10 Tips For Planning Your Hiking Elopement
If the outdoors is your happy place, you may want to consider a hiking elopement (or even a multi-day backpacking trip) to celebrate your marriage with your partner. I’ve put together some tips for how to go about planning and packing for your hiking elopement, below, alongside photos of V + K’s overnight backpacking adventure in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Don’t miss their incredibly adorable “flower girl” AKA their Alaskan Malamute dog, Attie!
1. DECIDE HOW LONG + HOW STRENUOUS OF A HIKE YOU AND YOUR PARTNER WANT TO DO ON YOUR WEDDING DAY.
Picture your dream hiking elopement experience. Are you standing on a mountain peak gazing at the view around you? Are you standing next to an alpine lake? Are you in the middle of a forest surrounded by tall trees? Whatever the end goal, you’ll want to consider the path that will take you there.
Your wedding experience should really be everything you want. If you and your partner are experienced hikers and you want to summit a mountain on your wedding day, you can do that. If you and your partner prefer a shorter hike with less incline, so you don’t get hot and sweaty, you can do that, too.
2. CHOOSE A LOCATION AND SPECIFIC TRAIL.
Once you’ve decided on roughly how long and how difficult of a hike you’re interested in for your elopement, you can start getting more specific with the exact location and trail. Alltrails is a great resource for finding hiking trails and you can use their filters to search specifically for trails that fall within a certain mileage, difficulty level, and attractions (like a great view, a lake, etc.)
Consider if you want photos along the way (so choosing a hike that’s gorgeous the whole way) or if it’s all about the final destination (like an epic view).
You’ll also want to take into account how busy the trail will be and your preference for privacy. If you want a location all to yourself, best to avoid any trails labelled “heavily trafficked”.
3. THINK ABOUT THE TYPE OF WEATHER YOU MOST ENJOY + CHOOSE WHICH SEASON YOU WANT TO ELOPE.
Weather is always an important consideration when planning any outdoor adventure. You also want to think about the type of weather you enjoy most — is snow your absolute favorite? Or do you love warm summer nights? Or are the changing leaves in fall the thing you look forward to the most every year?
Now that you’ve narrowed down your elopement location, do some research on when will be the best time to visit that specific area. In particular, it’s important to take note of both the coldest and hottest months as well as when your location typically receives the most rain.
Keep in mind, as with any experience out in nature, that weather can be unpredictable. Prepare for the unexpected and get ready to roll with whatever mother nature decides to dish out. No matter what the weather has in store for you, remember this is the day you get married so be sure to enjoy every moment!
Pro tip: read Google Map reviews for the time of year you’re considering for your elopement. It’s a great way to gauge weather patterns (like afternoon summer thunderstorms) and also see photos from that time period.
4. DECIDE HOW LONG YOU WANT YOUR TRIP TO BE — DO YOU WANT A DAY HIKE, OVERNIGHT, OR MULTI-DAY TREK?
If the elopement location of your dreams is farther than you’d ideally like to hike in a single day, you can always split your trek into multiple days or a single overnight. Or, if it’s not the distance, but the time of day you want to take advantage of (sunrise or sunset for example, or taking photos with the Milky Way), having an overnight backpacking experience makes sense.
Think of your ideal experience when hiking or backpacking while factoring in your location. Do you want to wake up super early or stay out after sunset? Are you comfortable hiking in the dark? Do you want to carry the extra gear you’ll need to stay more than one day? When will your location be the least crowded?
5. RESERVE ANY PERMITS + KEEP IN MIND THE LEAVE NO TRACE PRINCIPLES.
Once you’ve decided the trail you want to hike for your wedding experience, the next step is to make sure you make the required reservations and obtain necessary permits. Depending on where you’ll be hiking (State Park, National Park, National Forest, BLM land) there will be different requirements. Talk to the local ranger for the area and ask about permits for hiking the specific trail you want to do, as well as if you need a Special Use Permit. It’s also a good idea to check with the ranger about fire safety and if there are any other restrictions in place that you need to know about.
Next, it’s important to consider how your wedding celebration will impact the environment where you’ll be hiking. Every time we head out into nature, we’re placing a strain (however small) on the area we’re exploring. By following Leave No Trace principles, we can minimize our impact and help preserve natural habitats for the future. Below are the seven LNT principals to keep in mind whenever enjoying the outdoors:
Plan Ahead + Prepare
Travel + Camp on Durable Surfaces
Dispose of Waste Properly
Leave What You Find
Minimize Campfire Impacts
Respect Wildlife
Be Considerate of Other Visitors
6. DECIDE IF YOU WANT AN OFFICIANT OR NOT
The next question to ask yourself is if you want an officiant for your wedding. For hiking elopements, there are a few options: you can find an officiant who’s down to hike with you and your partner, you can take care of the official paperwork before (or after) your hiking elopement, or, depending on where you’re eloping, you can self-solemnize or have a commitment ceremony. It’s important to know the legalities for where you’ve decided to elope and decide how you want to plan your elopement. In Colorado, for example, you can self-solemnize (meaning you don’t need an officiant), but in California, you need an officiant and at least one witness to sign your marriage license to make it legal.
7. FIND YOUR WEDDING ATTIRE!
Shopping for your wedding clothes is, in my opinion, one of the most fun parts of planning your celebration! It’s your wedding and you’re welcome to wear whatever you choose of course, but there are a few things to keep in mind for wedding clothes that you’re going to wear while hiking.
Mobility is obviously going to be super important. For dresses, you’ll want something light and easy to move in with no restrictions in the skirt. I would suggest avoiding any heavy materials that will weigh you down and any dresses that are tight below your waist. For suits, you may want a little extra room in case you need to wear thermals underneath. Whatever you’re leaning towards, be sure to move around in your attire before purchasing — take some big steps, maybe some lunges or squats, do a happy dance — and do this in front of a mirror to make sure you like the way the clothes look as they move.
8. DECIDE WHICH OTHER VENDORS YOU WANT TO HIRE — FLORIST, HAIR + MAKEUP ARTIST, PRIVATE CHEF?
If you’re planning a hiking elopement, chances are you’re not into a big production for your wedding day. But that doesn’t mean you can’t splurge and treat yourself to some of the nicer things to enjoy during your elopement.
Personally, I love it when someone else is in charge of my hair, and for formal occasions when I’m going to be photographed, I prefer an expert to do my makeup — it’s just less stress for me. If you’re leaning towards hiring a hair and makeup artist, let them know the level of activity you’ll be doing for your wedding day and describe the expected weather. Your HMUA can then decide how best to keep you looking amazing throughout the day.
If you’re thinking about hiring a florist for your bouquet and boutonniere (and flower collar for your dog!), you’ll want to let them know that you’re doing a hiking elopement and that the flowers need to be hearty (or possibly dried) in order to stay looking fresh and whole for your celebration.
Since hiking elopements are pretty unique, you’re probably not surprised to hear that when it comes to your meals, you may need to think outside the box. Packing a custom made picnic with all of your favorite things (charcuterie board, anyone?) or having a chef prepare you a meal that you can reheat over the fire or camp stove are just a couple of options to consider.
9. THINK ABOUT WHAT TO PACK.
While packing light is always the goal when hiking or backpacking, this is not the time to skimp on essentials or backup items. Pack everything you normally would for a trip of this length and then include any extra items that will ensure you are comfortable throughout your experience. You want to make sure you’re warm enough, have lots of water and snacks, and have everything you need for your wedding wardrobe.
My recommendation is to also leave some space for luxury items that will really make your elopement special. Do you maybe want that one special blanket to keep you cozy as the sun goes down (and also looks super cute in photos)? Do you want to bring your camp chair that makes sitting by the fire so much more enjoyable? Do you want to bring that bottle of champagne to celebrate with? YES, YOU DO!
If you’re planning to bring any personal details with you to help commemorate your wedding, leave a little space for those as well. These special items could be anything from jewelry, photos of your loved ones, personalized vow books, your grandmother’s handkerchief, and so on.
10. GIVE YOURSELF TIME TO ENJOY YOUR experience
If there’s one thing you don’t want to feel, it’s rushed on your wedding day. Make sure to give yourselves plenty of time throughout your trip to enjoy the different parts of your elopement experience. Slow down and be present for the hike itself, your getting ready moments, the first time you see your partner in their wedding clothes, your first meal together as a married couple, and your wedding day sunset.
Plan your timeline with plenty of buffer time to have a stress-free experience. Remember that this is your wedding day so give yourself time to relax and enjoy yourselves. Remind yourself to pause occasionally and take some deep breathes and really soak it all in.