This was the most magical day in the Cascades with Christian & Kristen for their Mt. Baker adventure wedding! It began with sunrise on a snow-covered Artist Point, continued with a 6 mile hike through a lot of snow and elevation gain, had a tear-filled ceremony at a perfect little overlook, and ended with a beautiful reception at a lodge with friends & family.
It wasn’t easy to hike for nearly 5 hours after waking up in the middle of the night, but it was well worth the incredible beauty and peaceful solitude we found on the mountain. Christian & Kristen absolutely killed it on the trail, and had one of the most beautiful ceremonies I’ve ever seen. It was everything you could want in an adventure elopement, and I’m so thrilled to have gotten to capture it all.
Christian + Kristen’s Mt. Baker Adventure Wedding
Why they chose to get married at Mt. Baker
Obviously Mt. Baker is one of the most stunning destinations in the Pacific Northwest, but it holds an extra special meaning for Christian and Kristen, too—it’s where he proposed! These two are the type of people that if they’re not out running or hiking, they’re planning their next adventure by scrolling through AllTrails or figuring out what National Park/Monument stamps Kristen needs for her passport next. So it’s no surprise that their origin story as an engaged couple would take place out in the middle of an epic alpine paradise!
Christian chose to propose on one of the big rocks on the way up to Table Mountain, arriving just as the sun rose onto Mt. Baker. Apparently he tried to be stealthy and sneak the ring out of his pocket while taking pictures of Kristen posing, but she said he’s a bad liar and the pocket rustling was a bit of a giveaway. In the end, she was thrilled to say yes, and these cuties took plenty of pictures together in front of Mt. Shuksan’s glaciers after the proposal. It only made sense that their future wedding would take place in the same area, with all the “green/naturey/snowy” landscapes they told me they adored!
Their perfect day in the mountains
I always love giving couples a chance to dream a little when they’re planning their wedding; to tell me what their absolute most perfect day would look like, taking money and timelines and expectations out of the picture. Christian and Kristen’s wedding day ended up looking pretty dang similar to the ideal day they described to me early in the planning process: an early wakeup call with a trailhead arrival at sunrise, an all-day hike working their way up to high elevation views, exploring green meadows and snow patches and cascading waterfalls. Lunch on the trail, a couple of Summit beers together at the top. . . idk about you, but this sounds like a day I’d be thrilled to be a part of. And I was 😉
A magical sunrise meetup at Artist Point
Christian and Kristen’s wedding ended up taking place before dawn atop Artist Point, where we met up at 4:30 in the morning to catch the sunrise. It was so serene and beautiful to have the mountain to ourselves, quiet in the snow, no sounds but the rustling of the tree branches around us. It was hard to tear ourselves away from the alpenglow and gorgeous light, but we had a hike to do!
Artist Point is one of the most beautiful and accessible landscapes in Washington—only for a few months, though, as everything changes once the snow starts to fall. For most of the year, this magical spot is inaccessible to anybody unwilling to snowshoe uphill for several miles.
But there’s also a brief window, typically in early July (though it’s impossible to predict with much more accuracy than that) where you can drive right up to this spot and still explore the mountain while it’s blanketed in snow. We lucked out with that perfect timing to allow us to experience the serenity of a sunrise atop the mountain while the world was still white all around us; what a gift!
To learn more about Mt. Baker and what it looks like to get married here, head over to my Full Mt. Baker Elopement Guide next 🏔️
Traversing Chain Lakes Loop in the snow
Chain Lakes Loop is an iconic Mt. Baker hike, boasting drool-worthy views of both Mt. Baker and Mt. Shuksan, as well as other peaks in the Cascades. It was a great choice for Christian and Kristen’s adventure wedding, as their ideal day included a moderate 6-7 mile hike through the mountains, and they were totally down for any elevation gain. The loop was actually much harder than it typically is, with most of the trail being buried under the snow—but they were amazing and so strong throughout the hike. Despite the added difficulty, you could just tell how much they love being in nature together and how comfortable they were out in this rugged alpine wilderness.
When we made it to the Saddle, the part of the hike with the best views, they cracked open their (warm) Summit beers just as they said they would, and spent time giving each other little gifts. Christian surprised Kristen with a cute little pika, and Kristen read an absolutely beautiful poem she had written for Christian that immediately brought them both to tears.
An intimate ceremony with family
After glissading down the steepest slope of the hike and navigating the snowy trails all the way back up to Artist Point, their families greeted us in the parking lot and we all headed to the ceremony spot. This was such a beautiful way to include their loved ones in their wedding after spending the first half of the day on their own—they truly got the best of both worlds. It was a beautiful ceremony that had everybody in tears once more, since Christian and Kristen are so eloquent in their feelings and so wonderfully emotional with one another.
One of my favorite moments to capture was when Christian’s mom gave Kristen a “something blue” for the day; the most gorgeous Larimar stone jewelry from the Dominican Republic, Christian’s dad’s home country. Little touches and gestures like this are everything on your wedding day, especially when they’re from the people you love most💙
A picnic-style “cocktail hour” at Silver Lake Park
Even though they got married in the mountains rather than at a traditional wedding venue, Christian and Kristen still wanted to have a brief “cocktail hour,” so we met up with their loved ones at a picnic shelter at Silver Lake Park. With beautiful lakeside scenery and picturesque mountain views, this was such a fun addition to the day before heading to the lodge they’d booked for their reception!
Tender toasts + a cozy lodge reception
Back at the lodge, Christian and Kristen celebrated with their families and friends, seated at gorgeous tables that Kristen had set up perfectly, decorated with dainty bud vases and hand-drawn place cards at each seat. I was not surprised by the tender, loving, and hilarious toasts shared by their family members after spending so much time with these two and their loved ones; there were tears of love and of laughter throughout. What a gift to be able to capture Christian and Kristen becoming husband and wife in a place that holds so much meaning to their lives and to their love story; congrats to the newlyweds on a fabulous, unforgettable day! 🥂
Mt. Baker wedding vendors
Florals: Humble Bouquet
Desserts: Pure Bliss Desserts
Catering: Crave Catering
Suit: Suit Supply
Dress Shop: Wedding Belles AZ
Dress Designer: Morilee
Veil: Dareth Colburn
Stationery: The bride!
Mt. Baker Adventure Wedding Photographer
Hey friend! I’m Marla, your friendly neighborhood Mt. Baker wedding & elopement photographer who will simply never get tired of guiding couples through this extraordinary alpine wonderland. If you love travel, adventure, indie music, and the concept of creating a wedding day that defies all expectations & focuses on you and your love, I think we’d be a great fit. Contact me here and tell me all about your dream Mt. Baker wedding so we can get this party started!
Check out my own Mt. Baker wedding & another Artist Point elopement below to see more inspiration for this spectacular location!
What an absolutely breathtaking adventure wedding! The mix of snow, sunrise, and pure emotion made every moment feel magical. I love how Christian and Kristen embraced nature so beautifully, it’s the kind of story that inspires unforgettable style choices too.