Adventure Elopement on North Country Trail | Grand Rapids, MI

What was meant to be a day full of rain turned into a beautiful, styled adventure elopement shoot on the North Country Trail in Grand Rapids, Michigan! We even saw the sun a few times! YAY! Very short increments and the rain did eventually come, but hey, this is the midwest, and I’ll take what I can get.

This was actually my very first time in Michigan, and aside from the gloominess of a lingering winter (which we are also having here in Indiana), gotta say — I’m a huge fan! Grand Rapids is beautiful, even the downtown area was super cute and one of the cleanest cities I’ve ever been to honestly. And the people were so nice! I swear I talked to at least five strangers and every single one was insanely warm and enjoyable to talk to, so that’s always a win in my book.

If you’ve never been, I highly recommend it. And should you find yourself in need of a caffeine boost while you’re there, Madcap Coffee is where it’s at, my friend. I went both days I was in town and even took a few photos there!

Outside the city, there is so much nature! I honestly had no idea. But I’ve already made a bucket list of places I wanna visit in Michigan for funsies with my fam bam. AND OF COURSE, to photograph some fellow adventurous couples. Some of those places include Silver Lake Sand Dunes, Pictured Rocks, and Pyramid Point Trail. So if you’re down, let’s get to planning!

This particular elopement was shot on North Country Trail, which is an extremely long trail. I’m talking 4,800 miles, going through eight states from North Dakota to Vermont! So we were in a VERY small area. But there were so many beautiful spots just on this short, easy trek. Beautiful tall trees that the light shined through so perfectly in the evening, a creek with a bridge, a cabin… And top it all off, great parking! Again, always a win.

Kennedy and Joey were so much fun to photograph and just be around in general! Their love is so apparent for each other, which only made it easier to capture them naturally and authentically. They’re also a super rad husband-wife videographer team, so if you are in search of someone to capture your special day on video or in need of a branding video, check out Happy Sappy Films.

Michigan is such a beautiful place to elope, whether it’s somewhere along the North Country Trail, in the city, or on the coast of the Great Lakes! Maybe you’re looking for that PNW vibe and can’t quite make it out to Oregon. Or love the idea of the Great Sand Dunes in Colorado but wanna stay closer to home. Michigan has a little bit of everything for everyone, and dude, seriously… The locations I mentioned at the beginning of this post — GOLD. They’re so beautiful.

I’d absolutely love to help you plan your elopement or intimate wedding (or couple shoot!), whether it’s in Michigan, Oregon, or Scotland! You name it, I’m there. I’ll scout and research the perfect location, create the perfect timeline so you don’t have to stress on your big day, and help you get all the legal stuff in order to make sure you actually get married. (Okay, but could you imagine if you accidentally didn’t do it right and found out years later? Sorry. Briana thought. Anyway…). My point is, I’ve got your back and I’d love to be a part of your special day!

Let’s plan your elopement!

Some other incredible vendors who made this shoot possible include:
Planning, Designing, Styling — Becoming Design Events
Bridal Hat — Dearly Loved Bridal
Boquet — Fleur To Gather
Signage — Kate’s Calligraphy
Hair + Makeup — Girl On The Glow