Top elopement locations along the Pacific Northwest Coast
Your Beach Elopement Guide in Oregon and Washington
The Best Elopement Locations on the Oregon Coast
Have you ever wondered which of those magical beaches in Oregon would be the best one for your elopement!? Welp I am here to give you the complete low down! From the location, to planning, to the towns near by, adventure and more! Oregon is one those places that doesn’t seem real offering everything from forests, mountains, high desert, cliff side beaches, waterfalls and hot springs! When it comes to things to do along the Oregon coast for your adventure elopements you have all sorts of options like hiking, surfing, picnic on the beach, fire on the beach, horseback rides, search for sea life or fly a kite! The state is truly an elopement gold mind, but where are THE best spots?!
All of these locations will be the most beautiful at sunset! Although, if you want to avoid crowds consider a sunrise elopement or private vow reading. The best time of year is late spring to mid fall, but these are all locations that could be used year round too. Beaches can be busy on the weekends during the summer so consider a weekday elopement!
The Southern Oregon Coast Elopement Brookings, OR
Do not be fooled by the fact that these beaches are not the easiest to get to, because they are the most dramatic in their cliffs creating unreal sunsets and more privacy than most of the beaches in the state. Some of the beach trails range from a half mile to over three miles so there is plenty of adventure along the coast here. Not to mention near by parks, gardens and trails through forest. Just about 15 minutes south of the beaches you have a Red Woods trail that goes through groves up to 800 years old! If you are coming in from California you can stop and see the Red Woods at the State Park as well. This location truly offers the best beach location for a full day elopement.
How do you get to it?
The closest town to these beautiful coast line is Brookings, Oregon. So if you are going to elope here you could fly into Portland, Bend or San Francisco. You will most definitely want to rent a car to be able to get to your destination and different parts of the shore.
Where to stay in Brookings, Oregon
The Wild Coast Lookout - This Airbnb is a modern look and a perfect nook for just the two of you. It comes complete with a hot tub, perfect for those 60 degree nights along the coast and for some steamy photos after your elopement day! The space has a lot of greenery, offering a great spot for a first look before you head out for your big day!
The cabin in the mountains - This beautiful cabin is sure to bring you relaxation prior to your elopement day, tucked back in the mountains! Offering two bedrooms, but 4 beds so if you plan to bring along any guests this would be a great spot to consider!
Beach front luxury - If you are looking for a place to stay for your wedding that has all of the bells and whistles this is it! The stay has beautiful bedrooms, perfect to get ready in, hot tub, a big deck with ocean views, a great kitchen and more! This place will also accommodate you two and a few guests!
Central Oregon Coast Elopement Cape Kiwanda
Almost in the center of the state and probably the closest to many waterfalls is a beautiful surfer’s paradise perfect for an elopement! Here you can surf together on your big day or grab a beer right on the water. This beach is a great beach to have a little fire at the end of the night to roast marshmallows, have dinner or read letters from family! Not only can you explore this beach by foot, but also by horseback! Nearby there is opportunity for kayaking, going to the Tillamook factory for lunch or ice cream and or fishing!
How to get to Pacific City, Oregon?
The closest town is Pacific City to this beach. To get here the closest airport is Portland, Oregon. From there you will most likely want to rent a car. If you are driving in from the North or South I highly recommend driving the 101 or highway 1 all the way up the coast for some pretty epic views along your trip.
Where to stay for your elopement at Pacific City?
Ocean Front - This Airbnb is right on the ocean! Literally sand coming right up to the front door. Beautiful place with great views and a classic look.
Ocean Front perfect for Guests - This home is super spacious perfect for you and your guests if you have folks coming along with you. It is also dog friendly and has a hot tub!
Home on the River - This spot is a cute cabin right on the river with its own dock. The Airbnb offers kayaks if you want to venture out onto the water! This spot is perfect for just you two!
Northern Oregon Coast Elopement at Cannon Beach
Cannon Beach is probably the most popular iconic spot along the Oregon coast and for good reason. The town is full of life, great coffee shops and the rock has lots of sea life around it. The state park in town, Ecola State Park, is a known spot by local surfers, but also hikers. The nearby town, Seaside, is typically a little less busy with great restaurants, swings on the beach and of course this is a perfect spot for a campfire along the shore. Whichever town you end up in this area is great for morning walks on the beach with coffee in hand to ending the evenings on the shores, both are relaxing places to be! What this area has to offer doesn’t stop there though, if crowds arent’ your thing there are plenty of other beautiful beach accesses just south of the town!
How do I get to Cannon beach?!
Cannon Beach and Seaside are both closest to Portland, Oregon’s airport. Although, if you are making your elopement be apart of a bigger trip, say you’re honey mooning after then I suggest flying into Portland and then out of Seattle so you can explore either Olympic National Park or Mt Rainier after! There is a bus that goes from the Portland area to Seaside so you may not want to rent a car, but note taxi service and Uber are very limited in this area.
Where to stay at Cannon Beach?
Whimsical Cottage - This cottage will give you all of the PNW vibes with the wood fire place, trees surrounding it and ocean views. This is tucked away and perfect for just you two to enjoy your elopement!
Dog Friendly perfect for Guests - This is right on the beach! Complete with hot tub, dog friendly and a deck for grilling and dining.
Mid-Centry Home - This home is in Seaside, OR with beautiful indoor and outdoor space to spend with just you two or you and your guests. It is a short walk to the beach and the local shops and restaurants.
The Best Elopement Locations on the Washington Coast
Washington coast is much like Oregon, but moodier in my opinion. Washington is known for its mountain ranges, national parks, the big ole’ city of Seattle and coastal life of sailboats and islands. Washington coast elopement locations offer whale watching at certain times throughout the year, eagle watching, surfing, hiking and campfires along the coast.
The best time to elope on a beach in Washington is the Summer months to early Fall, but you can brave the rainy season if you wish! Sunset is the best time to elope at these locations, but again sunrise will offer less crowds and quiet vibes. These beaches are pretty vast so you can for sure find your own nook at them. It is important to plan ahead with your guests and photographer because many of these spots have limited cell range.
Olympic National Park Beaches
Olympic National Park is by far one of the best elopement locations in the United States in my opinion :) I have recently written an entire blog about how, when and where to elopement, but this blog I will be focusing strictly on the beaches! The entire park has multiple epic beaches with dramatic rocks, forests and you guessed it moody vibes on your typical pnw day. Some beaches you park and you’re right there and others you have to hike in. You can backpack and camp on some of the beaches with a permit from parks.gov. Either way eloping here can be a full day adventure exploring the different beaches, hiking through the forest, surfing or watching eagles!
How do I get to Olympic National Park?
The closest airport is SeaTac in Seattle, from there you will need to rent a car. You can drive your car the whole way from the airport to the area or you can take your car on a ferry to Port Angeles and drive from there. Port Angeles is the closest bigger town, but inside of the park is Forks, WA (where they filmed a lot of Twilight).
Where to stay in Olympic?
Tiny Cabin - This cabin is closest to the La Push area so closest to Rialto beach and Third Beach. It is perfect if it is just you two and you want something cozy with a hot tub.
Secluded Oceanfront Cabin - This place is super cute with a great out door space and to get away from it all. There is a good spot to do a first look before heading out on your elopement day. It is located closest to Ruby Beach.
Stunning Home - This super cute little home with it’s modern look is located in Port Angeles, so the closest town. It is perfect for just you two or you and one other couple. It is near the shops, ferry and restaurants complete with a fireplace to cozy up to.
The San Juan Islands Elopement Locations
The islands are located in Northern Washington and offer a variety of things to do, places to see and adventure! You can find in my blogs a complete guide to eloping on the San Juan island with the town of Friday Harbor, but for this blog post I will be talking about all of the islands and what the offer, how to get to them and where to stay. Among the Islands you have the town Friday Harbor the largest town and island, then you have Orcas Island, Shaw, Lopez, Sucia and MORE! Orcas and San Juan are the most popular among tourist offering the most things to do, but the more secluded you get the more privacy and intimacy you can have for your day.
How do I get to the Islands?
To get to the main island, Friday Harbor area, or Orcas you can take a ferry from Anacortes, WA. To get to the ferry you can drive or bus from the SeaTac airport. To get to the other islands you will need to ferry from other ferries on the islands. Other options are boating or a sea plane! You want to make sure to make a reservation with the Washington Ferry system and make travel plans ahead of time.
Where do I stay on the Islands?
Ocean Front Cabin - This cabin right on the water faces West, aka all of the sunset! This is a perfect nook on Orcas island perfect for a romantic get away with just you two for your elopement!
Modern Stay with Guests - This home has a hot tube and pool table. With its three bed rooms it is perfect for you two or you and two other couples. The home is located on Orcas Island.
3 Cabins! - Located on Lopez island is this little gem with three separate cabins, yard space and a private beach entrance. Perfect way to stay with your guests, but also keep some privacy!
Hey, hey! It’s me Traci, your Oregon Coast + Washington Elopement photographer <3
My soul was deeply captured by the magic at Olympic National park many years ago and set me on this path, becoming an elopement photographer. Since then I have deeply explored the Oregon coast and Washington coast scouting out elopement locations, capturing couples love stories and of course vacationing lol. I am your go to gal for helping you plan your epic adventure elopement day in the Pacific Northwest and capturing the moments of your love story to preserve forever. My partner/officiant spend our June - October in the Oregon and Washington area traveling all over in our van and we can not wait to connect with you two about your day!
