caralina + trevor

zion national park elopement

being able to photograph caralina and trevor’s elopement in zion national park was a total dream. these two montanans wanted a small ceremony in a beautiful place, and they couldn’t have picked a better location. zion is one of those parks that has it all – massive canyon walls like yosemite, red rock views as far as the eye can see like moab, and miles and miles of trails that lead you into the backcountry of the zion wilderness.

madison, a killer videographer, and i met cara at the house that she and her family rented for their stay. cara was so cool, calm, and relaxed. not to mention she looked drop dead gorgeous with makeup by kimi brandt. we chatted a bit about the details of the day, and i let her know that her ceremony looked amazing. she hadn’t seen it yet as the awesome folks over at forevemore events had helped her with the set up so that she could just enjoy getting ready.

we caravaned up to their site, all of us basically drooling over her flowers from bloomers in st. george. when i asked these two why they decided to elope, here’s what they shared:

“We wanted to be able to focus on the people that meant the most to us. We were able to limit the guest list by eloping to a destination location. We are so happy we did. Even with 30 guests, the time still felt a little rushed and we couldn’t imagine having 100+ people to try to catch up with on our wedding day. The smaller group also allowed us to save money while splurging on things we really wanted, like an amazing photographer and a stunning bouquet of fresh flowers.”

another reminder that it’s so important to really think about what matters most to you on your wedding day, and run with it! their ceremony was set up against an outcropping of gorgeous, striated sandstone, with the lush green reminder of a wet winter in the distance. after their ceremony and a little celebrating we got to steal the couple away for sunset photos at two epic locations. then of course it was time for cake and dinner with their closest friends and family. i loved how they set up one long table so that everyone could sit together and share the evening together.

here’s the fun part. we had planned to have a sunrise session a few days after their wedding day. i had spent the day after their wedding scouting out different potential locations. these two were definitely not afraid of a hike – they both fly fish and hunt in montana – so i knew i could take them somewhere stunning. i found just the spot, and though it was pretty rainy that day (a stark contrast to the warmth and sunshine of their wedding day!), i had all my rain gear and wasn’t worried. i’ve shot in every kind of weather imaginable, so i let the two of them know that i was up for it and let’s still meet bright and early at the trailhead.

well…scroll down to see what happened to the rain.

the storm started to build the night before we had planned a session at sunrise. i fell asleep to what sounded like golf balls slamming into the van, but i set my alarm, got my cameras ready, and hit the hay, stoked for whatever the next day would bring.

as you can see below, what was rain turned to snow first thing in the morning. and not just a little bit of snow. it started light, sleet-like, and then the flakes got bigger and bigger, until we all decided, screw it, let’s embrace the weather and head for more elevation! we drove up the road to the east of the park even further, and sure enough it was snowing even harder up high. they were totally up for running around in the snow for a bit, and i think it was definitely worth it. the snowy photos are some of my favorites. goes to show that you really shouldn’t ever worry about the weather. xo congratulations you two!!

videographer: madison rhoton

makeup: kimi brandt

florals: by bloomers

dress: belles & lace bridal, great falls, MT

planning assistance: forevermore events