McKayla & Nolan: Getting Married on Skis in the Baker Backcountry
When McKayla and Nolan reached out last fall about shooting their wedding in the Baker Backcountry, I immediately said yes. Their plan was one of the most unique I’ve heard: instead of an elopement or a traditional wedding, they’d do a bit of both at the same time.
McKayla and Nola spent many years cross-country ski racing, and since moving to Bellingham a year ago they’ve 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 as anyone who has gone up to Artist Point in mid-March knows, there are simply a lot of days when the point is surrounded by clouds.
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.
When we arrived at Artist Point, Mt. Baker remained in a cloud. But the upper slopes of Mt. Shuksan were revealed 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
