Sunrise Elopement Ceremony at Mount Baker for Jack and Rudy

With open communication and trust, we took Jack and Rudy’s dream of an intimate Mount Baker ceremony into an evening reception at Wandering Waters and made it a reality. While weddings that span a lot of space (and are in and out of cell reception) have the potential to be complex, it makes our job as experienced planners that much more fulfilling. Collaborating with J + R on navigating boundaries and finding the right vendors for their gay wedding was a privilege.

The couple: Jack and Rudy

Jack and Rudy met when they were exploring their true identities as they came out. It's no surprise that when they were looking for vendors for their intimate mountaintop wedding, they wanted to find people who wholeheartedly supported them. We’ll talk even more about it later, but if you want to delve deeper into what to look for in vendors, visit our blog post all about it.

Jack and Rudy grew up with a profound love for the great outdoors (we love them too!), albeit in different ways. During their wedding ceremony, the officiant (who was also a good friend) used a beautiful metaphor to highlight the effort and hard work of creating the natural world's awe-inspiring beauty. This metaphor is a perfect reflection of Jack and Rudy's relationship, which endured challenges such as distance and sometimes-unkindness towards them as a gay couple. Despite these obstacles, their relationship flourished, built on a shared commitment to helping people in recovery and supporting one another to live authentic lives.

As an officiant myself, I know that writing a beautiful, intentional ceremony can seem like such a daunting task! Not to mention, trying to figure out how to communicate to your friend or family member who is conducting the ceremony can be tricky. That’s why I created a way to help. Check out the Ceremony Writing Guide that helped unlock such a beautiful, personalized mountaintop experience for Jack + Rudy and their loved ones.

The vision: design and values collaboration

Here at Tapestry, we value soul-nourishing, community-enriching experiences for our couples. Jack and Rudy’s goal was to create a high-end intimate wedding in the stripped-down, destination backdrop of Mount Baker. With a focus on enjoying their time with friends and family, we KNEW we were going to create magic together. I love a good wedding collaboration with couples whose values align with ours. Their photographer, Henry, is a creative pillar of the wedding community, a champion of queer love and families, and on our shortlist for any adventure wedding couple. We cultivated the rest of the vendor crew with a filter for not just loosely inclusive, but all-in supportive and celebratory, when it comes to queer love.

Jack and Rudy emphasized intentional and deliberate wedding planning so that no decision felt rushed. So once we worked through vendors, we helped to create and communicate design ideas, assembled a timeline of events, got all of the adventurous game plans for the weekend out to their guests, and then set boundaries with their loved ones.

Extensive open communication and trust were the cornerstones of our planning process for this destination event at Mount Baker. With the format unfamiliar to their guests, we prioritized clear communication and carefully managed expectations throughout our relationship to ensure everyone felt prepared and supported.

Planning a wedding as a gay couple presents unique challenges, even in progressive regions like the PNW. Despite the region's general acceptance of queer families, issues such as small-town concerns, shifting political views, and familial or religious conflicts can create obstacles. Jack and Rudy bravely shared their experiences navigating these challenges, allowing us to address them proactively. From discussing the impact of coming out on family dynamics to setting boundaries and managing expectations, our collaboration was guided by empathy and emotional intelligence to create a safe and inclusive space for their celebration.

See another same-sex wedding we helped plan on private property and included two of the best things: tacos and tequila.

From Mount Baker Ceremony to Wandering Waters Reception

Knowing that Jack and Rudy were in Henry’s capable hands to start their morning put my mind at ease. Having vendor partners you can trust with your couple’s heads and hearts allows us to facilitate flow in other parts of the experience.

We loaded their loved ones onto the shuttle for an hour-long ride up Mount Baker for their intimate ceremony. Jack and Rudy provided amenity baskets, assembled by my Tapestry team, with keepsake blankets, snacks, tissues, hand warmers, and hand sanitizer to make the journey more comfortable. It was a personalized and thoughtful touch to let their guests know they were thinking of them during the trip. We love to be a part of these intentional touches to a wedding day.

After an incredible ceremony conducted by their friend, we made our way back down Mount Baker into the north cascade foothills to Wandering Waters. Tucked into a valley, this north cascades wedding venue is surrounded by stunning mountain views and quiet seclusion. It is the perfect preservation of natural wildlife while using trees grown on property to make the structures for receptions possible. It complemented Jack and Rudy’s love and appreciation of nature.

Looking for beautiful DIY design guidance from the planners behind this blog?

Check out our Wedding Design Guide!

Crafting Unforgettable Experiences

Crafting an event that begins before the break of dawn, unfolds atop Mount Baker, and navigates through areas devoid of cell service, only to seamlessly transition into a curated afternoon reception, is akin to orchestrating a symphony of logistical mastery. As an experienced wedding planner, witnessing such an intricate event unfold flawlessly is fulfilling; it's a testament to the meticulous planning and attention to detail that goes into every aspect of the process.

Planning an event in remote locations, especially with unique logistical hurdles like limited cell service, can be daunting. However, it's in overcoming these obstacles that the true magic of event coordination shines through. Every aspect requires careful consideration and planning, from coordinating transportation for guests to ensuring smooth transitions between ceremony and reception spaces. Can you tell I LOVE when potential chaos ends up going so smoothly? But it's not just about overcoming hurdles; it's about turning them into opportunities to enhance the guest experience.

Ultimately, an event's success lies in the guests' satisfaction and my couple's joy. When planning hurdles translate into a smooth and memorable guest experience, it's not just a job well done; it's a moment of fulfillment for everyone involved, including my couples who work so hard to include their guests on a wedding day. One of our favorite details from this couple was wedding favors in the form of custom enamel pins commemorating the trip! Such a great touch!

At Tapestry, we pride ourselves on turning challenges into opportunities, creating unforgettable experiences that exceed expectations and leave a lasting impression on all who attend.