How to Get Married on Mount Washington

This Mount Washington Elopement Guide includes:

1. Logistical information on how to elope on Mount Washington
2. Tips for getting married on the summit of Mount Washington
3. Resource links on important information like: weather, proper gear, and hours of operation
4. Seasonal tips for a safe and epic Mount Washington elopement

AH! I am so excited to be able to share a Mount Washington elopement guide (truly one of my favorite summits and places to recommend couples looking for a hiking elopement). As you’ll see from this precious couple, getting married on top of this mountain is a freaking. dream. experience. The best part? Getting married on Mount Washington is actually logistically simple. Learn from this couple all about how to plan a safe, enjoyable, stunning marriage celebration on top of New England’s highest peak. This Mount Washington elopement is for EVERYONE, not just hikers (although proper safety precautions and appropriate knowledge are crucial before embarking on a Mount Washington elopement).

Where is Mount Washington, New Hampshire?

Mount Washington is within the PResidential Range of the White Mountains. Here, you’ll experience:

• Several 4,000 footers 
• Kayaking, adventure tours, biking routes, rivers
• Family friendly lodging and adventure opportunities
• Ski mountains and other summit activities like: chairlift tours, zip lining, and more

4 Ways to Get Married on Mount Washington

One of the reasons this is my FAVORITE location for couples to elope at is because, well, it’s ACCESSIBLE and the views are unbeatable. There are four ways you can easily elope on Mount Washington (in order of ease):

#1 Take the Cog Railway

This is a great option if you want a historical experience, might be traveling with family, and don’t want to break a huge sweat. Click here to learn all about hours of operation, rates, and booking information. 

#2 Drive up the Auto Road

As you’ll see, this is what the couple did in the gallery below 🙂 About 25 minutes up and ~40ish minutes down, this is a super fun and exhilarating way to easily get onto the summit with jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring views along the way. On the drive down, it’s important to stop on the pull offs to cool off your brakes as well as drive down in your lowest gear. Click here for more information on driving up Mount Washington, including: hours of operation, rates, and other safety considerations. 

#3 Hike Up Mount Washington

Last, but certainly not least 🙂 There are several routes varying in ease to summit Mount Washington. If your adventurous side is speaking to you, consider an all day hiking experience or even a 2-day elopement celebration. 

#4 A Hybrid Option

Want a little bit of two options? Consider taking the Cog up, hiking down, or vice versa. Consider Driving, hiking to another route along the summit (more on this later, then drive back down). 

How to Safely Get Married on Mount Washington 

1. Make safety a top priority. With weather conditions being the most unpredictable in New England, weather can LITERALLY change on a dime on the summit. Think: freezing rain, slippery rocks (the summit is all rocks), and rapid temperature drops. So, getting married in this region requires being flexible and responding to any safety alerts. Inevitably, it will be important to plan multiple backup options with your adventure elopement photographer (don’t worry, I’ve got ya covered here).  
2. Practice the Hike if Possible. I know many don’t have the option to do a practice hike on Mount Washington, especially for couples who are not local to the White Mountains. However, if this is an option, I can’t recommend enough doing a practice hike! This will allow your body and mind to be optimally prepared. Plus, I believe in ANY excuse to get up to Mount Washington 🙂 
3. Pack Appropriately. Depending on the season, different equipment will be important to having a safe, positive marriage experience on Mount Washington.
4. Let Others Know Your Plan. This allows people to be on watch should they not hear from you. 

What to Pack for a Mount Washington Elopement: By Season

Fall

• Layers, layers, layers! I recommend basically packing for a light winter day as the wind and temperatures are much lower on the summit of Mount Washington than the base of the trailhead/ cog railway/ auto road. When I say layers, I mean tops and bottoms in the following order:
  • A base layer that is ideally not cotton (something like Merino wool or similar that is optimal for moisture and temperature regulation)
  • A second layer to help with warmth (long sleeve shirt)
  • A third wind layer
  • A fourth coat-like layer just in case 
  • Hats
  • Gloves 
  • Hand warmers 

Winter

• The same layering system as above
• Micro spikes 
• Poles 
• shoe/ankle protectors from snow

Spring

• The same layering system as above
• Ample rain gear
• A thorough backup plan should  thunder storms / weather be unsafe 

Summer

I recommend summer as the best time to get married on Mount Washington for the following reasons: optimal weather, most safe, and freaking gorgeous 360 degree views of greens, blues, and rugged rocks of the Presidential Range.

• Wind breaker 
• Sun screen
• Rain gear 
• LOTS of water (although the temperatures often range from 40s-60s at the summit in the summer, you will sweat LOTS and need ample hydration)

Rules for Getting Married on Mount Washington

1. Click here for my resource guide on how to elope in New Hampshire in general (license info, officiant info, etc).
2. If taking the cog railway: keep in mind there is no guarantee of having a seat without a prior purchase of tickets. 
3. If driving up the Auto Road: tickets are $45 per person, $20 for each additional passenger, and can be paid upon entering the auto road. The auto road is open seasonally with different hours.
4. Leave no Trace: it is so important to preserve and honor the sacred nature around us, especially on top of summits that are so popular. Mount Washington has an observatory, bathroom, and dining hall at the top: this means that ANY trash or bathroom needs should be utilized up there 🙂 

Important Links for Planning a Mount Washington Elopement

1. Mount Washington Observatory weather- check this before your elopement date, the morning of, and continue to track it! I also use this link, “Higher Summits” forecast
2. Cog Railway Information (tickets, hours of operation, and more)
3. Auto Road Information (rates, hours of operation, and safety considerations)

Tips for Planning a Hiking Elopement on Mount Washington

If you considered all your options for a Mount Washington elopement, and decided on hiking, I’ll be sure to support you with a comprehensive plan start-to-finish if you book with me. To get you started, here are some hiking tips:

1. know your limits (we will talk through this as we partner together during your elopement planning process)
2. hydrate DAYS before and of course day-of. Great news is, the summit has water as does Lakes of the Clouds hut 🙂
3. wearing a dress, veil, cape, or long garment? Some suggestions: tuck it in your under garment (like this bride did), hem appropriately, consider sewing in a couple of longer strings to tie your long garment at the hips, practice walking around in your house / on a mild hike, or get one of these HOT accessories (lol)
4. wear your hiking clothes to the top, and then change into your wedding attire
5. bringing flowers? consider sturdy choices (avoid super delicate blooms)
6. pack your heaviest bottom layers at the bottom of the pack, then lighter ones at the top (so you can grab them in order)
7. bring more snacks than you think (you’ll be burning a LOT of calories on this all day hike)
8. mentally prep for the understanding that there will be people around 🙂 there is plenty of room for all at this rightfully so popular summit

About this Mount Washington Elopement

These two ANGELS decided to do the following:

1. Rent a local (dog-friendly!) airbnb to have a 2-day elopement celebration. Day 1 with family and a catered meal, and day 2 an adventure on top of Mount Washington
2. Day 1 included:
   1. An intimate ceremony with just family
   2. A DELICIOUS catered meal from Buck and Bloom 
   3. Down time and room for everyone to chill out for the day 
3. Day 2 included:
   1. Driving up the Auto Road, hiking 1.5 miles down to Lakes of the Clouds, having an EPIC ADVENTURE of vows, alone time, and taking in 260 degree views. Then, we hiked back up 1.5 miles to the summit of Mount Washington. We ended the day at the base of the road for some cupcake smushing, and then it was time for bed.

A special day. Honored to have helped plan an elopement on Mount Washington that was a balance of alone time, adventure, views, and balancing family time with time to just be present as a couple.

ALL MY LOVE.

Considering getting married on Mount Washington? I’m an adventure elopement photographer specializing in outdoor adventure for couples who LOVE quality time in the outdoors. Let’s connect 🙂 

These two could NOT stop laughing during their vows 🙂 I love them for that.

VENDORS

Vendors:

Photographer: me, Kayla. Owner of Babel Photos 

Florist: Apotheca Flowers

Location: Mount Washington, Lakes of the Clouds, White Mountains New Hampshire 

Season: August 

Time: 12:50 pm – 6:50 pm