Elopement Photography At Cathedral Park And Forest Park

Last fall, I photographed Cierra and Mark’s elopement at Cathedral Park and Forest Park. They really wanted to be surrounded by nature in their portraits but because their elopement date was well into November, we were a little concerned about the weather. So we opted to do their ceremony at Cathedral Park where the St John’s Bridge would at least provide some decent cover, as well as provide a beautiful background, and then follow up with portraits in Forest Park if the weather permitted.

Thankfully, we lucked out with a quintessential cloudy, northwest day that added a welcomed moody vibe. Cierra and Mark were accompanied by three of their closest friends, one of which officiated while the other two acted as witnesses. It was the perfect sized group for an intimate elopement. The five of them later went out to dinner together once we were wrapped with photos.

After the ceremony, we took a few portraits and then we drove across town to Forest Park. The trails were a little muddy but Cierra and Mark have an adventurous spirit so it was no big deal. About a mile into the hike resides the old foundation of a house that locals know as the Witch’s Hut. So we casually strolled through Forest Park toward the Witch’s Hut. While taking portraits along the way, we enjoyed good conversation about Korean cinema and about wanting to see the new movie Parasite (which turned out being very good if you haven’t seen it).

Often times during weddings, I don’t always have the time to veer into conversations with couples about random things like Korean cinema. One of the big reasons why I’ve grown to love photographing elopements so much is because it gives couples and myself more time to settle down and enjoy the experience in a different way. In addition to all of the exciting weddings I’ll be photographing this year, I’m also very much looking forward to the change of pace provided by the elopements I’ll be shooting in 2020.