Kelsey & Andrew’s White Mountain elopement in New Hampshire was such a dream! From the perfect weather to the relaxed vibe of the day, everything about it was everything I could have hoped for when planning the day with them.
Kelsey & Andrew had never been to the White Mountains in NH before, and their decision to vacation and elope there was a bit of a spontaneous choice. With them never having been there before, I really wanted to make sure in designing the day that they got to experience as much of the area as possible.
Something that was really important to Kelsey was being able to get photos during sunset. So the evening before elopement day we cruised the Kancamagus Highway (famous scenic byway in the White Mountains) and stopped at some of the various outlooks while the sun was setting.
On elopement day, we started with a first look at their AirBnB condo at the base of Loon Mountain. The location had a gorgeous view and access to a river, the perfect fall setting for this moment.
Our next stop was the Encore Coffee and Thrift shop for some local coffee. Kelsey and Andy are big coffee fans and they always pick up a bag of coffee beans from a local spot when they’re on vacation. So of course we had to make sure that coffee was incorporated into their White Mountains elopement.
After coffee, our plan was to go hike The Flume Gorge, but when we pulled up the parking lot was PACKED. We had secured our tickets two months in advance, but we couldn’t even find a parking spot (on a weekday no less!) and decided to bail on that idea. Instead, we went and hiked Artist’s Bluff and part of the Echo Lake trail closer up to Cannon Mountain.
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We also doubled back and made a stop at Beaver Pond to get some really great fall in the woods photos. Despite how super busy it was everywhere else in the White Mountains that day, this area was totally people-free, giving Kelsey & Andy some intimate privacy for their day.
To end their White Mountain elopement day, we wanted to go to the top of Cannon Mountain. No trip to the Whites is complete without a summit excursion! Kelsey and Andy love to hike, but they didn’t want to do any arduous hiking on their elopement day. However, they still wanted to get those epic mountaintop photos. Cannon Mountain was the perfect choice due to its historic Tramway that ferries people to the top of the mountain. We were also able to get a great view of Artist’s Bluff, where we had been earlier that day.
Once at the top, we hiked the Cannon Mountain loop and found a little alcove to privately have their ceremony and picnic while taking in the gorgeous views of the White Mountains in autumn.
The sun started to set as we hiked back toward the Tramway, and created this magically ethereal mood in the alpine forest, creating a perfect ending to Kelsey & Andy’s White Mountain elopement day.
White Mountain Elopement Vendors:
Planning, Photography & Celebrant: Emma Thurgood Weddings
Vow Books: Love Struck Lettering on Etsy
White Mountain Elopement Day Locations: Franconia Notch State Park & White Mountains National Forest
Her Dress: Grace Loves Lace
Rings: James Allen
