Dana & Dylan’s St. Patrick’s Day elopement

Dana and Dylan travelled from the United States to marry on a mountaintop near Tromsø on St. Patrick’s Day. Dylan’s Irish roots made the date especially meaningful. They wanted to exchange their vows in the mountains of Northern Norway, making this place and this moment the beginning of their married life together.

During a detailed planning process, we chose a mountain summit with an expansive view over the fjord. We expected the hike up to take at least an hour, making the walk part of the day rather than simply a journey between photography locations.

As I was both photographing and filming, my day began early, recording landscape footage in the surrounding area before joining them at their Airbnb in Sjøtun. Alongside Dana’s wedding dress and Dylan’s suit, they had brought keepsakes with personal meaning: stones from the place where they had met and inherited jewellery. These small objects carried their own stories into the day.

Their first look took place at the accommodation before we set off towards the summit. The weather was mostly overcast, but we were prepared, and it did not get in the way. Above the fjord, they exchanged the vows and promises they had written for one another. This was their wedding: a place chosen with care, a date connected to Dylan’s heritage and promises spoken in their own words. I documented the ceremony in both photographs and film.

We made our way back during blue hour, with a few final shots at their accommodation to finish. From the preparations in Sjøtun to the ceremony in the mountains and the return in fading light, the photographs and film follow the different parts of their day.