Kiah & David’s Enchanting NH Elopement

SWELL & STONE / ADVENTURE Elopement PHOTOGRAPHER / New Hampshire & BEYOND

Kiah and David eloped in the White Mountains of New Hampshire in a way that ended up being more spectacular than any of us could have imagined. I think that’s one of the most incredible things about elopements. You really never know exactly what nature is going to deliver you when you’re several months out and planning. Sometimes you get really lucky.

I met Kiah and David at the place they were staying, a beautiful cabin deep in the woods, with an address, it turns out, that was hard to find. I pulled up to some house, which looked lived in an not like a rental, so I hesitated before walking up. A person came out onto the porch and asked if I was looking for the couple. They owned the rental and told me how to get there.

One I arrived David was out stoking the fire in his suit, which is always a fun sight to see. We went over everything before I went inside to say hello to Kiah. She finished getting ready and we set up the first look, which was sweet and silly all at once.

After the first look we packed up and headed out to the trailhead. We had talked about maybe staying on top of the mountain for sunset, but we weren’t sure if it was going to be worth it because clouds were forecasted for the whole afternoon. We took our time on the hike, and David even stripped down for part of it so he wouldn’t sweat all over his suit.

As I rounded the last corner before the view I turned around to catch their faces as they saw it for the first time. Their jaws dropped in awe at the kaleidoscope of color before them. The mountains, the trees, the sky- it was all stunning and they couldn’t believe that this was the cathedral they chose to say their vows in.

After some happy exploring and jumping for joy we settled in to their ceremony spot. Their vows were sweet and intimate. Not a single hiker came by during their ceremony, so they truly had the place to themselves. Following the ceremony we set up a picnic and they read letters from their family, popped champagne, and basked in the setting sun.

And the setting sun put on a show. The sunset lit up the whole sky with color. Now not only the trees were bursting with color, but the sky was on fire. The sunset lasted so long we ended up staying until the stars came out. There was no wind and it was such a comfortable temp that there was no reason not to stay.

As they put on their headlamps for the hike down I couldn’t stop beaming and saying how everything couldn’t have been more perfect. There are days when things don’t go to plan, and days when things are made harder by the weather or other factors, but this was one of those days that nothing could go wrong and everything felt easy, smooth, and exactly perfect.