Wedding Location: Hurricane Ridge, Port Angeles, Washington, United States.

This is one of the wildest and most beautiful wedding I have ever done.  Wildest not in terms of how the after party goes, which is very fun and energetic in it self, but in terms of the adventure this wedding provides for everybody involved.  I will never forget this experience, it’s a memory for the life time for sure.

We started at a beautiful home over looking the Strait of Juan de Fuca at Port Angeles where the bride and the girls are getting ready, while the groom and the boys are getting ready at the wedding location.

The preparation stage is joyous and full of energy.  The real adventure starts when all the girls are ready and we start heading out to Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park.

The drive it self is very interesting, it was a weekend and a very good day, so the park is of course pack with people.  It took us at least half an hour just to get through the gate.  From there,  we drive till the end of the road.  The view on the way are exceptionally beautiful.  We were surrounded by mountain peaks.  When we are close to the end of the road, when I thought we are at our destination, I can see endless of people at the parking lot, I remember thinking to my self, ok, we are going to do this in front of all these people.  But as soon as the thought cross my mind, the car I was following took a sharp turn and suddenly we are on a dirt road.

The dirt road was bumpy and dust was everywhere and sometimes completely covering the view in front.  Looking through the side windows, I can sometimes took a glimpse at those magnificent peaks.  I dare not to look down however, because some part of the road side just next to a slope straight to the bottom, so it seems.  I got nervous at times driving on the road, but it was more excitement than anything else.

We were on the dirt road for a while before we arrive at a clearing.  After we park, the wedding spot is still no where to be found.  Apparently, the journey to the wedding location is not over yet.  From the parking area, we started to hike down to where the wedding will be held.  It was a good half an hour hike, and sometimes there’s no trail to follow.  It was steep at some parts, but overall it was a good hike.

What’s amazing is, the bride Melanie is hiking down the steep hill with her wedding dress and shoe on, it’s amazing to say the least, and there’s a lot of beauty in that, too.  At the end of the hike, we were greeted by a beautiful table setup by a charming small lake, with giant mountain peaks near and far as the backdrop.  the venue was as magical as it could be, almost as if a scene from a romantic novel was brought to life.

The location has a story, they told me it’s their family secret spot and it is where their parents dated.  I can see how secret this spot is, as I did not see anyone else other than the wedding party on a very busy weekend.  A special location for a special day, what more can one ask for?  I know both Melanie and Kramer will never forget this special day.  They couldn’t have pick a better place.

From there, the wedding ceremony starts and the couple were join by many close friend and family, receiving their blessing.  The ceremony was very sweet and special, especially when it is officiant by Kramer’s father.  He is so funny and yet he made the ceremony so romantic, if he does not do this professionally, he should.  It’s one of the most beautiful outdoor wedding ceremony I have ever experience, I truly want to thanks Melanie and Kramer for this opportunity and let me be a part of this beautiful ceremony.

The reception is right there at the open, people dance and give their congratulation to the couple in the amazing landscape.  Dinner was picnic style, perfect for such setting.

At some point of the reception, people starts jumping into the lake and enjoy the cool mountain water.  That was a lot of fun, I regret to not drop my camera and go for a dip as well.

The guest party till sunset, I believe everybody will agree it was an awesome day.  Now comes the hard part, for me at least.  My stamina was tested when we have to hike out and back to where we come from.  I will just say I made the conclusion that I need to start exercising a lot more after barely making the hike back to my car.

 congratulation to Melanie and Kramer again, what an amazing wedding, and thank you for making me a part of this beautiful journey.

/Lumaca Photo