Drew & Adrienne's New River Gorge Elopement
Often when people inquire about an elopement, they come to me with no idea what they want their elopement to look like. But when Drew and Adrienne reached out to me, they already had a complete vision of what they wanted because it was an experience they had already shared and loved so much that they wanted to do it again. They are both rock climbers and had taken their first climbing trip together at New River Gorge on the same weekend 2 years earlier, so this was a special place for them and they absolutely wanted it to be a part of their wedding day.
As is common, they had already been legally married prior to their elopement so this day was to exchange vows privately, have a great time with friends, and have beautiful photos to look back on afterward.
Sunrise Vow Exchange and First Dance at Grandview Overlook
They wanted to start the day off with a private moment in a quiet place so they could exchange the vows they had written to one another, and sunrise at the Grand View Overlook was the perfect place for this. We knew other visitors would be at the actual overlook, so we chose a trail nearby where they wouldn't be interrupted. There in the thick mist on top of the gorge, they read their vows, part of which included tying the knot with a climbing rope around themselves, which was really cool play on the tradition that tied into their hobby. They also shared a first dance together - not by playing music aloud, but by sharing a set of Airpods. When the fog finally lifted, they took the moment in together and watched the sun rise over the Appalachian mountains on their elopement day.
Breakfast and The New River Gorge Bridge
After our time at the overlook, we returned to the beautiful house they had rented for them and their guests for the weekend, where they made themselves breakfast and planned out where they wanted to climb with their friends later. With some time to kill before they planned to meet up with everyone, we stopped at both the official New River Gorge Bridge overlook and then made our way down into the gorge towards the river where we spent time taking photos at the base of the bridge.
Rock Climbing and Repelling at The Endless Wall
Adrienne & Drew geared up for a day of climbing at The Endless Wall where they started off by repelling down a huge cliff together, wedding clothes and all. When they were almost the whole way down, I scurried down a series of ladders to meet them at the bottom of the wall where their friends also met them. It was a seemingly busy day for climbing, so we hiked a bit to get to a location that hadn't yet been claimed. There, the group would spend the day together climbing, belaying, and basking in the sun on rocks like lizards since it was a bit chilly out. As we got closer to sunset, we walked to another point that would allow them to climb back up to the top of the Endless Wall whereeveryone would gather for sunset.
Diamond Point
I hustled back up the ladders to get to the top of the wall and over to the Diamond Point overlook where the couple would be climbing up to the top. I couldn't see over to them so I waited and listened until I could hear Adrienne approaching the top, where I caught her amid the challenge of pulling herself up over the edge. Afterward, she and their friends helped ensure the line was ready for Drew to make his way up the wall as well, and when he finally did make it up, their guests were there to greet him.
The wind was brutal, but we took photos with everyone at the top of that cliff during sunset, where they also took the time to thank each person for coming to spend the weekend with them and for being there on their elopement day. Just as they watched the sun rise on their elopement day, they watched the sun set again over the gorge. We walked back toward the cars with headlamps to help guide us through the darkening forest, before departing for Pies & Pints for their pizza dinner celebration.
Three things that I loved about this day ...
The creative challenges that rock climbing added to my work
The amazing group of people who brought joy, laughter, and positive vibes to their wedding experience
Drew & Adrienne fully embracing the best parts of eloping - sharing an experience together, having time for just the two of you, and allowing yourselves to get dirty and have fun
So grateful to have had the opportunity to tell the story of their wedding day! Thank you and congratulations again to this amazing couple!
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Hey there! I'm Carly - The owner of Wild North Weddings and a photographer specializing in documenting weddings and elopements across the U.S. If you love the idea of a wedding with adventure, excitement, and a little romance sprinkled in, let's talk about how I can help you create and capture the wedding day of your dreams!
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