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. 

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 Mt. Baker backcountry. 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.

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.

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 we spent a couple hours taking in the views and taking photos.

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.

When it came time to head down, McKayla and Nolan skied down wearing their wedding clothes. Mt. Shuksan stood behind them, the sun shining through clouds to light the way down.

A photo of a bride and groom skiing in powder with Mt. Shuksan behind them. The woman is wearing an orange wedding dress and the man is wearing 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. McKayla and Nolan said their vows in front of friends and family, then celebrated their new marriage with a 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.

Afterwards, everyone headed 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.

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 - and a great way to combine the adventure of a ski elopement with the celebration of a traditional wedding.

Michael Graw
Next

Ellie & Dylan: Celebrating 5 Years of Adventure on Skis