I have known Ashley and Jeff for a very long time, so when they contacted me about shooting their secret elopement in the mountains I was so excited! They didn’t want to deal with the stress of wedding planning and wanted a wedding day that felt like them.
Ashley and Jeff had a couple of locations in mind, and eventually settled on an amazing Alpine Lake located in a very rural location in Northern California. They invited my husband, Joe, to join us for the adventure that they had planned, because we were going to drive UTVs up to the lake and go on a 4×4 Adventure. We were so stoked! If Joe and I were ever to renew our vows, this is something that we would totally do!
The Day Of
We decided on a meet-up point that morning, unloaded the UTV’s from the trailer and headed up the road. It was about an hour’s drive up to the lake, with the very end being a very rocky four-wheel drive section. As we got closer to the lake, we could see clouds surrounding the mountain peaks and a light dusting of snow. We could not have had better luck with the weather that day, as it snowed heavily the very next day and we would not have been able to access this location.
Once at the lake Ashley and Jeff got ready for photos. These two had never had photos done before, but you couldn’t tell because their chemistry and love for one another was unmatched. The views surrounding were magical and it was hard to take a bad photo there.
After the Lake location Ashley mentioned that there was a meadow further up the road that they wanted to go to, So we hopped back in the UTV’s and were on our way. The meadow was about another 20 minutes of four-wheel drive trail that was super rocky. Joe and I had a ton of fun trying to keep up with Ashley and Jeff. At the meadow we took some more photos and the newlyweds popped a bottle of champagne to celebrate. We hung out for a bit, ate some snacks, and then decided to head back to the trucks. It was starting to get colder as the storm was starting to roll in and we made it back just in time for the sun to go down. We got a few more pictures with the Can-Am before loading up.
After an incredible adventure elopement day nothing hits better than pizza. Ashley and Jeff invited us to join them for dinner at a local pizza restaurant in northern Trinity County.
This was such an incredible day and one that I will remember forever. It was seriously one of my favorite weddings to date and I feel incredibly lucky to have been the one to capture it. It’s important to think about what things are important to you when planning your wedding day, and to realize that not all weddings have to be the same. The most important part is the two of you and your love for one another, so celebrate that in a way that makes you feel good!
Thank you Ashley and Jeff for choosing me to capture this incredible day for you, and we wish you many years of happiness and love! Check out some more photos from this awesome mountain elopement!
Share
