Ely MN Cabin Elopement

Lily & Charlie’s Intimate Cabin Elopement near the Boundary Waters in Ely MN

When Lily and Charlie reached out to me about their Ely MN elopement they wanted to have at their family cabin, I was SO excited to hear the full vision of what they were dreaming of. Ely and the Boundary Waters area is such a highly underrated place to elope in Minnesota!

They wanted a unique experience that blended all the things they loved: their family, their closest friends, good food cooked by their families, spending time at the family cabin, but also balancing time just for themselves and quality time with their families. Their elopement day experience is the epitome of cabin lake life in the summer in Minnesota – and let’s bring more of this into elopement days!

When I asked them how they wanted to feel on their big day, the words the chose were: connected, in love, happy, and at ease. I think it’s safe to say they completely nailed it!

Lily and Charlie’s intimate elopement was so intentional, special, grounded, and fun. They quite literally threw out the rulebook for weddings and did exactly what made their hearts happy! And trust me, more couples should absolutely follow their hearts for their wedding day.

The only hurtle they had on their day was dealing with some crazy wildfire smoke, but we made the most of it!

Why Ely and the Boundary Waters are Underrated For Your Elopement

Man, where do I even begin! Yes, the Boundary Waters and Ely can get busy during the summer months but as long as you have an Minnesota elopement photographer and planner (wink wink) that knows how to time everything just right, you can find gorgeous secluded spots for your elopement.

The Boundary Waters is a one-of-a-kind wilderness we have in Northern Minnesota that I rarely see people get married in. The BWCA consists of 1,100 lakes and only a small handful of those lakes are allowed to have motors in them. No motors means there is so much more peacefulness and quietness out in nature and among the lakes. It’s truly perfect for couples who feel at home when they’re out in nature and along the lakes of Minnesota, and want to find the peace for their day. But don’t worry, it’s still an adventure 😉

Have you ever heard of a dark sky sanctuary? Because the BWCA is also known as one of the world’s largest Dark Sky Sanctuaries, so if you’re an avid stargazer, you’re going to absolutely love it up there!

All this being said, I’ve only seen a small handful of couples choose to elope in the Boundary Waters area… so it’s definitely a highly underrated place in Northern Minnesota for eloping. And trust me, Lily and Charlie’s day will inspire you to have your own Ely MN elopement adventure.

Getting Ready for Their Day with a First Look

While Lily and Charlie’s day itself was incredibly unique, having a first look together was still really important to them. You can absolutely take traditions that feel aligned with you and your partner, and still make them apart of your day!

They got ready separately at the family cabin, before sharing their first look in the front yard.

Adventure Hiking Elopement in the Boundary Waters

After these two were all ready to go, we then set off on an adventure so they could get some hiking and quality time in! We drove to a local trail located in the BWCA, and spent some time just enjoying the scenery together. This was the perfect way to ground themselves before their ceremony and partying it up with their family! (What you can’t see is us fighting off the swarms of mosquitos, even though we loaded up on bug spray 😂 If you’re going to have your very own Ely MN elopement, make sure you have loads of bug spray!)

A Ceremony On A Rock with a Canoe Entrance

I think this was one of my favorite parts of Lily and Charlie’s day!! When we initially chatted our their consult call, they had brought up how they want their ceremony to be out on this small rock in the lake… with Lily and her dad canoeing in instead of walking down the aisle. So everybody (aside from Lily & her dad) loaded up on the pontoon boat to get to the rock. Then Lily and her father canoed in. There was not a single dry eye on that rock for their ceremony. It couldn’t have been more beautiful!

After-Ceremony Celebration with a Canoe & Champagne Cruise

Once everybody’s eyes were dried and gave hugs to the newlyweds, Lily and Charlie set off for a peaceful canoe around the lake while the rest of us loaded up on the pontoon boat! When L&C were ready to come back from their newlywed paddle, we picked them up and set off for a champagne cruise! There was charcuterie boards, champagne, wind, and a whole lot of celebration! Charlie’s dad also gave a speech and toast to Lily and Charlie.

End of Night Celebration with a First Dance, Homemade Dinner, and Bonfire

Shall we continue the party? WE SHALL!! Next up on the list? A beautiful first dance on the patio, a homemade dinner brought to you by Lily’s parents, a delicious cake, and a bonfire to top it all off. What a perfect way to end their Ely MN elopement right?! I especially loved the tablescape that Charlie’s mom put together. The greens were foraged right from the yard of the cabin, which just really adds to the sentiment of the elopement day.

Lily & Charlie’s Testimonial of Their Experience

“Can’t say enough great things about working with Sam! We went into the process knowing where exactly we wanted to get married and some adventures we wanted to photograph, but we were unsure about how to make it all work together. Sam was so thoughtful, communicative, a great listener, and helped us to create a timeline that made all our dreams a reality! She had great insight and suggestions that we incorporated into the day and our photos turned out beautifully! We look back so fondly on our big day and we wouldn’t have such great memories without Sam’s talent! If you want someone who makes you feel like it’s possible (and encouraged!) to canoe ‘down the aisle’ to a rock in a lake to get married, have a first dance, go hiking, have a family dinner party, then end your day with a campfire, she’s your gal!” – Lily and Charlie

Lily & Charlie’s Full Ely MN Elopement Story

Keep scrolling to see their full Ely MN elopement story and their gallery of photos.