I was lucky enough to shoot Kristie and Thomas’s wedding video earlier this summer. Their early July wedding was very fun to work on, with a traditional tea ceremony early in the day and a formal wedding ceremony and reception afterwards. You can watch the video here. When they contacted me saying they wanted to do a trash the dress photoshoot somewhere in the mountains with a gorgeous view, I was so excited to find the perfect location. We decided on Mt. Beljica, a peak in Mount Rainier National Park with a view of the namesake mountain. We knew the hike would be difficult, but the most surprising element was the snow that fell the day before our hike! Luckily Thomas and Kristie were undeterred by the cold (and the wind!) and so we stuck to the plan and captured these incredible images. And kudos to them for their toughness out in the cold weather. The wind made it extra extra cold and yet Thomas wore his summer suit and Kristie wore her wedding dress and neither complained at all!
Despite picking the location for its view of Mt. Rainier, the mountain was wrapped in clouds that day. However, the lack of mountain views were made up for when we had some very furry surprise visitors who joined us in the middle of our shoot! A man and woman were hiking with their four dogs, two malamutes and two red and white spaniels. All of us had a bit of a fright when the malamutes came charging up the trail—we momentarily thought they were wolves, silly, I know—but were soon relieved by the sight of their radio collars and their very friendly demeanor. Their owners were kind enough to let the malamutes pose for a photo with Kristie and Thomas and I don’t think it is an experience any of us will soon forget! Scroll to the end for some behind the scenes shots!
Congratulations again to Kristie and Thomas on their wedding. Thank you both for asking me to trek with you up a winter mountain so that I could capture these incredible images for you. I wish the best for you both!