Epic Stormy Lake Powell Elopement | Tori + Levi
When Tori and Levi reached out to us, they said they wanted to experience somewhere new and adventurous together. They felt very attracted to Glacier National Park, Zion National Park, and Lake Powell. Their fascination with the desert and water led them to pick Lake Powell as the spot! They got ready at a nearby hotel in Page, where Tori adorned herself in her grandmother’s jewelry. We love when couples find ways to incorporate their families into their elopement day through meaningful touches.
We planned out their day to both maximize their experience and maintain as much seclusion as possible. Horseshoe Bend was a big priority for them, so we opted to start our day with a sunrise ceremony at the iconic bend in the Colorado River when it tends to be less busy, as the afternoon and evening gets very crowded.
This couple may go down in history as the luckiest couple ever regarding the weather. Page, AZ in August is typically oppressively hot, but thanks to a beautiful layer of clouds and recent rain, we had gorgeous soft light and perfect temperatures. We endured a brief, but intense rain storm while we were taking photos by Lake Powell. Thankfully, we just hid under the rocky outcroppings for a few minutes until it passed and kept exploring!
Getting ready for a sunrise ceremony in the summer usually requires a pretty early start to the day. So after our session at the high desert overlook, we all decided a midday nap was in order.When we got ready to meet up for their sunset portraits, we were greeted by a torrential down pour in Page. Our final location would have us driving down 30 some miles of dirt roads that can quickly turn into a slimy mess when they get wet. After reviewing the radar, we decided we would just continue as planned, cautiously, and turn around if anything looked remotely sketchy or wet. Those clouds continued to hold out for us and provide us with some incredible light as we made a pitstop at a location on the way that had us feeling like we had just landed on the moon. The muted gray dirt punctuated by pops of yellow rock and crusty desert textures gave us some truly otherworldly images.
We continued along our long dirt road while keeping a careful eye on the road conditions ahead of us. Miraculously, we made it all the way out to an epic viewpoint overlooking Lake Powell on entirely dry roads! The storm clouds surrounded us far in the distance, creating a gorgeously moody background punctuated by the occasional lightning strike. The sun continued its trek toward the horizon and lit up the underside of the massive storm clouds to create a sunset we will never forget! As we concluded our sunset session, we could see the storm clouds beginning to move in our direction. So we hopped back in the Jeep and began our long trek back to pavement. Lightning lit up the landscape as it clapped all around us. Yet again, we made the whole trip back and only saw rain after we had safely returned to pavement.
When we checked the radar after getting back to Page, we watched as the storm slowly encircled the route we took back. We could not have asked for a more amazing day for weather!
A few words from Tori and Levi
Where do I even start?! Kyle and Tori were amazing through every part of our elopement planning. Being across the country while planning a wedding is super scary, but Kyle and Tori made the process so easy! Our photos turned out even more amazing than I could have imagined. I cannot recommend and thank this husband and wife team enough. They made our experience so personal and tailored to us, plus more! If you're looking for an adventure couple that will help you every step of the way, look no further! We loved every minute of working with Kyle and Tori!
Officiant | Outland Officiant
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