How to Plan a Rock Climbing Elopement
You’re a total badass and want to rock climb on your wedding day? You’ve come to the right place!
After photographing a few different rock-climbing elopements (and many other adventure elopements), I’ve learned a few things along the way. Here’s everything you’ll need to know to make your climbing “I dos” a huge success.
Before we begin, I’d like to point out that you don’t have to be an incredible climber with tons of experience to enjoy a rock-climbing wedding. There are a few ways you could go about climbing on your elopement day so let’s walk through all your options below.
HIRING A GUIDE
There are so many good reasons to hire a climbing guide! It’s a great option if you’re new to climbing or want to try something new. I’ve personally climbed with guides from the American Alpine Institute and would highly recommend them. They have all sorts of guided activities, from ice and rock climbing to alpine climbs and more.
What’s the best part about hiring a guide though? They provide all the gear you need. That means your gear is one less thing to stress about packing for your elopement.
SELF-GUIDED CLIMBS
If you’re not interested in hiring a guide, that’s fine too. It simply means that you’ll be responsible for your own climb and gear. I only recommend this option for couples with previous climbing experience.
If you and your partner want to climb at the same time, consider inviting friends to belay you. They can also double as witnesses or officiants as well!
Whether you choose to climb with a guide or not, you’ll need to know if your photographer will need to climb as well. Some climbs have areas where you can walk around to each point of the climb (rather than climbing) whereas others would require everyone to climb. Neither situation is necessarily better than the other, but make sure your photographer is aware of your situation.
WHAT TO WEAR
Do you want to wear your wedding attire during your climb like Julie and Carey did, or climb, then change when you’ve reached your destination, like Laurel and Stephen?
If you’ll be changing after your climb, you’ll have your pick of climbs to choose from — anything from more difficult routes to climbs with multiple pitches. Just keep in mind that you’ll be hauling your wedding attire up the route, too. Check out this blog if you’re interested in how to pack a suit or dress.
Wearing your wedding outfits during your climb is an awesome way to celebrate as well. If you plan on doing this, choose a climb that’s easier and has two routes side by side so you can climb at the same time as your partner.
Julie said it was much harder climbing in a dress than she anticipated, so keep that in mind when choosing a route and outfit. This blog will walk you through how to choose the perfect adventure dress (or jumpsuit!), and here’s another blog on how to choose an adventure suit.
WHERE TO CLIMB
If you don’t already have a place in mind, giving my couples a list of custom location suggestions is one of my favorite parts of elopement planning. If you’re interested in finding a spot to get married and climb yourselves, look for climbs that are within your experience level (easier climbs if you’ll be wearing your wedding attire) and have enough space for a ceremony following the Leave No Trace Principles. Often weddings on public lands also need permits, so check in with whoever manages the land to find information on that.
Bonus: look for climbs with great views of a sunset or sunrise since it will photograph beautifully during these golden hours.
GUESTS
Will you be having guests at your elopement? You’ll need to keep their abilities in mind while planning as well. Would they rather have the option of walking to your ceremony site or are they fellow climbers? If they are, would they be able to assist you in setting up, belaying, and packing up?
Note: there are many ways to include your family and friends, even if they won’t be attending the ceremony.
PLANNING TIPS
No matter if you’ve hired a guide or are leading the climb yourselves, you need to plan on giving yourselves extra time throughout your day. Schedule extra time for setup, packing up, and more time than usual for your climb. You want your elopement day to feel relaxed with time for spontaneity – not rushed and stressed. Your photographer will be able to help you create a custom timeline to help with this.
Happy climbing!
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