We eloped!
January 13th, 2026
Our Story
With our shared love of the mountains, fishing, and adventure, it only made sense for us to fly halfway across the world to one of the most beautiful places on Earth and officially tie the knot. New Zealand perfectly encompassed our love for the outdoors and, more importantly, for each other. It was a dream come true, and though you were not there physically, you were in our thoughts and hearts every step of the way — and trust us, there were plenty of steps.
Our love of fishing led us to our greatest adventure yet…
Our passion for fishing brought us together in 2019 and has remained an important part of our lives as we've grown together. When we decided to take the big leap and get married, it only made sense to begin our special day the way our relationship began — on the river with fly rods in hand.
The big adventure ahead…
Whether we knew it or not, we had signed up for a leisurely 18mile day hiking along the famous Routeburn Track. With our packs full to the brim we set out on our biggest adventure yet, crossing rivers, scrambling over rocks, and weaving through dense forest in search of the perfect spot to officially tie the knot. Where or when it would present itself we did not know, and in all honesty we did not care. We knew we were together, doing what we loved to do, and that’s all that mattered.
A dream ceremony…
Many long hours into our adventure, we crested a knoll overlooking a valley hardly describable by words. Had we finally found the perfect spot? Mother Nature let us know we had, as wind and rain quickly erupted from the opposite direction as almost to say, “don’t you dare go any further and pass up this moment.” We listened to her and quickly got into our wedding attire we had carried along with us in our packs. Standing on what seemed to be the top of the world, we read our vows we had written for each other, exchanged rings, and shared our first kiss as Mr. and Mrs. Mister. The ceremony we had dreamt of had finally happened. After hiking 8 miles, there we stood on top of a mountain, in the middle of nowhere, wind ripping by, a little drizzle coming down, us quite sweaty, a little smelly, very damp, and smiling ear to ear. We truly would have had it no other way.
& the adventure continued…
Just as the ceremony ended, the wind and rain faded, and it felt as though Mother Nature was inviting us to continue on—so we did. Still in our wedding attire, we hiked another mile or two into a landscape so beautiful it seemed endless. There, we found the perfect rock overlooking the trail we had just conquered together—the perfect place to read letters from our family, filled with love, encouragement, and reflections on both the journey behind us and the one just beginning. After wiping away tears of joy and carefully tucking those letters back into our packs, our adventure finally felt complete. Surrounded by the love and support of our family and friends, we had made it. We had the perfect ceremony, the perfect adventure, and the perfect day. Hand in hand, we packed up and began the journey home—this time as husband and wife, ready for whatever lay ahead.
