Cabin Elopement
Over the past two years a staggering number of couples were forced, or elected to elope and after witnessing a disheartened spirit of defeat, I have decided it’s time to rewrite the script on elopements and micro weddings.
Photographer Susan K Adams and I began dreaming up ways that we might shift our perspective and set to reimagining small scale weddings and elopements in a way that feels just as celebratory and luxurious as traditional weddings.
Susan almost never photographs styled shoots, preferring the emotion and spontaneity of real weddings (who can blame her) but, with a shared appreciation of intimate moments and intuitive details as our North Star, we set to imagining our ideal elopement. We started by booking a forest service cabin nestled in Hyalite Canyon, a deeply forested recreation area that boasts numerous hiking trails, waterfalls and the cool waters of Hyalite Reservoir. Susan, having previously rented the Maxey Cabin during August of 2019, was dead set on returning to this wild slice of heaven and I am so glad she was. This quiet and majestic place has always filled my spirit with peace and it also happened to be where our models, Tess and Tanner, went on their first date!
We knew immediately that we wanted to take all the glorious bells and whistles of a larger wedding and tailor them to a party of two. We envisioned flowers, cozy vignettes, delicious food and complex wines alongside those special moments only an elopement affords such as morning coffee and a dip in the local reservoir. A wedding day, no matter the size, should feel special from start to finish and so we peppered the day with uniquely thoughtful details and curated opportunities for laughter and joy. Our day started in relaxed style with a rustic riff on the morning ritual featuring handmade ceramics from Basiclai, locally roasted Treeline Coffee, handmade jam from Roots Kitchen and Cannery, Local Honey from Montana Honey Bee Co and cozy loungewear from Windy Peak Vintage.
We figured that now is the time to buy that beautiful ceramic mug you’ve been eyeing, eat good food from sunrise to sunset and surround your body in clothing that makes you feel your best self.
Perhaps our most treasured moment of the day was the story we created behind the wall of framed polaroids. Susan and I were determined to find a heartfelt way for a couple to feel the physical presence of their loved ones on their “wedding day” which led us to what we have dubbed The Polaroid Project.
Dearest Loved Ones,
In these uncertain times we have elected to celebrate our love with an elopement in the wilderness of our
beloved Montana. In the absence of your physical presence please take a
photo with the camera provided so that we may greet our wedding day with your beautiful faces. We also ask that you write us a blessing on an enclosed note-card. Once you have taken your photo, written your message and placed everything back in the box, we ask that you mail this package along with it’s evolving contents to the next address on the list. Your loving participation in this activity fills our hearts with immeasurable joy. Thank you for believing in our love and sharing this experience with us.
Love, Tanner & Tess
We envisioned our couple opening the box for the first time the morning of their wedding to discover the beloved faces and the kind words of their closest friends and family so that the act of unboxing, reading wishes and framing photos might serve as its own ceremony on the wedding day. A ceremony devoted to all the love that surrounds our couple, regardless of distance.
Later that morning our couple took a dip in the lake with our bride in a custom La Loba Bridal Swimsuit fit for a cabin queen, and though the water was cold, the kisses exchanged between real-life couple, Tanner and Tess, were so warm and tender.
An ethereal Cortana lace top and tutu skirt paired with a byzentine inspired crown (provided by Jasmine Lilly Bridal) came together for a feminine look that perfectly complemented Tess’ natural beauty, while Tanner’s linen blazer, forest green pants and simple white button down from Revolvr made for a sweet and handsome groom’s look. The rings, provided by Alara Jewelry, spoke to one another with a collection of star-like diamonds for her and organic carved spots, inspired by a trout’s scales, for him.
For the bride’s bouquet and the reception’s bud vase vignettes I was inspired to celebrate the seasonal cusp of late August with a color palette of warm earth tones, pinks and wild textures sourced from local flower farms.
We kept our ceremony space simple yet stunning with a hanging middle eastern rug from Tailored & Tied, lush greenery and a luxurious sheepskin rug for the couple to stand on. And for dinner we created an enticing lovers nest of overlapping rugs and soft pillows from Montana Party Rentals set against an otherworldly view of Hyalite Peak. There, we treated our couple to a delicious meal from chef Jessica Lewis of Bowl and Arrow, and a beautiful little cake from Sweet & Tarte.
What we discovered throughout the day is this: spare no comfort when planning an elopement. Your celebration is now small enough that you can use your resources to surround yourself with curated beauty at every turn. Spend some time dreaming of your perfect day together, and then hire some help to make it happen!
If there’s one thing I’d like you to take away from them exploration it’s that an elopement provides you with the gift of time and relaxation. Whereas wedding days tend to fly by in a rush of glitter and champagne, elopements are ripe with time and low on expectation. This is now simply, blissfully, your day. Just yours. So sit back, pour a glass of wine and soak it all in with the person you love most.
