Liesel + Logan // Married // Mt Hood National Forest

I always love when a couple reaches out for an elopement and needs me to do a little scouting, anything for an excuse to hike with the dog. These two had marked out the Salmon River Trail, and I scouted ahead in the months prior to find the perfect woodland spot for their I do’s. Their morning started with them getting ready together at a local rental, and reading through letters collected from their dearest and nearest. We then set out to the trailhead with their closest 3 friends and hiked along the riverside, stopping to enjoy the beauty along the way. Liesel was definitely my kind of gal, letting her dress drag through the streams and dirt along the way to later tell the story of her wedding journey. Arriving at the wedding meadow, she removed her hiking boots for their walk down the forest aisle together. Their friend said some formal vows before the two stepped aside to read privately. I can’t hear these moments, but I can always feel them and it’s hard to keep the tears back myself. Logan lead Liesel back to their group, where the two exchanged rings and shared their first kiss as husband and wife. The certificate was signed and bottles were popped before the adventure back down the river. I love how somehow the same hike seems new, fresh and full of a different light after the vows; maybe it’s just the unmovable smiles on their faces.