giovanna + austin
mt. rainier national park engagement session
what a dream come true. giovanna and austin are getting married in sedona later this year, so most of our e-mails and conversations had revolved around the arizona desert and how to plan an out-of-state elopement. that is, until she reached out with a genius idea. she and austin would be in washington on vacation, visiting friends, and thought maybe, just maybe, i could meet them out there for an engagement/adventure session. i’m pretty sure this is how it all went down. 1. i received her e-mail asking if i’d meet them at mt. rainier or olympic national park, 2. i squealed, crossed my fingers, and looked at my calendar, 3. i squealed louder because i could make it work, 4. book flight, book rental car (screw you, fox rental cars, never use them!), begin researching all things washington.
when deciding between mt. rainier and olympic national parks, i looked at all sorts of things – typical weather patterns for that time of year, access if there was still snow on the ground (which there was), trails to potential viewpoints, drive time from seattle, all sorts of things. we settled on mt. rainier for it’s proximity to seattle and it’s epic views from seemingly anywhere in the park.
i am so glad we did what we did. the day before our time together i went on a hike to a fire lookout just outside the park, and, being a desert dweller, just the road leading up to the trailhead blew me away. ferns covered the forest floor, and the light filtering through the canopy of trees above literally stopped me in my tracks. the next day when i picked up giovanna and austin, i suggested we head down this road before heading into the park and they were totally game. this is something i absolutely freaking love about the couples that i get to work with. they’re always up for anything, ready to explore, and open to trusting me to take the lead.
after our time on this gorgeous dirt road, we headed into mt. rainier national park and romped around in the snow, tried naming every peak we could see in the distance, and glissaded down back to the car after the sun went down.
but what i remember most is laughing my butt off (especially when i dropped hip deep in a hole in the snow). these two know how to have a good time, and it gets me so stoked for their elopement in sedona this fall! xo can’t wait to see you both again!
P.S. if you’re planning on visiting mt. rainier and want an amazing airbnb recommendation, here’s where i stayed: hera’s chalet. there was a SAUNA! so yeah…i’ll be back.
