Magical Wedding in Hocking Hills, OH

MAGICAL WEDDING IN HOCKING HILLS

I don’t normally write blog posts this long, but Natalie and Andy’s story is wild and I firmly believe that each step of the way makes their incredibly epic wedding in Hocking Hills even more meaningful. 

THE JOURNEY TO A WEDDING IN HOCKING HILLS

Choosing a place for Natalie and Andy to exchange their vows began long before they arrived in Hocking Hills. When they originally planned their wedding, they envisioned a celebration with all of their friends and family. Considering their guests lived all over the country, choosing a location was tricky.

At first, they scoured Detroit. But they struggled to find something their family could love as much as they did and moved on to San Diego. Then, the pandemic hit and they decided on a backyard socially-distanced wedding in Ann Arbor, Michigan. As they continued planning, they didn’t feel like they could safely involve their guests at all and approached me about an adventure elopement with just the two of them. 

After brainstorming a million different Michigan locations, Natalie suggested Pictured Rocks. Mission was go until a family member caught COVID19. After so many postponements, Natalie and Andy needed a break. Decision fatigue had totally overwhelmed the both of them and disappointment after disappointment, they stopped. Instead of a wedding, they planned a trip to visit their family.

As soon as they let the pressure release, everything fell into place. Kayla, my micro-wedding planner friend from The Lost Forty posted on instagram that she was legally ordained in Ohio. I commented that I’ve always wanted to photograph a wedding in Hocking Hills. Natalie saw it, and we went from there. 

But there was still one last problem.

LOCATION SCOUTING

The morning of the wedding day, the forecast called for thunderstorms. ALL day. Since all of us vendors (Sarah from Wild Bees Beauty, Kayla from The Lost Forty, and myself) were traveling 5+ hours down from Michigan, we made the decision to postpone one last time. Just until the next morning.

I drove down that day anyway, and instead of photographing their elopement, we went location scouting. I’m so so glad we did! We were able to make a concrete plan for the next day and I could read the light for the best place for their ceremony. Hocking Hills is stunning… but down in the gorges there isn’t a lot of sun. In fact, surrounded on all sides by rock and thick forest, it’s downright dark. So by taking the time to explore in advance, we didn’t waste any time the next day.

FINALLY

I arrived at Glenlaurel the morning of the wedding for getting ready pictures, the first look, and the 20-minute hike to the ceremony. Their room was a bit tight, and every time Andy needed to come in or out, Natalie hid behind the armoir door. Sarah did a stunning wedding updo for Natalie and makeup that was glam without trying hard. Kayla arrived with the bouquet and boutonnière and I got to work photographing all the personal details. The couple got dressed and it was time for the first look!

THE CEREMONY

We hiked the 20 minutes to the end of Glenlaurel’s gorge where the natural rock formations and tiny stream met at a shallow cave. Natalie and Andy exchanged their vows to a soundtrack of birds and water over stone. Their original officiant Brittany prepared readings for Kayla to recite. To the couple’s surprise, she also gathered blessings from their parents. As the wind blew through the trees, leaves fell around us like confetti.

Also, here’s the moment Natalie officially decided to add Andy’s last name to hers. SO EXCITED!

ADVENTURES AS HUSBAND AND WIFE

No visit to Hocking Hills is complete without a visit to Old Man’s Cave. So I took Natalie and Andy on a wedding day adventure. We found a dry spot in the middle of the gorge for them to have their first dance as husband and wife. 

My favorite part of the day happened right after their ceremony. I spotted a break in the shadows, and asked Natalie to run for it. In her dress, holding the train to take the rocky hill with Andy following, we caught this holy moment. It was a ray of sun- like a peace offering from the universe. 

Confirmation that love transcends chaos.

Also, I’m obviously not happy about COVID, but I’m really grateful for the resurgence of adventurous elopements.