Cook Forest Old Growth Forest Elopement | Nicole+Zach

In the midst of a cold and very snowy February, Nicole reached out about a March elopement for her and Zach. We talked about where they wanted to go (Cook Forest) and winter elopement tips for staying warm. We chatted hikes and about the tall old trees they would say their vows under. When the day came, the weather was a warm 75 degrees and it was our first spring day back out in nature. What better way to spend it than with these two as they celebrated their new commitment to each other.

Zach and Nicole met when they were 16 yrs old working at a grocery store. They joke about meeting and talking for the first time while taking trash out to the trash compactor. She thought he was funny, he thought she was cute. They quickly became friends hanging out on the curb after work, eating peanut butter cups or cheddar whales. All while talking for hours until curfew.

They shared their first kiss in that parking lot! But they ended up staying friends for years while dating other people. Nicole went off to college about two hours away and was dating someone else freshman year. But Zach still kept in touch, talking over skype chat almost every weekend!

The summer after freshman year they were both still working part-time at the grocery store and Nicole had “finally” broken up with a guy she had been seeing. Nicole ended up asking Zach if he would want to go for a hike at a nearby state park. Though they went as friends, they now consider that their first date. Ten years later, they are back on the trails, committing forever to one another.

Zach proposed to Nicole while in California during a birthday trip. They rented a car and camping gear and camped and hiked in Joshua Tree National Park. On the day of her birthday they recall hiking something around 10-15 miles through 80 degree desert heat. Exhausted they found a nearby desert saloon to have a “proper birthday” dinner of beer and fries. Afterwards they headed back to camp and sat by the fire looking at the stars, eventually making it to their tent. Nicole, nearly asleep, heard Zach tell her about how awesome the trip had been and then right there in their tent, he proposed using her grandma's ring. Can you imagine a better way to propose? Sounds like any traveler's dream.

Spending the day hiking with these two intelligent, funny, adventurous people was so inspiring to our traveling hearts. Though they yearn for a converted sprinter van, for now they travel via a 2008 converted minivan named Vanna White. She has taken them to Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, where they did five miles of intense spelunking through the cave while van-camping. They also put her on the Auto Train to Florida, where they road-tripped to Dry Tortugas National Park (by sea plane!), Biscayne National Park and Everglades National Park (where they kayaked with alligators!).

So choosing to drive Vanna up to the beautiful old growth forest in Cook Forest to elope was a no brainer! They spent the morning getting ready together in a tiny cabin. They hiked all over, exchanged vows+read letters next to giant boulders covered in lush moss. They gazed upon old tall magnificent trees. They built a fire, shared beer and pizza and danced in the light of the campfire. It was a day made perfectly for them.