McKayla & Nolan: Getting Married on Skis in the Baker Backcountry

Written By Michael Graw
A photo of a bride and groom in wedding clothes standing together and holding hands. The groom is in a brown suit and the bride is wearing an orange and white wedding dress. They're standing in the snow at Artist Point with mountains behind them.

When McKayla and Nolan reached out last fall about shooting their wedding in the Baker Backcountry, I immediately said yes. Their plan was right up my alley: instead of a full backcountry ski elopement or a traditional wedding, they’d do a bit of both. 

Blending a Backcountry Ski Elopement with a Traditional Wedding

McKayla and Nola spent many years cross-country ski racing, and since moving to Bellingham a year ago they increasingly found themselves touring slopes around the Baker Backcountry adjacent to Mt. Baker Ski Area. So when it came time for their wedding, they wanted to celebrate their love for skiing in a place that was special to them.

Their idea was to skin up to Artist Point with a small group of close friends. But instead of being married up there, they planned to ski down and meet family and more friends for a ceremony in the snow around Heather Meadows. It was the best of both worlds and exactly the type of day I love to capture as an adventure wedding photographer.

Backcountry Skiing at Artist Point: An Epic Backdrop for Elopement Photography

The only lingering question was whether the weather would cooperate. Since they invited family and friends for the ceremony, McKayla and Nolan had to pick a wedding date several months out. And while I’m always game to roll with the weather, it gets a little more complicated when you ask grandparents to stand outside in the snow!

Thankfully, the weather couldn’t have been more generous for McKayla and Nolan’s big day. It had rained and snowed for weeks seemingly nonstop, only for the skies to clear up the day before their wedding. We headed up in the morning with scattered clouds and the sun promising to break through at any moment.

A photo of a group heading uphill on skis in the Baker Backcountry in mid-winter. The mountains in the background are covered in snow.
A couple skinning uphill on backcountry skis in the Baker Backcountry, near Artist Point. The woman has a formal hat and flowers attached to her backpack.
 

We had just a small group for the morning ski tour — McKayla and Nolan, plus their best man, maid of honor (McKayla’s sister), and officiant. We took our time skinning up to Artist Point, stopping a few times for photos and chatting about our past and future ski adventures the whole way.

When we arrived at Artist Point, Mt. Baker was still in a cloud. But the upper slopes of Mt. Shuksan were coming out and the peaks of the North Cascades provided a stunning backdrop for McKayla and Nolan. McKayla changed into her wedding dress and Nolan into his suit, and the rest of party quickly changed into wedding attire as well.

We spent a few hours taking in the views and taking photos. McKayla’s white and orange dress and Nolan’s dark brown suit really stood out against the snowy landscape, making for some incredible wedding photos of the adventurous couple.

 
A groom and his best man standing in the snow with mountains in the background. The best man is adjusting the groom's orange tie.
A photo of a bride and groom standing together in the snow with mountains behind them. The groom is behind the bride with his arms crossed over her chest. The bride is wearing an orange dress and a white fur coat.
A group photo of a bride, groom, and the best man and maid of honor standing together in wedding clothes
A photo of a small wedding party standing in the snow in ski boots. The bride and groom are in the center kissing and the bridesmaid and groomsmen are arranged around them.
A photo of a bride wearing an orange dress, white fur coat, and hat standing in the snow with mountains behind her and her veil blowing in the wind.
A close-up photo of a bride holding a bouquet of flowers. Her engagement ring is visible on her hand and the bouquet matches her orange wedding dress.
 

Skiing in a Wedding Dress to the Ceremony at Heather Meadows

When it came time to head down, McKayla and Nolan swapped their stylish snow boots for ski boots and each threw on a jacket to cut the wind. But McKayla kept her wedding dress on and —impressively —skied down holding the dress with one hand to keep it from catching on the snow. Nolan packed his suit jacket, but his collar and tie were still visible underneath his bright orange puffy.

Mt. Shuksan was right behind them throughout the ski, with the sun shining through clouds to light the way down.

 
A photo of a bride in a wedding dress and groom in a suit skiing down from Artist Point with Mt. Shuksan in the background during a Mt. Baker ski elopement.
A photo from behind of a bride and groom skiing in powder with Mt. Shuksan in front of them. The woman is wearing an orange wedding dress and the man is wearing an orange jacket over a suit.
A photo of a couple skiing together in the Baker Backcountry, Washington. The couple is in wedding clothes with the groom wearing a dark brown suit and the bride wearing an orange wedding dress.
 

Just as we returned to Heather Meadows, the sun came out in full force. Their friends and family had already gathered in a small clearing we’d picked out - - it was just a few minutes of snowshoeing from the parking lot, making this an easily accessible location for eloping with family in attendance.

McKayla and Nolan ditched their jackets and changed from ski boots into snow boots for the ceremony, then said their vows in front of friends and family. Then they celebrated their new marriage with an exciting toboggan ride through the snow.

A photo of a wedding ceremony in the snow. The groom is reading his vows from a small notebook, while his bride and the officiant watch. There's a sled on the ground with a bouquet of orange flowers.
A bride and groom in wedding clothes yelling as they ride downhill on snow on a wooden toboggan after getting married.
A photo of assembled friends and family in the snow at Heather Meadows watching a wedding ceremony. One person in the foreground is wearing a dinosaur costume and a puffy jacket.
A close-up photo of a groom's brown suit, orange tie, and orange boutonniere.
A photo of a wedding ceremony in the snow at Heather Meadows. The groom is placing a ring on the bride's finger while the officiant looks on.
 

Capping Off the Day with a Tailgate Wedding Reception in the Mountains

Afterwards, everyone snowshoed and skinned back to the parking lot, where McKayla and Nolan had prepared a “tailgate” wedding reception complete with cocktails, champagne, and a wedding cake. They thought of all the details for this, including a Just Married sign to hang over the trunk, a wooden slab to lay out the dessert platter, a snow-filled ice tray, and more. If you’re looking for PNW winter wedding inspiration, McKayla and Nolan’s tailgate is a great example!

A photo of a bride and groom popping a bottle of champagne. Champagne is exploding out of the bottle as they both have their eyes closed. Behind them is a sign that says Just Married with a platter of desserts.
A photo of several bottles of champagne sitting in a wooden ice bucket filled with snow.
A photo of two wedding rings on a magenta card with the initials M & N stenciled on it.
A photo of a wedding cake on a tray. The cake is white with orange and red trim, and behind is is a bouquet of green leaves and orange roses.
A photo of a bride and groom cutting their wedding cake together. There are flowers in the foreground and a sign that says Just Married in the background.

It was a beautiful, fun-filled day in the mountains that combined the adventure of a ski elopement with the celebration of a traditional wedding — and we created some very memorable elopement photos along the way!

Michael Graw
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