Alexis & Christian’s Blissful Wedding in the White Mountains
SWELL & STONE / ADVENTURE ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHER / NEW HAMPSHIRE & BEYOND
There was a 100% chance of rain on Alexis and Christian’s White Mountain, New Hampshire wedding day, but that didn’t stop us from having the best day ever. It managed to not rain in the morning, so after their sunrise first look at their Airbnb, we headed out to the ceremony site.
This was a special year at Cathedral Ledge, and because of the pandemic, the road up was closed to cars. There were several hikers on their way up when the ranger opened the road up to our cars, but luckily we were the only ones who could drive up during our hour. Cathedral Ledge has hands down the best views for the easiest access in the area, so with family attending this is a great option for location. I do highly recommend holding your ceremony on a weekday morning in order to avoid crowds. During the ceremony, Alexis’ mom read a beautiful passage, the couple exchanged vows and rings, and they sealed it with a kiss. Bubbles were brought out for the recessional, and then they popped cans of champagne because glass is not allowed on top! Such a cute idea and we had a beautiful morning for it. We finished up with some family portraits and more celebrating.
While their families packed up, Alexis, Christian, and I explored the summit a little bit more. The great thing about this summit is that it is fairly large, so even with others up top enjoying the view after their hike, there was plenty of room for us to find some spots with views alone.
After Cathedral Ledge we headed back to the Airbnb for cake cutting and a cocktail hour. However, Alexis, Christian, and I only stuck around for the cake because we had other plans for the afternoon. Of course, they would re-join their family later for dinner and more celebrations, but they really wanted to go for a hike and explore nearby Franconia Notch State Park.
Our first stop was the misty and ethereal Basin area. It was October, so basically, the perfect time of year to be in a misty forest. And misty it was- it started raining on us here, but we had some great umbrellas, so we continued exploring all the same. The forest was basically deserted. That’s was I LOVE about rainy days. There is no one around, and it’s honestly magical. Add that to the fact that the light is perfect when it’s overcast and rainy and you have a recipe for a magical experience and great elopement photos. The key is to have a positive attitude and take things as they come, which Alexis and Christian excelled at. They were not the slightest bit bothered by the rain. Toward the end of our exploration in the area, it truly started to downpour, but we were off to our next spot!
Right as we pulled up to Echo Lake the rain eased and we were able to enjoy the dock and the beach. And actually, as we walked through the entry area and had the view open up to us we all stopped with jaws dropped and said “WOW!” The scene before us was crazy beautiful- the mountains in the background with low hanging clouds caught up in the peaks, and the mountainside dotted with yellow, orange, red, and pink trees. It was the peak of fall colors and when it rains outside the colors seem to shine even brighter! A couple more stops after that wrapped up our night, and though we didn’t get a sunset, the sun did peek out one more time just in time to light up the mountainside in the most beautiful way.
Here’s why Alexis and Christian decided to have a small outdoor wedding, “We didn’t really start planning our wedding until recently. After we got engaged, the holidays came and went and we didn’t feel pressure or desire to plan a large/traditional wedding. We were tossing around the idea of eloping somewhere in Europe (think Swiss alps) and then honeymooning for a couple of weeks there. Alexis always envisioned snowy mountains as the backdrop for the ceremony. Then Covid hit… Traveling internationally didn’t seem like a good idea and neither did having a large wedding. For us, it’s kind of the perfect time and excuse to not invite a bunch of people and have a small wedding like we always wanted.”
