One of the reasons I love elopements so much is that each one is so unique and different. This time, my couple Ann and Chad wanted to do something fun, thrilling, and adventurous, and in this case they did a ziplining elopement here in North Idaho with Timberline Adventures! Before we get to those super fun photos, I just wanted to talk about how amazing my couple was for this day! Ann and Chad were the absolute sweetest humans to work with - they came all the way from Iowa to North Idaho to elope in the mountains and get married by Lake Pend Oreille. They included little bits of Idaho into the details of their elopement, which was so neat to see! I was so sad when it was time for them to head home, but we parted ways becoming close friends and having created these remarkable memories together makes the experience together one I'll never forget.
This elopement is featured over on Wandering Weddings! Click to read some more about the couple and their elopement experience!
Getting Ready in a Stunning Sandpoint VRBO
Ann and Chad found this absolutely stunning VRBO in Sandpoint, Idaho to start their day at that morning. It had an immaculate deck space that overlooked Lake Pend Oreille (which is the biggest lake in Idaho), and this was the perfect rental to have my favorite elopement hair and makeup artist come and do Ann's hair and makeup before their first look out on the deck. Ann's super talented florist created a bouquet that was inspired by Idaho wildflowers, and Chad made Ann a custom bouquet leather wrap with their wedding date on it!
Heartfelt Ceremony at Farragut State Park
After a super sweet first look at their VRBO, we loaded up and drove over to one of my favorite spots for ceremonies in Farragut State Park. This place is easy to access with jaw-dropping views, so it makes for a perfect ceremony spot without skipping out on the scenery. It was just me, the officiant, and Ann and Chad present for this intimate yet heartfelt ceremony. Chad had surprised Ann with a guitar from Wilburn's Custom Shop in Sandpoint, and sang her a song with it at the end of their ceremony - so sweet!
After the ceremony, they celebrated with a gorgeous custom cake by Kate's Cakes in Sandpoint (which the baker perfectly replicated a carving Ann wrote out for Chad while they were dating), and one of their friends made the cake platter and the cake cutting utensil set for their special day. Ann and Chad also went out of their way to find a whiskey made locally in Idaho, and found this straight bourbon whiskey by 7 Devils.
Custom Tattoos of Ceremony Coordinates
Along with a personalized song for Ann, the both of them went to Inksmith Custom Tattoo the day before and got tattoos of the coordinates from their ceremony location, and also included the mountains you saw from their ceremony site - how cool is that?! Now whenever they hold hands, their commitment to each other they made here in Idaho will forever be a part of them for everyone to see!
Ziplining with Timberline Adventures
When Ann first told me in an email that they wanted to go ziplining on their elopement day, you couldn't believe my excitement! This goes to show you can literally do anything you want for your elopement, and ziplining is such a memorable, unique, and adventurous option! We drove down to the Coeur d'Alene Resort and checked in with Timberline Adventures for our treetop adventure!
After our amazing zipline tour (10/10 recommend Timberline Adventures), we parted ways. They left to explore more of the resort and the area and I left with a beaming smile on my face. But there's so many more beautiful moments from their day, so keep scrolling to see even from this elopement!
North Idaho Elopement Inspiration
North Idaho Elopement Photographer
Ann and Chad wrote me this heartfelt review after their elopement in North Idaho:
"From the moment we saw Karlie’s talented work, we thought she would be the perfect photographer for us. After meeting her via Zoom, there was no question she was! Karlie was responsive, accommodating, knowledgeable and so incredibly friendly and organized! She made the planning process so easy and we felt completely confident that our day would be exactly what we hoped for. Not only was our wedding day an absolute dream come true, Karlie had become a genuine friend along the way. The photos she took allowed us to relive each moment of that amazing day. She captured the beauty of Idaho, the love between the two of us, and the FUN we had celebrating our marriage! Don’t shop around…don’t wait. Book Karlie to capture your special day! She’s a gem! PS She is a true adventure photographer…we even took her ziplining with us!"
That's right, whatever you have in mind for your elopement (even ziplining), I'd be thrilled to tag along and document it! It's so funny, as I'm writing this blog post, it's Ann and Chad's 6 month wedding anniversary tomorrow - talk about good timing to write a blog post!
If you have an adventurous elopement in mind for your wedding day, like this ziplining elopement in North Idaho, contact me and let's work together to create your greatest adventure yet!
Ann and Chad's ziplining elopement sounds like an incredible adventure filled with love and unique personal touches. It’s heartwarming to see how they incorporated elements of Idaho into their special day.