> At a Glance
> – Gabriela Gutierrez and Devin Weitz eloped on Sept. 15, 2025, after a year-long training program
> – The couple, both 27, hiked over 4 miles into Washington’s Mount Baker Wilderness for their ceremony
> – They trained with personal trainers, changed their diet, and learned back-country cooking to handle 5,000-plus-foot elevation
> – Why it matters: Their story shows how far non-athletic couples will go to create a deeply personal, nature-centered wedding
Non-athletic musicians Gabriela Gutierrez and Devin Weitz spent nearly 12 months transforming themselves into backpackers so they could exchange vows at 6,000 feet on Ptarmigan Ridge, deep in Washington’s Mount Baker Wilderness.
From City Studio to Snowy Summit
The couple, both 27, had never backpacked before deciding an ordinary wedding “wasn’t our dream,” they told News Of Los Angeles. Inspired by Instagram shots of Mount Baker and Mount Shuksan, they picked a spot along the saddle of Coleman Pinnacle, about a mile from Camp Kaiser and just below Sholes Glacier.
Because both have asthma and admit they “aren’t particularly athletic,” they hired trainers, mapped weekly hikes, and practiced carrying formalwear lashed to 40-pound packs. Their gear list grew to include:
- Rosemary-marinated lamb chops
- A fondue kit
- A red silk gown with black cape and spiked headpiece for Gutierrez
- A dark suit for Weitz, who sang Stephen Sondheim during the vows
A 5-Hour Trek to ‘Happiest Moment of Our Lives’
They started in thick fog at 10 a.m., emerging into sunlit views of snow patches, wild blueberries, and a small herd of mountain goats. After five hours they reached the ceremony site; officiant Bill Young of Adventure and Vow conducted the service as photographer Traci Edwards documented the moment.
> “Getting to culminate our efforts by exchanging vows right in front of the indescribable beauty of Mount Baker filled me with a euphoric feeling I’ll truly never forget,” Weitz said.
Gutierrez added:
> “Everything about the day went absolutely perfect … I felt like the main character of a fantasy open-world game.”
Alpine Celebration and Starry Exit
The newlyweds celebrated with a first dance facing Mount Shuksan, then cooked lamb and cheese fondue by headlamp under the Milky Way, a sight neither had seen before. The next morning they hiked out, refueled on wild blueberries, and toasted with champagne in an Airbnb hot tub before departing for a four-country European honeymoon.
Key Takeaways
- A year of training let two novice hikers with asthma safely reach 6,000 ft for their dream elopement
- The couple swapped a traditional reception for alpine cooking and stargazing
- Their story illustrates growing demand for intimate, nature-based weddings over large formal events
Their effort, they told News Of Los Angeles, was “beyond worth it” for a ceremony that felt “straight out of a fairy tale.”
