Adventurous Red River Gorge Hiking Elopement

Two marriers on top of an arch in Red River Gorge. In the left image the couple is small and framed by evergreens. The sky has a few pink clouds. In the right image the couple sit on a rock with their heads resting together. It is foggy and you can’…

Back in early February, Shannon & Tim reached out to me while planning their intimate wedding. I was immediately excited since they wanted to collaborate on locations— they were looking for something woodsy & adventurous, but also somewhere that would be easy for folks carrying kiddos and older family members to get to. So, I made a list of accessible options that still felt natural and wild for them to choose from!

Originally the idea was for twenty or so family members to join them as they said their vows, but then everything changed in March. Since their original plan would involve a whole lot of people traveling, they made the decision to get married in their backyard with family, and then come down to Kentucky with just the two of them to explore, read letters to each other, and have an elopement day full of adventure.

Once the location we choose didn't need to allow for a group, Red River Gorge moved to the top of our list! Shannon and Tim had never been to RRG before, so for their elopement, I acted as both photographer and tour guide. I had so much fun planning their day and even more fun actually getting to hike around with them! Our goals were to see some cool rock formations (Shannon teaches about rocks to her students), interesting water features, and some expansive views...and y'all I don't want to toot my own horn, but I think we nailed it. We got really lucky and had a gorgeous foggy sunrise with almost all the trails totally to ourselves! I don't think the day could have been any more perfect.

If you're in the process of planning your own Kentucky elopement and don't know where to start, I made a blog post outlining how to elope in Kentucky that should be helpful! I also offer location assistance, help building timelines, and feedback on just about anything for all my wedding and elopement clients. Contact me and let’s start making magic!