Mount Rainier Elopement Guide + Pricing
With incredible mountain views, wildflowers, snow capped peaks, and the occasional wildlife… it’s obvious to see why Mount Rainier is such an incredible location for your intimate elopement. Allow me to help you plan from start to finish, along with helpful information from choosing the time of year, picking the perfect location for your wedding ceremony, and all the other little things you need to consider for your perfect day. So let’s get started putting together your perfect Mount Rainier Elopement, let’s go!
Quick note!
It’s important that couples should be aware of and abide by the Leave No Trace principles to best protect the beauty of the environment!
QUICK TIPS FOR HOW TO ELOPE ON MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK
- Pick the best time of year for the vibe that you’re going for
- Choose the best location that fits your vision
- Figure out where you’re going to stay
- Don’t forget to get all your ducks in a row with all the permits, licenses, and fees!
- Finalize your timeline for the day so everything will go smoothly
- We’ll adventure at the location you picked, taking in all the natural beauty of the landscape and having so much fun capturing this next chapter of your lives together! We’re going to get you some damn good photos 😉
- Pop that champagne and let’s celebrate!
Choose Your Season For Ideal Weather & Vibes
Spring & Fall Mount Rainier Elopements –
Anything goes for Spring and Fall! Weather could be sunny and 70’s or even snowy in the low 30’s, you have to be prepared for anything! Fall is the perfect time to capture the changing of the leaves and that dreamy fall foliage. Spring means the waterfalls are going full blast and there’s still snow capped peaks.
Summer Mount Rainier Elopements –
If you want clear views and wildflowers then summer is the ideal time! It is also peak season which means a lot more crowds on the trail, so that is something to consider.
Winter Mount Rainier Elopements –
For Winter elopements on Mount Rainier we’ll want to stay at lower elevations since a lot of the primary access points to the park are closed for the season. It’s cold! Make sure you bundle up and bring some extra layers to stay warm. Chances are we’ll have a snowy backdrop, it’s basically Narnia this time of year!
Quick tip!
I highly recommend planning your elopement for a weekday, regardless of the season. National Parks tend to be significantly less packed and busy during the weekday so you won’t have to worry about large crowds. Monday through Thursday would work best!
Dreamiest Mount Rainier Location Ideas
Paradise is a place on Earth and you’ll find it on Mount Rainier. It’s cheesy, but it’s true! If what you’re looking for is rolling hills with wildflowers in abundance then what you want is to consider eloping in Paradise.
Sunrise is the highest elevation in the park and is surrounded by 360 views of the surrounding valleys. Thankfully it’s also easily accessible by car if you’re not wanting to do a long hike!
Grove of the Patriarchs is the perfect spot if you want Redwoods without having to head down to California for the Avenue of the Giants.
Tipsoo Lake is an easily accessible spot but don’t let that fool you, the views more than make up for it! On a sunny day we are lucky enough to get a gorgeous view of Mount Rainier as our background!
Reflection Lake requires a bit of a hike but is just under 3 miles of a loop, but the end product is so so worth it! It offers one of the most iconic views of Mt Rainier and is perhaps one of the most photographed views of the mountain. We start off with parking on Stevens Canyon Road before making our way to Reflection Lake.
Silver Forest Trail is a great trail with a ton of wildflowers and we don’t have to go very far for some stunning views of the mountain!
Summerland Trailis another stunning trail with epic views and surrounded by sidebells and coral root wildflowers along the way. We can find a beautiful spot right at the beginning of the trail for the ceremony.
Where To Stay For Your Mount Rainier Elopement
Figuring out where you want to elope may very well dictate where exactly you should stay for easy travel into the park. I’d personally suggest snagging one of those cute A-Frame cabins early, especially one with a hot tub! They could make for some dreamy and steamy photos with your love. Imagine coming back to your cabin after getting married, changing into your swimsuit or birthday suit (!) for some photos? What a dream!
Airbnb
Ranger’s Station A-Frame Cabin w/ Hot Tub
Little Blue A-Frame at Mt Rainier
Riverfront A-Frame Cabin + Hot Tub
Lodging
Permits & Other Fees: What You Need To Know Before You Elope
Please note that a permit is required for all wedding ceremonies held within Mount Rainier National Park! You can find more information on that on the NPS website here!
Don’t forget about the Entrance Fee while you’re at it! You can always choose or use your America the Beautiful National Parks Pass if you have one!
King County makes it easy for you to apply and pick up your marriage license as well. You can find more information at the King County Marriage Licensing Website! You’ll need to have someone ordained to officiate your elopement ceremony and two witnesses present. You can either hire an officiant or ask a friend!
FUN FACT!
I’m ordained! If you need someone to marry you in a pinch, I can always step in. Also if you need me to be your witness I’m happy to step in as well. I’m not just a photographer 😉
Mount Rainier Elopement Packing List: Don’t Forget These Things!
- Snacks
- Parks Pass
- Mt Rainier National Park Permit
- Marriage License
- Extra layers
- Headlamp
- First aid kid
Example Elopement Day Timelines & Schedule
Elopements tend to be a little bit shorter than your usual wedding day timeline, but keep in mind that this schedule is completely customizable to your needs! We can always add an hour if you’re interested in some getting ready photos or we could always end the evening with some dreamy astrophotography, hanging out in the hot tub at your airbnb, or illuminated by some lanterns at blue hour with mountain views.
Sample Timeline
7:00pm – Meet at location for first look
7:30pm – Ceremony
8:00pm – Group and family photos (if you have guests!)
8:20pm – Couples photos
8:40pm – Sunset
9:00pm – All done, let’s party!
Mount Rainier Adventure Elopement Photography Packages & Pricing
$2700
Includes:
– 2 hours of coverage
– Travel to Mount Rainier National Park
– Complimentary consultation
– Planning and questionnaires leading up to the wedding day
– Online downloadable gallery to share with friends and family
– Hi res images with printing rights
– images delivered within 2-3 weeks
*additional hours are available for $300/hr
Reach out to book your Mt Rainier Elopement Photography here!
ABOUT ME:
ABOUT ME:Hola amigos, I’m Marcela!
I’m a Latina and Portland based wedding & elopement photographer servicing the Pacific Northwest and beyond. My style is vibrant, timeless images for the modern romantic. Blending photojournalism and candid images with artistic portraiture to best capture the story of your day.
I believe you deserve damn good photos, so let me help you with that.
Ready to get started? Holla at ya girl! or reach out via email to shootme@mgpulido.co
Great resource with loads of useful info and some Incredible photos…thanks for sharing!
Wow! This is such an incredible resource with so much helpful information. It’s completely invaluable for couples wanting to elope at Mount Rainier. Your imagery is stunning too!
I have seen so many times the name of mount rainier come up and your insightful post just made me wanna travel there even more!! Thank You!
This is so handy for anyone eloping in the PNW. Mount Rainier is a dream location, especially in fall with those colors!
Mt. Rainier is my absolute favorite National Park. I think it is so breath taking in the winter and so peaceful in the summer! I can never get enough of this place 🙂
This is such a great guide. I knew nothing about Mt. Rainer for eloping. It covers want you need to know before you start planning. The photos are gorgeous!
Wow! This is such a thorough and helpful guide to Mount Rainier elopements! So impressed wIth all the info you’ve shared.
Such an informative guide to elope…and MOUNT RAINIER is one of my favoes to adventure around!