Anna & Sean’s Picturesque Vermont Elopement at Warren Falls, Mt. Mansfield, and Lake Champlain

SWELL & STONE / ADVENTURE ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHER / VERMONT & BEYOND

Anna and Sean’s gorgeous Vermont elopement came about after they had originally planned a much larger wedding, but when COVID hit they were excited for an opportunity to downsize and simplify. They wanted to spend their day doing fun things in beautiful places, and after a couple chats on the phone and a custom location guide I created for them, they knew exactly where that was.

We met at sunrise near where they live, a gorgeous place called Causeway Park. It’s a small strip with a hike/bike path across the water. It’s the perfect spot to watch sunrise or sunset, and it used to be a train track to Grand Isle. After exploring the area and experiencing sunrise we headed back to their place to freshen up and snag a few pics on their newly built back deck. Their entire house was gorgeously styled and their back deck was no different. Sean spent several weeks planning and building it out, and Anna styled it perfectly. It was their private oasis and it was incredible to get to see them enjoying it together as part of their day.

After a little relaxation we headed to Warren Falls for their ceremony. I’ve photographed many ceremonies at this spot, but I NEVER tire of seeing couple’s faces when they see the falls for the first time. The water is crystal clear and a deep blue/green color that looks out of this world. Most people who see the photos for the first time assume it’s from a spot out west. But it’s tucked away in beautiful Vermont in the heart of New England. I do love to recommend early morning ceremonies here, and in the summer it’s an absolute must because around 10 am the entire place is filled with swimmers taking a dip in the pristine waters.

Mid-morning we headed north up to the tallest peak in Vermont, Mt. Mansfield. Their are many trails up this famous peak, but we chose to take the Auto Toll road most of the way, and then hike a bit further to get those stunning views. It was at this point that I became a bit nervous because I was an integral part of a surprise for them. I had been scheming with Anna’s sister for some time now. Their families were going to meet us at the end of the hike on Mt. Manfield. I snuck away to text her and say that we were running behind, but on our way up the mountain. However, spotty phone service means I didn’t know for sure if that text went through, and it is imperative to not ruin the surprise by crossing paths on the way up. Apparently, Anna and Sean are notoriously hard to surprise, and other attempts had be messed up before. I couldn’t be the reason this surprise got messed up! Anna’s sister did get the text, but since it’s rude to be on your phone during your clients wedding day I didn’t get a chance to check her response. I needed to make sure I took enough time on the peak to give the families time to get into position.

Anna and Sean were starting to get hungry and were ready to head back. I made them do a couple more poses, and then we started on the trail back. As we neared the end Sean spotted someone else hiking the path in nice clothes. He said they must be doing the same thing they were doing, but little did he know those people in nice clothes were there for them! As we approached they started to recognize people, and their family burst into cheers upon seeing the couple! They were genuinely surprised and we were so happy to have pulled it off!

After some celebrations we all headed back to Burlington, and then Anna, Sean, and I headed out to a secluded spot on Grand Isle for sunset. With all the formalities done and surprised pulled out we all relaxed and skipped rocks, and enjoyed the beach and the weather. It was the perfect ending to Anna and Sean’s beyond perfect wedding day.