Now Reading
Ash & Bree – An Adventure Elopement at the Rocky Mountains

Ash & Bree – An Adventure Elopement at the Rocky Mountains

Rocky Mountains Lesbian Elopement - Adventure Instead - Dancing With Her

Deciding that their commitment to marriage was something that they only wanted to share between the two of them, Ash and Bree eloped while hiking in the Rocky Mountains.

The Love Story

Itโ€™s actually quite funny to think that Bree and I grew up 3 miles apart from one another. We went to different high schools but I wanted to go to herโ€™s because they had a better soccer team.

It took just 10 years for our paths to finally cross after I moved back home from Tucson and my hairstylist recommended I see her. For me, I was in awe with immediately. 

Needless to say, two years later we became friends; we started going to concerts almost weekly, seeing all the new indie films, playing cards, and drinking wine and all the โ€œcoolโ€ beer we could find.

When I found out I was accepted to graduate school in Portland, I wasnโ€™t entirely sure what our fate was, but Bree came. She gave up their 10 year, well-established clientele to start over! That was the defining turning point in our relationship and the concept that thereโ€™s nothing we canโ€™t work through truly began.

The Engagement

Typically Bree plans everything for us. Sheโ€™s detail-oriented and seems to gather a broad knowledge base from her clients. So, when she asked me to figure out where we were going to do our annual backpacking trip for 2018, it would be an understatement to say I was surprised. 

Up for the challenge, I dug into researching options and settled on the Olympic National Park (basically, I wanted to see a bear) and I figured it was close to Canada so we had a perfect reason to boat on over after!

Day 1 of backpacking was a bit long and I was pretty sure Bree was going to kill me by the time we got to camp. Day 2 we had planned to hike to a glacier. We started going up but it became clear that it was just simply unsafe for us to do so.

We turned around and on the decent Bree just starts rambling all these really nice things about me and about how much she loves me, all the while Iโ€™m staring across the gorge wondering if every hole is a bear cave. In the midst of curiosity and also soaking in all these wonderful things sheโ€™s saying about me, she gives me a beautiful wooden box. I instantly realize whatโ€™s happening and all I can tell her is, โ€œyou tricked meโ€ (we had discussed an engagement for later-but I should have known better). We were both pretty awkward in the moment but it was perfect.

Bree surprised me with an engagement shoot in Victoria BC knowing I would be apprehensive about the idea. It actually was quite a lovely experience and a great prep for all the future photos I, at the time, had no idea I was in for.

The Decision to Elope

The easy answer is that I have an awful relationship with my family and everything to do with that/them would be far too complicated.

The better answer, we wanted this to be about us. Like, really, really, really about us. 

We didnโ€™t want anyone elseโ€™s emotions, opinions, or whatever else there could be to get in the way of having a day to celebrate Bree and I coming together to create our family. We wanted to be able to share our vows to one another in private and be as open and honest with one another in doing so. And, we wanted to be able to get married in a way that reflected our life and our adventure as honestly as possible. 

Weโ€™ve known for years that we were going to change our last name together. We finally settled on Pine and knew that the moment we became the Pines (officially) we wanted it to be a moment alone. 

I mean, we literally have created our own, brand new, little tribe! 

It feels and felt so special at that moment. 

When telling my parents, they werenโ€™t too keen on it. My mother told me she would never acknowledge me by Pine. Those words alone were confirmation what we were doing in our elopement plans were perfect for us.

The Elopement

No one in our life knew this was happening, I mean minus parental units I suppose. 

We told our friends we were just doing a crazy two week National Park trip through Yellowstone, Tetons, Rocky Mountain, and back home. We decided to elope in Colorado after learning about their self-solemnization law (or the idea that you can marry yourself, no one else needed). 

When September 30, 2019, finally arrived there is no word to adequately sum the mixture of emotions we were feeling. 

We woke up at 1:30 in the morning to drive from our tiny house AirBnB to meet Amber at the trailhead by 3:00 am. 

The experience was incredible; we reached the top at sunrise, quickly changed, and had our first looks. The alpenglow that early and that high was incredible! 

I hadnโ€™t seen Breeโ€™s dress and needless to say, I was speechless. 

We shared a breakfast picnic, popped champagne, and made the most important promises of our lives to one another.

We spent the afternoon exploring RMNP together then headed back to our off-grid tiny home in the hills above Boulder, CO for our first dance and to cook our first meal as married partners! 

To sum up the experience in one word: perfect.

The Elopement Announcement

Since we kept the elopement a secret from our friends aka chosen family, we decided weโ€™d host an announcement dinner. We didnโ€™t really have any serious plans for this or details etched out until after we got back from Colorado.

On Halloween, I was in a pretty bad bike accident resulting in a concussion. The next two months I was working from home, on a lot of pain medication watching a lot of Wes Anderson films and I began to spiral with an idea of almost secret society vibes. 

Our friends received several packages all with growing detail of the event.

On NYE, we used a burner phone to send them on a bar crawl of sorts until they reached dinner where I gave a short speech, cried, of course, showed our elopement film, and celebrated with the people we love the most.

In the end, I wouldnโ€™t change a thing.


Photography byย Adventure Instead

Custom Hair Piece Mignonne Handmade
Dress Leanne Marshall found at The English Dept.
Elopement Location Rocky Mountain National Park
Florals Lace and Lilies Flowers
Shirt and Vest Scotch & Soda
Shoes Frye Boots
Suit ASOS
Videographer BLNK Films
Watch Shinola

ยฉ2022 DANCING WITH HERยฎ. All Rights Reserved.

Dancing With Her acknowledges the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of this nation. We acknowledge the Dja Dja Wurrung people whose Land on which our company is located and where we primarily conduct our business. We pay our respects to Ancestors and Elders, past, present and emerging. Dancing With Her is committed to honoring Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples unique cultural and spiritual relationships to the land, waters and seas and their rich contribution to society.

Scroll To Top