Secret Elopement at a Stunning Washington Waterfall
Mr. & Mrs. eloped in secret in Washington at a beautiful waterfall! They took a break from their busy jobs in Texas to fly to Washington for a weekend trip to get married! They knew they wanted to get married some where fun and in nature even before COVID. Originally they thought they might have a destination wedding, but something really with no-pressure and intimacy, but they didn’t want to hurt their family by not allowing them to be there. So they secretly tied the knot their way and plan to do a traditional reception/gathering with their family next year that will be so special to them in so many different ways! Mr. and Mrs. met at a mutual friends party that was SNL themed where she was dressed as Kristin Wig’s character and he was dressed as Adam Sandler’s character. It’s quite fitting that these two met at a party based around a comedic theme because Mr. has one of the biggest, most contiguous joy filled laughs I have ever head and Mrs. has the most room brightening genuine smile. That night made a lasting impression on them and there was for sure immediate chemistry. The next day Mr. asked Mrs. went out on their first date to the symphony in Texas. Mrs. didn’t realize that she was about to get involved in a two year long distant relationship! As fate would have it though, Mr. would move to Texas and the two of them would start their lives together in Houston. Soon after Mr. moved to Texas he gave Mrs. a huge surprise by proposing to her on her birthday in front of some of their closest friends.
The two picked Washington as their secret elopement location after chatting about places neither of them had been yet, but both had always wanted to go. As they started diving into locations within Washington they found photos of elopements at Snoqualmie falls and fell in love with the idea of eloping at a waterfall for its sheer power of movement. We started planning and finding the perfect locations. Mr. and Mrs. prepared to self-solemnize for their ceremony since they were keeping their elopement secret. The day before the elopement they flew into Seattle and spent the morning at the market getting flowers and tasting a bit of Seattle. They shared beautiful vows to each other and I pronounced them Husband and Wife. They shared a first dance on a rock in the middle of the river to Alicia Keys “If I Ain’t Got You.” As they came back to shore to get ready to finish the hike to the falls a family walked by and was able to sign as their witnesses. It’s so fun the joy that elopements bring on trail, people are always so excited to sign as a witness! We started out hiking into the forest from the river to the falls. It was so fun to watch Mr and Mrs admire the tall trees of the old groves. It was nice they had time to not rush the trail and enjoy themselves and take it all in. Once we got to the waterfalls they were eager to explores the area nearby admiring all of the PNW ferns, moss and plant life growing near the water source. They popped a bottle of champagne and had a cheers to making it here on their wedding day after a crazy year. We chatted for a while talking about stories from their time dating, their new life in Houston together and of course there was laughter and jokes!! We left the trail and they headed to dinner in Seattle to celebrate with their favorite seafood!
Congrats to Mr and Mrs!!! It was such a beautiful, fun day! I am so glad you got to take a little trip to Seattle to get married, explore somewhere new and some time to enjoy each other! I can’t wait to hear how telling the family goes and the celebration with them back home!!
What is a Self-Solemnizing wedding and how do I Self-Solemnize?
Most commonly, Self-Solemnizing is known as a way to marry to yourself in Colorado and Washington DC. It is possible to self-solemnize in California (with a special marriage application) and Pennsylvania as long as you have two witnesses. Basically, this means you are getting married without an officiant performing the ceremony and typically without witnesses. It is a just you two wedding! I hate the term “just” here because a just you two wedding is incredibly special, meaningful and connected. It is a way to get married without any other distractions at all. Did you know though, it is possible to self-solemnize almost anywhere! HOW, you are asking?! Well, I am ordained! Woot, woot! This means if you want to self-solemnize I can sign off as your officiant. I can help you build your ceremony, give tips on writing your vows and help you with the flow of your ceremony. Then when the big day comes I will be doing my typical thing behind the camera while you two share the most private ceremony. At the end I can pronounce you wed and sign off! If we are in a state that needs witnesses we can typically pretty easily find some folks along the trail that will be happy to sign for you!
Looking for an elopement photographer!??
I would love to chat with you two! To me this is not a job, it is a passion to provide you with the knowledge and tools to have the most connective and authentic wedding day! Either you want to adventure through a forest, explore the desert, climb a spire or take a sail boat ride I am here to help you figure it all out and then capture those big and small moments. I am not just your photographer, I am your officiant, friend, planner, the gal that buttons your dress on the side of the trail and so much more! <3
