Seattle Rock Climbing Elopement
Julie and Carey were one of many couples planning a large wedding that was affected by the current events. Rather than postponing getting married altogether, they decided to elope and postpone their reception. They started dreaming about how they’d like to elope and joked around about rock climbing to their ceremony. Then they realized they really could!
Having met at a climbing gym, getting married while rock climbing was beyond fitting. They reached out to me after they’d figured out half their plans — the elopement was to be held at one of their favorite climbing spots near Seattle with two of their friends there to belay and officiate. I helped iron out the details with the timeline, activities and suggested we use golden hour to our advantage.
On the day of the elopement, everything went exactly as planned. We hiked to the climbing wall, and the guys set up the ropes while the ladies made Carey a boutonniere from part of Julie’s Pike Place market bouquet.
They wanted to do a first look, so they changed once everything was set up. Once they saw each other in their wedding attire for the first time, everything was set in motion. Soon they were scaling the wall, and Julie said it was harder to climb in a dress than she anticipated!
Once they reached the top, their friends joined us at the top of the ledge for their ceremony. It was the perfect setting overlooking the San Juan Islands where they got engaged and were honeymooning.
Their friends, now acting as officiants, spoke of the memories Julie and Carey have made together, all the goals they’ve achieved, and how they’ve challenged each other to grow. It was one of the more personal and touching ceremonies I’ve had the honor of witnessing.
Julie and Carey wrote their own vows, repeating them after one another. There were so many touching lines spoken, but my favorites were the climbing references, including “I will never let you fall. I will always lower you when you ask.”
Congratulations again, Julie and Carey!
Want to see another climbing adventure? Check out this North Cascades newlywed shoot.
Browse the archive or search for specific topics (try “Olympic National Park”, “beach” or “LGBTQ+”).
