Mount Rainier Elopement
Lauren + Tighe
Lauren and Tighe’s Mount Rainier elopement brought together everything they love most: family, hiking, fall color, banana slugs, and a beautiful mountain. These two live in Seattle, while most of their family is back in Wisconsin, so everyone flew out to Washington and stayed together near Mount Rainier for the celebration. The day started at their cabins in Ashford, where Lauren and Tighe got ready separately, complete with a handwritten warning sign making sure Tighe stayed far away until it was officially time for their first look. There were also an impressive number of spiders, which meant Tighe’s brothers, Preston and Bryce, earned honorary helper status by clearing spiderwebs from the path down to the creek.
Lauren and Tighe met by the creek for their first look before everyone headed into Mount Rainier National Park for the ceremony. With only eight family members there, it was intimate in exactly the right way. Lauren walked toward Tighe with her dad and Mount Rainier rising behind her, and then the tears started. Their vows were incredibly personal, Tighe’s mom was crying, his brothers were crying, and there was basically no pretending anyone had something in their eye by the end of it.
After family portraits, the wedding shoes came off and the hiking shoes went on. Lauren and Tighe are avid hikers, so they were never going to settle for a quick overlook and call it good. We headed up from the Fourth Crossing Trailhead toward the Skyline Trail for a climb that was very vertical and very rude to my glutes. Thankfully, the view at the top made every step worth it. Rainier started glowing as the sun dropped, the landscape was covered in fall color, and the whole mountain shifted into pink and gold alpenglow.
We spent the evening taking it all in while Lauren and Tighe did what they do best together. They wandered, cuddled, laughed, and fully committed to the adventure. They even brought along a couple of banana slug souvenirs because looking for banana slugs while exploring national parks is legitimately one of their favorite things to do together. It fits them perfectly. Their relationship started when they met as college freshmen on Yik Yak, lost touch for a few months, and eventually reconnected after Lauren lured Tighe back with photos of her parents’ new kittens. Years later, Tighe proposed during a torrential downpour on the Oregon coast after convincing Lauren to climb a cliff at Ecola State Park. She spent the entire climb thinking he was probably about to propose, and she was right. He was waiting at the top with a ring he had made himself.
We stayed on the mountain until dark, stopped at a waterfall for lantern photos, caught the moon, and eventually made our way back to the cabin. Their family had barbecue and drinks waiting, Lauren and Tighe cut their cake, and the night ended with matching married silly goose shirts. From the quiet ceremony with their family to the hard hike and ridiculous alpenglow, the entire day felt completely perfect.
Vendors: Wedding Gown: David’s Bridal / Groom Attire: Ruby’s Threads / Florals: Pike Place Market / Photography: Works by Sarah Jane Photography / Invitations + Signage: Allegra Green Bay / Tighe’s Ring: JBlunt Designs / Lauren’s Ring: NeverlandJewelryArt //
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