Intentional Washington Elopement Filled with Quiet Moments

Savannah & Quinn

Two brides kiss under a sparkly star veil during their Washington elopement

One of the biggest gifts I’ve ever received as an intimate wedding and elopement photographer is getting to witness so many different love stories year after year.

Through each story, I get to see how each couple loves and how they’ve learned what loving someone really means.

Working with Savannah and Quinn for their Native American wedding, I got to see the way they care for each other, the way they embrace each other, and the way they’ve become each other’s biggest cheerleader. I also got to learn more about their Native American heritage and the customs that are so important to them and their loved ones.

I’m so excited for you to read their story!

The Couple and Their Intentional Decision to Plan an Intimate Native American Wedding in the Hoh Rainforest

“My whole life I’ve grown accustomed to side eyes, exasperated sighs, or some other variation of misunderstanding. Not with Savannah, though. She helped me through it and looked at me with the same amount of love before, during, and after. I can’t express how meaningful that was… and really still is to me. Her love heals me and helps me grow in ways I never even dared to dream of before.”

These are the words I received from the very first email Quinn and Savannah sent. Through their inquiry and throughout our intentional elopement planning process, I got a see their love. I later got to see it come to life on their Native American heritage elopement day.

To share a little bit of their background, Quinn is autistic and disabled (they have POTS & EDS). On their wedding day, there were moments where Savannah took Quinn to the side to help them regulate and re-ground. These moments weren’t unique to their elopement though. They are moments that are a big part of their relationship and everyday life.

Why Olympic National Park

The first, and most important step, of Quinn and Savannah’s Native American heritage elopement began with intentional elopement planning.

Savannah and Quinn spent time sharing with me what was important to them:

…a Washington elopement location where they can express their love not only to each other but also to the land that is a part of their Native American heritage
…a time where they can stay true to themselves and also help each other navigate through overstimulation from Autism
…a space where being humans and being in love are celebrated wholeheartedly without judgments, without hesitations, without asterisks

We landed on an elopement in the Hoh Rainforest. Not only is the Hoh Rainforest one of the most accessible elopement locations in Washington, but, it is located in Olympic National Park which is a land that holds a lot of connection and meaning to their Native American heritage.

Eight tribes have ties to the land that date back hundreds of years. Those ties still run deep and today the national park service works closely with local tribes to protect the land’s natural resources and the cultural connections. (If you want to learn more about Native American ties to Olympic National Park, you can read more about it here.)

From Intentional Elopement Planning to Smudging This is How Savannah & Quinn Created a Meaningful Elopement Experience for their Native American Heritage Elopement

Savannah and Quinn’s wedding day started off with a Native American heritage elopement ceremony in the Hoh Rainforest. Before the ceremony started, we all got smudged to cleanse ourselves and our spirits.

Smudging is a sacred ritual practiced in many Indigenous cultures. It involves burning herbs like sage, cedar, or sweetgrass to cleanse and purify the mind, body, and spirit.

After their intimate wedding ceremony, the couple celebrated by taking some fun photos in the forest with their loved ones. From there, we slowly navigated to another one of the most accessible elopement locations in Washington: Ruby Beach.

We took it slow, pausing to breathe in every moment.

The thing about adventure photos is they don’t always mean running or hiking. Rather, adventure photos can also be about spending intentional time sitting with each other listening to the waves and enjoying how amazing it is to feel the sun and wind touch your skin.

Quinn and Savannah, I can’t say thank you enough for trusting me to document your Native American wedding day. More importantly though, thank you for allowing me to share your story and your images.

Your elopement day is truly what it means to elope: intentional time in an intentional space.

It also is an inspiration to not only the queer and disabled community, but also to the ones who just need a reminder that their elopement day is THEIR OWN and is as easy as following their own hearts.

Feature image for Rock n Roll Bride magazine with two brides sitting on driftwood at their Washington elopement — This intentional Washington elopement is now featured on Rock n Roll Bride.

Henry’s Elopement Tip:

When it comes to planning your intimate wedding or elopement, it’s all about making it yours. We like to tell our couples to think about the moments that matter to you most and start there.

What are the moments or experiences that you enjoy on a day-to-day basis? Maybe it’s the quiet evening moments when you sit on the couch together after a long day at work. Maybe it’s cooking breakfast together on the weekends or taking a walk in your neighborhood.

These moments where the two of you can just be together and honor your love, are the moments that will help make your elopement day truly yours! They’re also the moments that can help ground you during your elopement and help it feel more intentional and less stressful.

We believe that intentional elopement planning isn’t about doing what’s trendy. Rather, it’s about creating a day that feels aligned with who you are.

Henry took our vision and turned it into fine art…and managed to become a heartfelt friend in the end.

Early in our engagement my wife and I set out our list of priorities and found that we truly just wanted to have a clip of time dedicated to embracing our connection as we made our vows. It was important to both of us to keep our ceremony intimate but to still have it reflect the abundance of joy, laughter, and hope we that we each represented to each other.

Henry took this vision and turned it into fine art. He was the true champion leading up to, on the day of, and somehow even after our wedding. He surprised us time and time again with his thoughtfulness. He kept referrals and links at the ready any time we got stuck in our planning, worked like a vanishing magician during the ceremony, and managed to become a heartfelt friend in the end.

All in all, if I could give a higher rating on this review I would. As a disabled individual Henry never once othered me. A feat that is not easy when trying to speak with someone who struggles to maintain eye contact with new people or who is trying to traverse a sandy beach with a walker.

Beyond just the breathtaking photos that are absolutely still motion art at its finest, Henry himself is warm, thoughtful, and a pure joy. Both he and his work are priceless.

Savannah & Quinn

Washington Elopement in the Hoh Rainforest