A adventure-style elopement on Rattlesnake Ledge in North Bend, Washington
If I were getting married all over again, I might just replicate this beautiful Rattlesnake Ledge elopement in North Bend, Washington.
Ian and Katie got married at the top of the mountain on a gloomy, but perfect for their vision, late-October day. Ian, a rock style drummer and Katie, a multimedia artist, dreamed up a Pacific Northwest elopement for the books. Their vision: moody, drizzly skies with Pacific Northwest grays, blues and forest greens. I went on the more under-exposed, moody side of editing to help their vision come to life even more, but the weather did exactly as they wanted without my help!
Hiking Rattlesnake Ledge
If you’ve never been there, Rattlesnake Ledge is about a four mile round trip hike with a highest point at 2,078 feet. Situated on the outskirts of King County, the hike is in North Bend, Washington. It is a relatively doable hike. However, it is definitely challenging with high elevation, exposed cliffs and a fair share of switchbacks. Katie did it in a beautiful Grace Loves Lace dress and boots, of course. A lake complete with hundreds of exposed, giant chopped tree trunks sits at the bottom of the hike. The uniqueness and ease getting around this part of the area makes it notorious for engagement and family shoots.
Details of the Elopement
Ian and Katie held their ceremony at the highest point of the hike. A ledge with a sheer drop off overlooks the lake and trees for miles. Their closest family and friends and a single violinist: Anastasia Allison met them at the top of the hike. A few shameless bystanders also joined in!
Side note, Anastasia is an adventure-travel expert and offers violin music for elopements all around the Pacific Northwest.
Katie, a vision in lace, also wore a Halloween inspired garter and fun colorful tights. She carried a custom wildflower bouquet in oranges and maroons. A framed picture of their recently departed fur-baby was wrapped, with a ribbon, around her bouquet. Cue the crying!
The Reception
After a breath-taking ceremony on the top of Rattlesnake Ledge, the group shared a passed around whiskey bottle toast. We took some family pictures, and the group hiked down and hit the road. If you do this hike, note that it does get dark quickly on the way with the heavy woods.
We celebrated their low-key reception at a North Bend Diner said to have the best cherry pie in the state. Ian, Katie and their guests enjoyed coffee in those brown, old-school diner mugs, cherry pie and conversation at the cafe. To end it, we did a small shoot outside the diner to capture the essence of the neon lit-small town vibes, of course.
It was the perfect day and evening spent with close family and friends. After years, I am still so grateful to have gotten to be a part of it.
Tips for Planning an Elopement on Rattlesnake Ledge
If you decide that Rattlesnake Ledge is the place to elope, here’s a few tips and tricks we learned along the way.
First, park towards the trail entrance of the park. There are several parking lots, some are more day use for the lake area, others are for the hike. Try and park on the right side near the trail entrance marked with a giant boulder. Second, if it’s raining, the forest canopy does an excellent job keeping you dry but I would bring a water proof coat as the moisture eventually gets to you. I was shocked at how hard it was raining according to others in the area since we didn’t feel wet at all. Third, have shoes with excellent traction, especially if you plan on eloping on the rock ledge. This is definitely one of those hiking locations where you highlight the hiking boots in your photos and ditch the heels!
If you are looking for the perfect place to elope with plenty of photo opportunities and a fairly straight-forward hike, Rattlesnake Ledge is the place for you!
Congratulations Ian and Katie!
