Elk Mountain Bridal Portrait
She carried a white dress in her backpack, trekking to watch the sunset over Chilliwack and Abbotsford for an Elk Mountain bridal portrait. Idyllic, right?
We left after her workday ended, stuffing our faces with fast food burritos while barrelling down the road from Abbotsford to the base of Elk Mountain. Not quite as inspirational a scene as the glowing photos, but add layers of humor to the idealism of the final product.
Parked at the base of the mountain, we tied up our laces and forgot the bug spray and ignored the ribbing from the other sunset hikers. The trek began with enthusiasm, adventure, anticipation. A sunset from the mountaintop? Paradise lay at the end of our exertion.
And – oh! – the paradise!
Tori switched from hiker to bridal model in 0.3 seconds flat. She pulled her Urban Outfitters skirt and Brandy Melville top from her Herschel Supply backpack while I sourced greenery and blooms. From start to finish, we were shooting for only thirty minutes . . . but the most decadently beautiful thirty minutes imaginable!
And – oh! – the exertion. Speed hiking in a race against the sun, the 4.4km was a game of sunset roulette. I shaved 33 minutes off my previous Elk Mountain attempt, btw, AND the hike down was in the dark. We greeted the hikers setting up camp for the night, secretly wishing we could stay to enjoy the sunrise, and started our way down. Armed with headlamps, we navigated the dark mountain.
How to have a glowing mountaintop bridal portrait
- Be willing to hike a mountain
- Have a photographer willing to hike a mountain
- Stuff your dress into a backpack
- Timing is everything: plan to arrive an hour before official sunset.
- Pack your supplies: headlamps, bear bell, water.
The goal? Not your typical bridal portraits. In fact, I would say these Elk Mountain bridal portraits are out-of-this-world awesome!
Fact: Tori isn’t a bride. She agreed to trek up Elk Mountain with me in the name of art. She’s still on the market. 😉
Model: Tori
Backpack: Herschel Supply
Top: Brandy Melville
Skirt: Urban Outfitters
Hat: Joe Fresh
These are beautiful!