Today’s Mountainside Bride couple wanted a no muss, no fuss wedding without all of the traditional bells and whistles of a large affair. Without hesitation, Katie and Trevor naturally gravitated towards eloping and brought along Katie’s sister and husband to the breathtaking Blue Mountains in Australia. Lincoln’s Rock, the plateau they chose for their less-than-ten ceremony, gave way to some serious views as captured by Who Shot the Photographer. The soft green hills and rock formations peering out from miles of nature made their day so special.
How did you meet?
We really got to know each other in high school. We had several classes together including senior composition, personal fitness, and history. In the fall, we celebrated our acceptance into separate colleges, and also went to the homecoming dance. We were fast friends after that; inseparable.
What is your proposal story?
After celebrating our 10 year anniversary a few months prior, we were on our way to visit the Holidazzle. It’s a big holiday event in Minnesota with holiday lights, warm drinks, and ice skating! On the drive there, he told me we were stopping for a hike. We ended up at Willow River State Park on a beautiful (and cold!) snowy afternoon. We hiked down an insane cliffside with gorgeous winter views and saw the most gorgeous frozen waterfall. I stood looking at it on the bridge and when I turned back, he asked! I immediately said yes. We couldn’t even feel the cold on the hike back up.
What was the most important to the two of you while planning? Was there anything that you chose to splurge on or skip?
Honestly, the photography was the most important! With us eloping, the majority of our family would experience our day through our photos and we wanted to make sure they would look as spectacular as the view and the event deserved! James at Who Shot the Photographer exceeded our wildest dreams! We splurged big on our trip itself to take us over 9,000 miles to our destination! We skipped having a lot of people in attendance and kept it personal. Neither of us really cares to be the center of attention, and we wanted the day to really be about us and what we wanted our future to start off like.
What were your favorite parts of the day?
There were so many great moments! I had a hair scare in the morning – it was NOT cooperating. After a quick run downtown we got what we needed to help fix it, as well as some beautiful flowers and of course chocolate! We went on a few beautiful hikes in the early afternoon and just enjoyed the whole day’s experience. I don’t think either of us will ever forget seeing each other dressed up for the first time, or when we walked out onto the rock to see the mountains before the ceremony. The skies opened up just enough to let gorgeous rays of sunshine through and it took our breath away. I’m not sure we will ever top that sunset.
What’s your biggest piece of advice for other couples planning a mountain wedding?
We chose a mountain wedding because we wanted to start out our lives together on an adventure, and what better way to do that than on a mountain in a country we’ve always wanted to visit? Our advice is simple – do what makes you happy! It is your day and you should experience it how you want to. If you’re able to, bring a few drinks to crack open when you’re up there and soak it all in.