Kate and Tory

On August 4th I had the honor of photographing Kate and Tory's wedding in Thompson Pass near Valdez, AK. High in the tundra friends and family gathered from all over the country to witness a truly unique event. Surrounded by the majestic landscape of the Chugach mountains' most impressive roadside peaks, Tory and Kate couldn't have asked for a more perfect day.

We started the morning with a light hike along a ridge near Point Odyssey. Friends from out of town and family members chatted as they made their way through patches of old snow. In the afternoon I joined Tory and Kate again as they prepped at 19 mile -Tory at their cabin and Kate down the road at a neighbors log home. On the Richardson Highway every location is know by it's mile post. The ceremony, mile 29, was set just off a short dirt road that overlooked the Lowe River towards Keystone Canyon. Guests decorated in Patagonia, Carhearts, old fashioned dresses and nickers patiently waited with children and dogs. The scene was rich with color, style and creativity. It couldn't have been anymore perfect as Kate's father walked her along rocky tundra to an alder woven arch. The reception picked up about twenty miles north at the Rendezvous. At times Tory accompanied the old time band with his fiddle while everyone danced and ate and celebrated such a memorable day.

There's nothing I enjoy more than photographing friends in love in Alaska. For some reason the connection between Tory and Kate and the gigantic ice covered mountains is so incredible to me. To know how much they value the wildness of their home and the diversity of their community makes me so happy to share these photos with them. I wouldn't be surprised if they've stood upon some of the surrounding ridges wondering, hmmm... where might our two feet take us next?  I'm not sure I can even fathom the significance, but I can imagine that they will look back on this day and remember how lucky they are to have found each other.