“Sometimes he looks at me in such a way that I wish I could trap that look in a bottle and keep it with me at all times”

Each part of Estefania & Lucas’ Maryland elopement day was filled to the brim with meaning and intentionality.  

Before having a big church wedding in Spain for their family and friends, they really wanted to have something that was just for them and *felt like them* too. So we decided to find the perfect spot for them – a mountain where they could watch the sunrise and share their vows and settled on Chimney Rock for their adventurous hiking Maryland elopement.

Sunrises have held a lot of meaning for them because while they were long distance they would often have FaceTime calls and because of the time difference, one would often be waking up right when the other was going to sleep so they would watch the sunrise together each day. Lucas is a rock climber and they both love being in nature — they even got engaged at sunrise on a mountain! So naturally, starting their elopement at sunrise just felt right.

The number 8 also holds a lot of personal significance for them so they decided to get married on 8/8 and set their ceremony time on their license (that I got to sign for them!) for 8:08am. I mean, how cute?! 

A Maryland Elopement at Sunrise

We met up in the early morning hours, hiked in the dark, and watched the sun come over the trees at Chimney Rock in Catoctin Mountain Park together. They changed and shared a sweet first look and then personal vows in the most epic spot on the mountain overlook. Then they shared a first dance, and a fun second and third one, and we even had a rainbow pop in for a quick hello!

After the ceremony, they shared a picnic of sandwiches and champagne (E&C even packed extra for me!) and we chatted with some of the fellow hikers that came through. 

After we ate and took some elopement portraits, we hiked back down and explored a nearby stream where we popped champagne and signed their marriage license before hugging goodbye. All in all, it was a relaxed and magical morning and one I won’t soon forget.  

Looking for other great elopement locations in Maryland? Check out my guide to eloping in Maryland here!

“Words can not express how grateful we are to have had Bekah as our photographer. From the start we felt she truly understood our vision. She took the time to understand who we are, how we met, and the significance of what we wanted on our day. Our special and unique day began early in the morning, hiking up a mountain, and having our moment at sunrise. Bekah helped us in so many ways. She was patient. She was kind. She was calm. She guided us every step of the way. She gave us plenty of suggestions to make picture taking easy and comfortable. We are so grateful for all of the support we had that day. It was a beautiful morning. We could not have asked for a better photographer. The pictures are magical. Bekah is the BEST!” – E&L

Read more reviews here!

Etefania & Lucas’ elopement story was also recently published on Wandering Weddings. Check out the feature here!