I was honored to take these unique anniversary pictures for R + J at Olympic National Park. I’m absolutely obsessed with their love story and their adventurous spirits. This shoot was beyond gorgeous, and in the perfect location – you know I love exploring Olympic National Park! What a special celebration of love with these two beautiful humans.
R + J had a wedding planned for last year (like so many others) but ended up canceling it, and eloping in the woods instead. They eloped in July, made it official in the courthouse in August, and hosted a virtual reception in September with their friends and family. Because of this, they like to say that they have three different wedding anniversaries – goals.
R told me: “This is such a beautiful metaphor for our relationship because our marriage is the conscious choice to wake up and say ‘I do’ every day.”
These sweethearts thought it would be special to dress up in a white dress and fancy clothes on their anniversary each year. What a bomb idea! They want to build an epic photo book later on of all the times they’ve “married” each other and continued to choose each other over the years. Damn, do I get to work with the sweetest people ever.
Why Take Anniversary Photos?
While it’s not as common to take anniversary pictures as I think it should be, R + J have an amazing idea going here. Let’s all follow suit and start building an anniversary photo book to look back on in years, k??
Your anniversary is a sweet time full of reminiscing on the way you’ve grown and remembering the day you two melded your lives together. How special to look back and visually see how you’ve grown and evolved throughout the years!
Anniversaries are typically full of fancy dinners, weekend getaways, and flowers. You’ll plan something really sweet to spend time celebrating each other – why not document your celebration? Or simply celebrate with some anniversary pictures in your home together?
Olympic National Park Information + Inspo
This couples session was at Lake Crescent + Hurricane Ridge, you already know – two of my all-time favorite spots inside of Olympic National Park.
Lake Crescent’s pristine waters reflect the surrounding mountains and forest so beautifully. It was carved by a glacier, so the water is clear and reflective! Meaning it makes for some bomb af photos and even better memories. One of my favorite memories at Lake Crescent was shooting the most rainy engagement photos for Ashley + Allen. We allllll know kissing in the rain is the most romantic thing on earth, as romantic novels like to tell us.
I love how R + J weren’t afraid to take off their shoes and get in the water for these photos. A couples session at Lake Crescent isn’t complete without a little dip in the water 😉
And like I’ve said before, Hurricane Ridge has some of the best views in the PNW with those sprawling, snow-capped mountains and miles of green trees. One of my favorite things is taking sunset engagement photos at Hurricane Ridge because damn that golden hour is insane.
I definitely suggest parking off of Hurricane Ridge Road for some dancin’ and of course taking in the insane views.
Olympic National Park has such diverse terrain so no matter what vibe you’re going for or what season of life you’re in, there’s a spot for your unique photos. Jake + Holly love surfing so we took their maternity photos at Crescent Beach! This is a beautiful spot along the Olympic Peninsula with the most amazing sunrises and plenty of killer ocean views.
Looking to elope in Olympic National Park? First of all, congrats! Not just on your engagement but also on picking the best place in the state to elope. Am I biased? Maybe, but for real – this place is fuckin’ beautiful, you can’t blame me.
Lucky for you, I put together a super comprehensive guide on How to Elope in Olympic National Park. It covers topics like choosing your location, getting permits, timeline, picking a time of year, and so much more.
R + J definitely had the right idea in picking Olympic National Park for their anniversary photos. I had the best damn time creating these beautiful photos with these two. I can’t wait to watch them and their anniversary photobook grow! Happy one year (three times over!) anniversary to R + J 🙂
