography

1 year ago

When Paige and Joseph wrote to me about planning their amazing Rocky Mountain Adventure Elopement in the fall, I was thrilled. Fall is my favorite season to photograph a mountain adventure elopement. Unlike the business of summer season, National Parks and mountain recreational areas tend to taper off with tourists. Finding an elopement location in the Rocky Mountains can feel overwhelming, but I always recommend fall for the best weather, lower crowds, and incredible colors! Also, fall just feels romantic! Give me all the fall elopements. Leaves, coffee, cozy sweaters- I love it all.

Adventure Elopement Location Ideas: Idaho Rocky Mountains

Most people think of Montana or Wyoming first when they think of the Rocky Mountains. I get it! Colorado is famous for having amazing mountains and the tallest mountain peaks in the lower 48. I won’t deny that! And Montana is home to my favorite National Park, Glacier National Park. Both states are incredible with so much to offer. However, if you are like Paige and Joseph, you might be craving a quieter, more remote experience. Idaho is lesser known, but just as amazing. The Idaho Sawtooths contain so much beauty in its majestic mountains. It’s also a little more affordable than its neighbors ;). Paige and Joseph dreamed of a mountain adventure elopement where they could feel like the only people in the world. I promised I could give them that experience in Idaho!

First Look: Mountain Top Portraits

I like to tell couples who are eloping that they can still make their entire day feel SPECIAL, despite not having guests. To me, that means planning a super special first look and planning exciting moments to look forward to on your day. Paige and Joseph wanted to see one another for the first time in the Rocky Mountains, not at their adorable A Frame cabin. So, I drove the bride in my car. And Joseph drove their car separately. I spent weeks sending them photos of my favorite locations in the area! And sure enough, the very top of the mountain ended up being their favorite spot where they decided to share an emotional first look. With the entire valley behind them, moody rain clouds, and gorgeous pine trees, they shared a private moment all alone seeing one another.

Alpine Lake Ceremony & Vows

I hoped to find the perfect high alpine lake in the Rocky Mountains for their vow exchange and adventure elopement ceremony. I scouted every alpine lake in the area, including several that required a 10+ mile hike. One day, I stumbled upon this GORGEOUS like only 15 minutes up a gorgeous trail by Redfish Lake. This tiny lake is one of many along the Bench Lakes. The lake itself is a deep aquamarine color and completely aqua. The colors alone are amazing and blew me away. As Joseph and Paige exchanged vows, it slowly began to rain. The storm clouds passed the mountains as these two locked eyes and promised to support one another through every trial and obstacle in life. The deep respect and love they share was so inspiring. Their vows are truly ingrained in my heart because they were so special. I cried as I took photos and felt my tears mix with the raindrops!

Bride & Groom Portraits by the Lake

After they were officially pronounced married, we filled out their marriage certificate! Then, after making everything legal, we took a few portraits by the lake before the rain came. I encouraged Joe and Paige to bring a cake and champagne to enjoy at the lake before sunset. After photographing more than 75 mountain adventure elopement, I have learned that building in time for a couple completely alone without me or a camera around is valuable. I love being an adventure elopement photographer because I can help couples plan these intentional experiences. Every couple who works with me gets at least 30 minutes of time completely alone. Also, I think it’s important to take a moment to be still and present. When I returned after giving them some alone time, they asked if they could share a spontaneous first dance. A large storm cloud was closing in, but they were all smiles and said they didn’t care. They played Noah Kahan over their bluetooth and sure enough- it started to rain. I tried to capture the delicate raindrops on the lake as they danced on the beach.

Sunset Golden Hour Couple Portraits

On the way home back to their A Frame rental house to hot tub and relax, I warned J + P that if I saw some stunning light, I might pull over at a moment’s notice. After driving up the pass through a horrible storm, we descended back into a valley and were greeted with the most INSANE pink and puprle skies. I turned on my blinker and pulled over as fast as I could in a gorgeous meadow. Joseph and Paige jumped out of their car and we ran around in the meadow taking sunset golden hour portraits for a few moments. As an adventure elopement photographer, I love watching couples enjoy the last light of the day when all the nerves and stress are gone. Allowing them a moment just to cuddle and laugh and bask in the energy of an amazing mountain adventure elopement was perfect.

Adventure Elopement Photographer

A lot of people ask me: what is the difference between an adventure elopement photographer and a wedding photographer?

Yes, I photograph both adventure elopements and weddings. But, they are very different and to many people’s surprise, I do not price elopements at a significantly lower cost. Why? Hiring an adventure elopement photographer is almost like hiring an elopement planner as well. When I work with my clients, I help plan their mountain adventure elopement days. From recommending personalized vendors, creating a timeline, location scouting to find the best ceremony and photo locations, and so much more- I am much more active behind the scenes. However, as a wedding photographer, a wedding planner handles a lot of the backend work while I focus on photographing a large wedding party.

An adventure elopement photographer is also an expert on creating once in a lifetime experiences. I am an expert at creating an amazing experience for my clients because I am knowledgeable about recreation, wildlife, trails, and more. Also, I spend hundreds of hours studying maps and trails to find the best adventure elopement locations and photo spots.