Larch Mountain Day After Bridal Session | Julian + Olga
This day after bridal session was so beautiful and bittersweet. Olga is one of my dear friends, and we used to spend our summers climbing up to the top of Larch Mountain, snacks and coffee in hand, to watch the sunrise. I was so excited to get to photograph Olga & Julian’s day after session at a place that was special to the both of us!
Olga had met the love of her life while she was in Hawaii. She left the PNW for a Hawaiian vacation, bumped into a handsome traveler from Germany, and they both fell in love! Julien proposed and they got married here in Portland and I was blessed enough to photograph their wedding!
Keep scrolling to see why a sunrise day after session can be a beautiful addition to your wedding day plans!
They had both decided to do a day after session to get some special, intimate photos together in their wedding clothes.
A day after bridal session gives you time to explore a new - or old - place together, and get some amazing photos while you enjoy the scenery.
It’s a great way to get amazing photos someplace epic, without having to worry about guests, timelines, or any details. That’s also the reason I love elopements and smaller, intimate weddings. Instead of worrying about meals and timelines and start times, you can focus on each other and really immerse yourself in the day.
I suggested we shoot at Larch Mountain at sunrise, because the views are absolutely breathtaking! Olga and Julian woke up extremely early (like 3am early!), and it was oh so worth it!! We ended up being a little short on time, so Olga grabbed her beautiful dress from Charlotte’s Weddings in her arms and sprinted up the stairs, Julian following closely behind her. It was so cute, and we made it just in time before the sun came out! We had a few minutes to take in the view before the sun peeked out from behind the mountains in the distance.
Larch Mountain is one of Oregon’s hidden gems.
Not a lot of people know about it or visit it, so it ends up being relatively quiet and uncrowded. There are five different mountains that you can see from the viewpoint - Mt. Rainier, Mount St. Helens, Mt. Adams, Mt Jefferson and Mt. Hood.
We took some photos on one cliff, and then climbed alongside the fence to take in some different views. Olga was running around in her dress like it was no big deal, and when Julian was guiding her along the rocks it looked like a fairytale!
I let them sit alone together and watch the sun come up from behind the mountains and take some time to soak in all the views. It was our last time watching the sun rise together since Olga was moving all the way to Germany, Julian’s hometown so it was bittersweet.
On our way back to town, we saw some incredible light streaming through the trees, so we had to pull over to take a few more photos! They walked through the forest together, and it was seriously magical!!
Having an elopement or incorporating a day after session into your plans is an amazing way to craft your own experience, and get epic photos in the process.
Despite a crazy early start time, sunrise bridal sessions are so powerful, and such an amazing way to celebrate being married! I always, always recommend doing them, even if you can’t fit them in right after your wedding.