Haily and Jimmy live by the beach in Virginia, but decided to say “I do” in the mountains of
Shenandoah National Park. They had their hearts set on including their immediate families, their dog Cojo, and a hike in the park. Haily and Jimmy ended up having the perfect Bearfence Mountain hiking elopement.
Choosing Bearfence Mountain
Shenandoah has so many trails with incredible views and waterfalls that choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. I sent Haily and Jimmy a list of some of my favorite spots, and they quickly fell in love with Bearfence Mountain.
Even after learning there would be some rock scrambling, they were all in. They knew this was the hike they wanted for their elopement day, which I loved.
Getting Ready at an Airbnb
Haily and Jimmy, their families, and Cojo got ready at a beautiful log cabin about 30 minutes outside Shenandoah National Park. The Airbnb had plenty of space for everyone to stay and enjoy the weekend. There was also enough land outside to hold their intimate ceremony.
Having everyone in the same place made the whole morning feel relaxed and easy.
First Look with Dad
Haily and her dad decided to do a first look before the ceremony. it was just the sweetest. I am pretty sure all three of us were crying). It was such a special moment for them before getting ready to walk down the aisle.
A Small Outdoor Ceremony
They exchanged rings, vows, and a kiss in front of their families. One of their closest friends officiated, which made the ceremony feel even more meaningful.
Afterward, we took family photos and a few portraits with Cojo, who was such a good pup. Then the three of us jumped into their car and headed toward Shenandoah National Park.
The plan was to hike the Bearfence Mountain Trail and stop at a couple of overlooks along Skyline Drive. Hiking on their wedding day was really important to them. Haily also wanted proof that she hiked in her wedding dress.
Photos Along Skyline Drive
On the way to our first stop, Haily told us she had a recurring nightmare about her wedding day. In the dream, thick fog rolled in and you couldn’t see any of the overlooks.
As she said this, Jimmy and I looked at each other. A cold front was moving through the park and fog was already starting to roll in. What are the odds?
Since I know the park well, we decided to adjust our plan a bit. We stopped at an earlier overlook to make sure we got photos with mountain views. Then we quickly jumped back in the car, hoping to reach Bearfence before the fog covered everything.
Driving along Skyline Drive, we spotted another clear overlook. I may have slightly yelled for Jimmy to pull over when I saw it. We jumped out and took a few quick portraits before the fog swallowed the view completely.
Honestly, even though the day wasn’t unfolding exactly how they imagined, we were having so much fun racing the fog and laughing the whole time.
Hiking Bearfence Mountain
We finally made it to the hike. I had done it earlier in the week so I knew we had a chance to see a vista because of the direction the fog was moving. On our way up, a couple stopped the couple for a selfie because they were excited to see them dressed in their wedding clothing. They told us the view at the summit was not great, but we had already gone that far, so we we decided to keep moving.
When we got to the lookout, it was very foggy, but we all agreed it made sense to wait a bit to see what would happen. Then all of a sudden the fog cleared just enough for us to take some amazing photos. We were all elated. Of course, as soon as we left the park, and got to lower elevation the fog was gone. We all agreed that racing the fog made the day more thrilling. We had so much fun throughout the entire adventure and got some incredible photos to go along with it!
Ready to Plan Your Bearfence Mountain Hiking Elopement?
I hope you found this elopement inspiring. It was full of so much joy, and adventure. The couple included all of the things that were important to them, and created the perfect day. Your day can look and feel however you want it to, just make it you.
Need help planning your own hiking elopement in Shenandoah? Start with my complete Shenandoah elopement guide — packed with location ideas, permit tips, and timeline advice.
If you’re still looking for the right photographer, I’d love to help you craft and document a day that’s as adventurous and meaningful as you are. Learn more about my Shenandoah elopement photography services or get in touch here to start planning.
Some Kind words from Haily and Jimmy
“We simply cannot say enough amazing things about Aimee!! From the very start she was WONDERFUL. She was super flexible, helpful, and inspiring when we were trying to make decisions for spots/plans for the engagement shoot and our wedding day – I remember her words to me being “Dream big!”. She worked so hard to understand our vision we had for our engagement shoot and wedding day, and she truly blew us away with both! She was so professional, and still brought such a fun, happy, and adventurous vide to our special day. My family was asking how long we had known Aimee because the way we got along with her, they thought we had known her for years! We are so thankful we found Aimee, and truly love that she is forever part of our memories for this chapter of our lives!!”
