PNW Elopement Inspiration: An Adventurous Couple's Elopement in the Pacific Northwest

Adventurous Couple's PNW Elopement

Lia & Derek had a PNW elopement over the summer surrounded by lush forests and vibrant wildflowers. The Pacific Northwest was in its full moodiness level with layers of fog & clouds, only adding to the beauty of their day. Lia and Derek had the option of moving their elopement to a day with better weather, but decided this was the perfect depiction of the PNW and loved how the shades of green in the trees were so vibrant and green.

When planning their PNW elopement, Lia and Derek knew they wanted to balance both alone time on their day and celebrating with their friends and family- so they split the day into two parts. They started their day off with a sunrise first look in the morning and then they went off on a hike together to say their vows just the two of them. Lia and Derek wanted to spend part of their wedding day doing one of the things they love most, hiking. The hike they chose gained about 1000ft of elevation over 1.5 miles- keeping us warm on this chilly PNW morning.

After they said their vows and hung out at the top, Lia and Derek hiked back down and met up with their close friends for their ceremony. Due to COVID, the park restricted their ceremony group size, so they could only bring along the maid of honor, best man and officiant (which was Derek’s sister)- everyone else stayed back at the house to meet up later! Their ceremony was filled a lot of fun and laughter between the five of them- and their ceremony was perfectly constructed with the two of them in mind. We took some photos and headed back to the car onto their next destination.

While their friends headed back to the house- Lia and Derek stopped at their adorable Blue A-Frame Cabin (which you can check out here), for their first dance and champagne toast alone. They decided to reserve this second cabin to have some space to themselves as a newly married couple. After the sweetest first dance they met up with all their friends and family to celebrate with some catered pizza, best man/maid of honor speeches, and cake cutting. This day was the perfect balance of a ‘just us’ elopement experience while also having a few more traditional elements and celebration with the people they cared about most (those who could safely travel to the PNW). 

Here are some of Lia’s thoughts about the day:
‘Our actual wedding day was PERFECT thanks to Amanda! One thing that I can't say enough is how much fun we had with her on our wedding day. Since we hadn't met in person we were a little nervous that it might be awkward but she made it feel like we had known each other forever. We could not be happier with the quality of the photos that we got. She truly captured the genuine joy that we had on our wedding day and we can feel that when we look at the photos. She sent some sneak peaks over the evening of our wedding and we were obsessed!

One of my biggest concerns leading up to our big day was the weather. Obviously that's a big factor with an outdoor elopement but Amanda's best advice was to just be flexible and it really helped to know that she was flexible. We had a much more foggy day than anticipated but after seeing the sneak peaks that she sent we were truly happy that our day was unique to us and was beautifully captured in her photos.

I highly recommend Amanda Vaelynn as your adventure elopement photographer! I can't say enough good things about how pleased we were with our entire experience with her. We wouldn't change a single thing about our decision to work with her. She is truly talented, professional, and so much fun to work with!’ Read the full review here.

Related: Interested in planning a PNW elopement with family? Check out this blog post that talks all about the different ways to include family & friends in your elopement.

Planning a PNW Elopement:

Thinking about planning a PNW elopement? Check out this Washington elopement guide that gives the step by step process of eloping in Washington & the PNW. This guide can be applicable planning an elopement anywhere in the U.S. but gives specific insight into eloping in the Pacific Northwest

The first step to planning an elopement is figuring out your general location. Not sure where to start? Here’s a list of the top 10 places to elope in the Pacific Northwest:

Top 10 Places to elope in the PNW

1. North Cascades National Park, WA

2. Mt. Rainier National Park

3. Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest, WA

4. Mt. Hood, OR

5. Samuel H. Boardman State Park, OR

6. Columbia River Gorge

7. Leavenworth, WA

8. Olympic National Park, WA

9. Oregon Coast: Cannon Beach

10. Bend, OR

Choosing your elopement location can be one of the biggest decisions you make, so I definitely recommend thinking through this process! Here are some questions to ask yourself when choosing an elopement location:

1. What type of scenery do you want to be surrounded by on your elopement day? (Mountains, lakes, forests, ocean, wildflowers, rolling hills, pine trees etc.)

2. What type of activities do you want to do on your day? (Hiking, skiing, camping, exploring, road tripping, swimming, biking, yoga, etc.)

3. Are you looking for a more accessible location or are you looking to hike/adventure out to a spot? How far are you looking to hike?

4. How far are you willing to drive to from your lodging to your ceremony location?

5. What’s most important to you on your elopement day?

Interested in eloping on the Oregon Coast? Check out my Oregon Coast Elopement guide here!

Steps to Planning a PNW Elopement:

1. Choose your Location & Figure out a date

2. Find your Ceremony location

3. Research & Obtain Proper Permits

4. Book Lodging & Local Vendors

5. Prepare for an Epic PNW Elopement!

Check out Lia & Derek’s elopement below for some PNW elopement inspiration & more information on Pacific Northwest elopement packages below:

PNW Elopement Packages

Are you 100% set on getting married in the Pacific Northwest? Hiring an elopement photographer first can save you A LOT of work because most elopement photographers help their couples through the elopement planning process.

For my elopement couples, I help them find locations, get permits, choose other vendors, think of activities, find lodging, create a timeline, and SO much more. So if you’re looking for a photographer who will not only capture your day but also guide you through the planning process here are my elopement photography packages for couples looking for someone to help them plan & photograph their adventurous wedding day!

What’s included in each package:

• Offering 6 hour, 8 hour, 10 hour, & 2 day Photography Packages

• Customized Adventure Guide filled with personalized elopement plans from ceremony  locations, where to stay, what to do, things to see, vendor recommendations personalized to your interests & needs

• 90+ Page Elopement Planning Guide with step by step instructions on how to plan an adventure elopement

• Assistance with permits and marriage licenses

• A huge gallery of fully edited, high resolution photos for you to download with personal printing rights

• Option for me to be your ordained officiant and sign off on your marriage license if you want to have a ceremony with just the two of you

• No travel fees!

Packages start at $5800

Looking to Start Planning your PNW Elopement?

THAT’S WHAT I’M HERE FOR!

HEY, I’M AMANDA.

I’m an adventurous travel elopement photographer who believes in experiencing all that life has to offer. I truly love connecting with my couples and capturing their relationship authentically and genuinely.

I BELIEVE YOUR WEDDING DAY SHOULD BE AS ADVENTUROUS, AS BREATHTAKING, AND UNIQUE AS YOU WANT IT TO BE.

Life is made up of moments, and when we are old and wrinkly, I want you to look back on life and remember all of the crazy & amazing memories you had.

I work with couples to help their perfect adventure elopement! From picking the perfect elopement spot, creating a timeline, finding where to stay, obtaining proper permits & licenses and so much more!