Finding the perfect Washington state national park to elope in was at top of my mind when Stan and Michele reached out to me about photographing their destination elopement.

Hailing from Wisconsin, these two were in search of mountains and water, and there is no better place to find the two than the North Cascades National Park. With 300 glaciers, over 500 alpine lakes, and some of the most rugged peaks in the United States, the North Cascades is jaw-dropping to say the least.

Hoping for seclusion and a little adventure, Stan and Michele asked to hike to their ceremony location. We settled on the perfect alpine lake hike, and despite a storm blowing through earlier in the week, we had the most beautiful weather.

As we set out on our hike in the late afternoon, we passed a few groups of hikers coming down the trail. Since Michele wasn’t wearing a typical white wedding dress, everyone was surprised to hear that they weren’t just taking engagement photos, but actually getting married! It wasn’t until we were on our way back down that we passed someone heading to the lake who said, “You’re getting married!” as they passed. Stan and Michele were so surprised and happy that someone finally guessed correctly when the hikers told us they were famous and what everyone was talking about at the trailhead.

On our hike back down the trail, we passed through a stunning meadow, and the evening light was too perfect to pass up. Michele and Stan posed for me with the bouquet strapped to their backpack, coats on, and adventurous spirits showing.

When we got back to the trailhead, they signed the trail register and noted that they had “just eloped!”

Congrats again, and I hope you have many more adventures together, Michele and Stan!

Want to see another hiking elopement? Check out this cliffside elopement.