The mountains called when Julia and Joseph started planning their wedding. They decided on a small intimate ceremony with their family and a sunrise photo shoot to start the day. I could go on and on about this special day but I think it’s best to hear this story from the bride and groom themselves!

“We had been together nearly a decade when we got engaged. There were so many components to planning the perfect wedding I always imagined having. But as we started gathering details, the budget just kept growing and growing. The idea of spending so much money on a day that goes by in a whirlwind just didn’t appeal to us. That’s when we decided to elope. At first, we romanticized the idea of travelling. Somewhere with captivating vistas, beauty and history in the land. Somewhere we could feel grounded and awestruck at the same time. Ultimately, we opened our eyes and realized we had all of that right in our hometown of Washington. When we drive over hills, across bridges, and on small road trips from Seattle, we are constantly taken aback by magnificence of Washington’s mountains. From that moment on we knew Mount Baker would provide the perfect location that would check all of our boxes. We invited our immediate family and all stayed nearby the base of the mountain at different cabins and houses. The night before the ceremony we spent with our talented photographers (who barbecued while we got ready… what can’t they do?). We spontaneously decided to get in our wedding attire to catch the sunset. The ability to go with the flow in an elopement is the most liberating part of the experience. I “quickly” did my makeup while Joseph did my hair. We scurried up the mountain and got dressed, just in time to do a first look. We hiked around a bit, read letters from each other, and took breathtaking photos – some of our most favorite.

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That night we got home late, we all said goodnight and hit the hay. Only to wake up about 3 hours later to reassemble the hair and makeup to go catch the sunrise. (Again, on nobody’s schedule but our own – so why not?!) If it weren’t for our dedicated photographers, we wouldn’t have had quite the same experience, especially one to look back on with incredible photos of the sun peeking over the mountaintops. We took our time, exploring the mountain like we would on a casual day. We got to see the North Cascades from so many viewpoints and soaked up the mountain’s sounds, smells, and good energy. No cell service, no Wi-Fi, no problem. We told our families where to meet us and when and printed out google maps documents before we departed from Seattle. The comfort provided by a small, intimate group made us feel grateful and relaxed. I couldn’t imagine feeling rushed or on a strict schedule like we would have opted into with a traditional wedding. We truly were able to cherish every moment and will remember every detail for decades to come.” – Julia & Joseph

It truly was one of our most favorite times we’ve ever had (working or not). The foggy nonexistent sunset the night before to the extremely opposite clear and quiet sunrise the next day was nothing short of perfect. Julia and Joseph were so chill and up for anything we threw their way. They were just so happy to be doing this and to have us capturing it for them.

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Until next time, we are True Northwest

-Tyler & Sam