Jillian & Kevin Elope in Lake Willoughby Vermont

SWELL & STONE / ADVENTURE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER / Vermont & BEYOND

Jillian and Kevin eloped on a mountainside cliff deep into fall in Northern Vermont. The day called for a wind storm, rain, and cold, and they were game for every second of it. In fact, they were hands down the two most capable and prepared hikers ready for any weather conditions with endless smiles and an abundance of joy. Their day was wild, windy, and extremely awesome.

I met them at their Airbnb, which from the front looked a little like a rundown old house from the front, but once you stepped inside, transformed into the coolest and cutest abode. It didn’t hurt that the views out the back were unreal and the huge windows let in tons of lovely natural light.

They were both in the process of getting ready, and their adventure pup, Willoughby, was getting amped for adventure. Kevin made a bouquet for Jillian and then set about finishing getting ready. Once everyone finished up we set up a first look in the backyard. It was beautiful and emotional, and before we knew it we were ready to head out for the hike.

I wanted to get some photos down on the beach before we started hiking because I thought it might be dark by the time we finished the hike. I’m so glad we did because it was both dark and raining by the time we finished!

Lake Willoughby is in a stunning and remote area. All the way up in Northern Vermont, it’s close to Kingdom Trails, a mountain biker’s paradise. The lake itself is crystal clear and a glacial lake that is over 300 feet deep. The shoreline of Lake Willoughby almost resembles a Norwegian fjord. The reason for this unique geology is due to the rock between Mount Pisgah on the east and Mount Hor on the west being eroded by an ancient valley ice lobe. This ice flow cut across the Willoughby granodiorite and adjacent metamorphic rocks. The ice flow may have exploited highly fractured bedrock along the margin of the Willoughby pluton or joint surfaces within the pluton. Whatever the reason, it result is a stunning, clear blue lake.

The hike we chose was about 6 miles round trip and fairly steep. I wasn’t worried about these two though, I knew they were avid hikers, and indeed the hike proved to be easy for them even in formalwear. The views from the top were stunning if a little scary. The sheer faces of the rock walls made for a long look down to the lake, and the extreme gusts of wind (up to 70 mph) made everything feel a little more intense. At one point we heard a tree go down and we vowed to keep an eye out so that we would be ready in case one came down near us. They decided to look at and get photos at all of the views, but then have their ceremony in a protected spot in the forest.

The rain held off for a while, but as we were looking at all the views the sky opened up on us. Jillian and Kevin were all smiles and not the least bit stressed and I admired and appreciated their roll with the punch’s attitudes.

When we got back down in the forest they enjoyed some pb&j’s and we found the perfect ceremony spot with a stone staircase backdrop. The light was fading fast, so it was finally time for the ceremony. How do I put into words what a beautiful and emotional ceremony it was? There was laughter and tears and combinations of both. They expressed so much love for each other and also an appreciation that they were marrying their life partner that wanted to get married in this non-traditional and unorthodox way.

I think one of the things that I get reminded about each time I get to photograph an incredible love story like theirs is how honored I am to get to be the one that they trust to capture their story for them. When I look back on these images I get to relive how wild and wonderful their day was, and it’s so incredible that these rad humans got married the way they did and I was able to capture all of the day’s glory.