Adventure Elopement on the River

Adventure Elopement on the River in Gaylord, MI

When these two first reached out to me with their idea of wanting to have a canoeing elopement, I was basically jumping up and down with excitement. Misha + Brenden spent two years organizing and planning their incredible experience, and seeing it all come together so beautifully was absolutely unreal!! This adventure elopement on the river couldn’t have been a more beautiful day, filled with friendship, laughter, and so many intentional details. I can’t wait for you to see!

Packing Up to Drop In

Their day started at the cabin they rented, which was actually a cluster of cabins on the property- making it the perfect spot to celebrate. If you’re planning a micro wedding, finding a property like this is an amazing way to be able to spend a wedding weekend with your people while also having your own spaces! Misha, Brenden, and their loved ones spent the morning snacking on a breakfast spread, sipping mimosas and bloody mary’s, and making sure they had everything they would need for their canoe ride to their ceremony site! They even packed lunches complete with sandwiches and chips for their friends making the ride down the river with them, which was just the sweetest touch!

Canoeing to the Ceremony + Getting Ready at the Trail

After the short drive to the canoe launch, everyone was ready to go. Misha and Brenden chose to do this half of the ride with their friends and build up some extra excitement for that post-ceremony canoe ride they would share. The ride to the chapel area was going to be 2-3 hours to make sure there was plenty of time to chill and enjoy, and everyone was having so much fun. If you’re planning an adventure elopement on the river or not, making sure you have time to actually be in the moment is a must!!

Everyone was laughing, sipping seltzers, listening to music, and just taking in the beautiful float down the river! I can honestly say that riding in a kayak down a river in a bathing suit on a wedding day was a first for me, but it was the BEST. After a few hours of floating, we rounded a bend and could see a small dock and the chapel on the right side of the bank up ahead! M + B chose to get ready here in the woods, with their closest people helping them with all of the finishing touches.

First Look + Ceremony at the Wooded Chapel

When I say I love first looks at weddings, moments like this area huge reason why! Having a moment entirely to yourselves to take each other in and really savor the moment is always so beautiful. Wedding days are filled with so much fun and adventure, so it can be so incredible to just have a private moment for the two of you before everything starts to happen. They shared their first look with the sun rays dancing through the trees, before wandering up the hill to the chapel. Their ceremony was perfectly them, and I can confirm their personal vows didn’t leave a dry eye in the room (myself included lol).

Newlywed Canoe Ride with Champagne + Reception at the Cabin

The newlyweds celebrated with popping champagne straight from their canoe before starting the float back to the take out area. This float was much shorter but so fun, and Misha and Brenden looked so badass in their canoe in their wedding gear that I will never recover haahah. Getting back to the cabins and seeing how amazing everything had come together was surreal, they had spent months thrifting and finding the perfect details and they couldn’t have been better! Nestled among the trees and along the water, the rest of this perfect adventure elopement on the river was spent eating cake, listening to music, laughing with friends, and toasting with their loved ones!

From the amazing canoe rides to the post-wedded celebration at the cabin, every moment was so beautiful. These two and their group were just so fun, and being lucky enough to spend their day with them is something that I still feel so honored for. If an adventure like this sounds like you, I couldn’t recommend it more!

Congratulations Misha + Brenden!!

There are SO many different opportunities and beautiful areas to explore for your adventure elopement. Whether you’re interested in looking in Michigan, or somewhere around the world, I’m here to help you dream up and plan your wedding celebration! If you want to see some more inspiration, check out this post about some unique Michigan elopement ideas here!

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