Iconic. Iconic. Iconic. How else can we describe Nicola and Stevie’s Kosciuszko National Park elopement? “Kosciuszko National Park is a special place to both of us, as we love hiking, camping and exploring the outdoors, and Cootapatamba Hut is absolutely iconic with its striking red exterior and tall chimney,” share the couple, who embraced bold red details to complement the architecture.
“We chose this spot because it felt like a true adventure. What better way to get married than on an overnight hike, carrying all our camping equipment, clothing and food (not to mention our one-year-old daughter too!).”
And the adventure didn’t stop there. Nicola and Stevie, along with their intimate crew of eight, discovered on the day of their elopement that the chairlift would be out of action the following day, making the trek back considerably longer and more challenging.
“We had to make some pretty quick decisions to simplify our camp cook-up menu and cooking equipment for the night! We also profusely apologised to our very loyal small crew who were joining us up there, including our two best friends, one of whom was 20 weeks pregnant and the other who had only recently recovered from ankle surgery!”
Scroll on for more from this very special day, including incredible photography captured by the couple’s talented wedding photographer mate, Jenny Wu.
Red styling | Camping elopement NSW | Unique places to get married
“We loved all the small nods to the red theme – our daughter’s outfit, my red camping sandals, floral details from Stevie’s suit and our amazing flowers from Thorn and Snow. We also loved that we were able to eat an incredible three-course meal that still followed the ultimate camping principle of ‘leave no trace’. It was authentic, decadent and absolutely soothed the soul after a day of hiking.
“Between us all, we also set up five tents, where we slept for the night (Cootapatamba Hut is to be used as an emergency shelter only, so we had to make sure we all had our own digs). We set up our tents before the ceremony, and it felt so magical having our little village of tents right there, and a perfect place to retreat to when it came time to go to sleep.”
The team
“Finding our vendors was really quite easy – Jenny Wu is a good friend of ours, as is Ammitoj Singh, our celebrant, and Sam Montgomery, our chef.
“I was searching for a florist that I might be able to pick up a bouquet from on our drive from Canberra to Thredbo, and that’s when I came across Thorn and Snow. She understood the brief perfectly – we wanted to showcase the classic Cootapatamba Hut red, and we needed the bouquet and lapel flowers to survive a two-day hike in unpredictable weather!”
Vows in nature | An unconventional getting-ready morning
“We both sobbed through our vows. Our guards were completely down, we were in our comfortable happy place in nature, and had just a handful of people there witnessing our love. It was really just so special.
“Getting ready was also really entertaining. We took turns using the hut to get dressed, and when Stevie was getting suited up, I was perched over this huge rock trying to do my makeup in a tiny handheld mirror. Stevie was in charge of getting our daughter Frankie dressed, and it was only when she came towards us with the rings in the ceremony that I noticed he had put her dress on backwards – that got a big laugh!”
Involving family in the elopement | Post-elopement celebrations
“As we eloped with just our vendors and two best friends as witnesses, our families weren’t there for the ceremony. We both adore our families and wanted to find a way to still have them included.
“Our celebrant got in touch with our parents before the ceremony and beautifully incorporated their well wishes and messages to us during the ceremony. It felt very special. When we got back the following night, it was straight into dinner with our families so that we could share the tale immediately, and also share our vows with them.”
Elopement advice
“Don’t take it too seriously and make sure that the essence of the day still feels like you. We loved planning our wedding because it really just felt like planning another one of our usual weekend adventures.”
More good stuff | Ideas for planning a unique elopement
Planning an elopement or micro-wedding and looking for inspiration? Say no more. Head to the blog to browse more awesomely petite and unique celebrations like this one.
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Jenny Wu Florist Thorn & Snow Ceremony Venue Cootapatamba Hut Catering & Tiramisu Cowboy Cooks (Friend) Camping Tents Mont Celebrant Ammitoj Singh (Friend) Rings Millie Savage, Tessa Blazey THE BRIDE Bridal Gown Designer Staud Shoes Rollie Hair & Makeup Nicola (Bride) Makeup Lesson Jacqui Scott THE GROOM Bolo Tie Brigalow Country
FAQs
Yes, Kosciuszko National Park offers some spectacular natural settings for an intimate wedding or elopement. Couples considering a ceremony in the park should check NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service requirements, including any permits, access restrictions and location-specific conditions.
The Snowy Mountains offer some incredible scenery for couples wanting a mountain elopement, from alpine landscapes and walking trails to remote natural settings. Kosciuszko National Park is a particularly striking option for adventurous couples looking to swap a traditional wedding venue for the great outdoors.
Think carefully about accessibility, weather, transport, food, water, camping equipment and what you’ll need to carry. For remote locations, it’s also important to have a backup plan and check local conditions before setting off. Nicola and Stevie’s experience is a great reminder that a little flexibility goes a long way when planning an adventure wedding.
Cootapatamba Hut is a remote alpine shelter in Kosciuszko National Park, NSW, near Mount Kosciuszko and Lake Cootapatamba. Surrounded by the spectacular Snowy Mountains landscape, the distinctive red hut is an emergency shelter for hikers and a pretty spectacular spot for Nicola and Stevie’s adventurous elopement.
