October Sunrise Elopement | Short & Sweet Mountain Elopement in Virginia | Hiking Elopement with Guests

This sunrise elopement up on the mountains is the perfect example for anyone wondering, “why would I get up at 3am and get married?”

Katelyn & Duncan chose the Stoney Man hike for their elopement, so in the wee hours of the morning I met them at the Shenandoah National Park’s entrance and we caravanned to the trailhead. They had several family members with them, and everyone was excited and giggling as we started to make our way up the mountain.

The couple didn’t want to see each other before the ceremony, so the groom came with me to lead the way and the rest followed several paces behind. We could hear the bride & her sister laughing and chatting the whole way up the mountain. That’s one of the best parts of a sunrise elopement ceremony — you have the entire mountain to yourself.

Once we arrived at the top and selected the ceremony spot, Katelyn’s dad walked her down the aisle and the family friend officiated the ceremony. They read their vows to each other under the moon as the sun peeked over the horizon. By the time the sky filled with vivid morning colors, they were husband and wife!

We took group photos, and the newlyweds shared their first dance. Their baby girl was with us, all bundled up. They had bought a special carrier specifically for their elopement to hold her in but they forgot it. We had a good laugh about that.

Katelyn & Duncan met at work and had to date in secret for several months. Whenever they wanted to say “I love you” at work, they would throw up an “L” to their forehead… so we had to capture that in the photos as well.

Thank you, K&D for asking me to photograph your short & sweet SNP elopement for you.

Video by Black Coral Videography

Intimate Camping Wedding with Guests | October Shenandoah National Park Elopement

Ashley and Jeremy included more than just a few wedding guests - they filled up quite a few camping spots with all 20 of their guests for the weekend!

At Matthews Arm Campground in Shenandoah National Park, they have sections of campgrounds you can book for the night — whether you need a spot for 1 tent or a few larger campgrounds for more!

They sent out an email letting everyone know what their plan was, with locations and a small timeline. They also asked their guests if they had a pass to enter Shenandoah National Park, and if they didn’t have a pass, Ashley and Jeremy gifted them an annual pass for the year instead of a typical wedding favor. Also in the email they sent out was a Spotify playlist for the weekend - it had some of their favorite camping / campfire songs and was open to anyone who wanted to add their own adventure music to it as well.

We met them at their campsite as they pulled together their finishing touches, got ready in their tents, and had a first look. Everyone got their tents up, got dressed up all fancy, and we caravanned to their ceremony.

After their ceremony, their guests returned to camp where there were cupcakes, a framed map of Skyline Drive for guests to sign, music playing, a fire going, and a buffet of food.

Ashley and Jeremy stayed back with me for just a little bit of time so we could get some couple portraits with the wild flowers and sun, before heading back to join their guests.

This Elopement Included :

• An email inviting all their guests to their wedding weekend camping in the mountains, with a pretty digital timeline.

• A Spotify playlist of camping / mountain music that all their guests could add to!

• “Wedding favors” that were an Annual Park Pass to each guest who needed one for entering the Park.

• A great big campsite big enough for all their guests to pitch their tents.

• The bride and groom (and guests!) getting ready in tents, and having their first look at the campsite.

• Beautiful wild-flower florals for centerpieces, a bouquet, and boutonnières.

• A caravan to and from the campsite to a pretty overlook that accommodated all their guests.

• Ashley’s father walking her down the “aisle” for their ceremony with friends and family (two-legged and four-legged).

• Family group photos and then couple portraits after their ceremony.

• A sparkly jacket and champagne popping during portraits.

• A casual meal with everyone by the campfire with a small buffet, cake, and cupcakes with little mountains.

• An awesome framed map for guests to sign in lieu of a guest book.

• Lots of hammocks for everyone to hang out in - including Ashley and Jeremy.

Scroll to the bottom to see Black Coral’s video from this elopement!

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