Just married! This American couple tied the knot on Mount Everest - at 17,000 feet above sea level
A couple from California spent three weeks trekking up to a Mount Everest base camp at 17,000 feet above sea level in order to get married. They even took their wedding photographer along. Charleton Churchill
documented everything from the climb up, to the moment the couple tied the knot and the results are a series of stunning pictures - quite unlike anything you may have seen before.
James Sissom, 35, and Ashley Schmieder, 32, tell
Daily Mail "a traditional wedding was not the right fit" for them. So, instead, the adventurous couple spent a year planning the trip, braved freezing temperatures, gruelling terrain and altitude sickness on their way to Everest Base Camp, where they exchanged vows on March 16, 2017.
And while the ceremony and location was unconventional - one thing wasn't: their outfits. The bride wore a gorgeous white gown and the groom, a smart tux.
Their wedding photographer was in Nepal when the a powerful earthquake, the country's worst in 80 years, hit on April 25, 2015. "I wasn't sure if I would find another couple to get married on Everest anytime soon," writes Mr Churchill in his
blog.
Never in his wildest dreams did he think he would return to Nepal, that is, until the bride-to-be reached out to him on Instagram.
The three of them, all outdoor enthusiasts, spent nearly a year training for the trek up Mount Everest.
While the pictures are stunning, the process of taking them was quite challenging.
"Now saying this was an epic and amazing trip is true, but I would be remiss if I didn't share it came with some suffering, doubt, fear, anxiety, and physical pain...There's no glory without suffering," writes Mr Churchill.
"The temperatures ranged from -8 degrees to 10 degrees Fahrenheit from 14,000 ft. camp and above, so your hands would quickly freeze if left out of the gloves, like when I tried to film and take photos," he writes.
"James and Ashley married in the -5 degrees to 5 degrees Fahrenheit range, and in her wedding dress. We especially had to keep her warm, on top of keeping warm, downing soup, food, drinking hot liquids, and moving, all vital."
"When we arrived to base camp, we were told we have 1 hour and 30 minutes to eat, get married, pack up, and get on a helicopter. So, we ate, drank, and got married in an hour."
#WeddingGoals?
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