How to Elope in Oregon
How to Elope in Oregon
Pick a general time of year (spring, summer, fall, winter), but be aware that the time of year does impact where you can go in the state.
Choose an elopement photographer that really knows the state and what it has to offer and work together to find a date that works best for what you’re looking for. Dates matter a lot for high elevations and specific trail conditions. It can make all the difference between having a snow covered trail, wild flowers, fall colors, etc.
Work with your photographer to find the perfect location(s), vendors, etc
Get your marriage license and make a plan for your ceremony
When and Where to elope in Oregon
Oregon is gorgeous all year round, but picking the right season for you can make all the difference in your experience. Unless you’re really wanting snow, I highly recommend going with a date that has the best chance of good weather and warm temperatures. Trust me, it’s hard to have fun during your elopement if you’re freezing your butt off. Spring elopements work great for lower elevation areas, but you’ll want to stick with the summer and fall months for higher elevation areas like Mt. Hood, Mt. Jefferson, Crater Lake, Bend, etc. I could write pages and pages about the best times to elope in specific locations and what the weather is like, but to keep things simple I’ll provide a summary of when is the best time to elope in each location.
Best Places to Elope in Oregon
Oregon is full of absolutely incredible places to elope. Not only does it have a lot of amazing options, but each option is so different from the next. Oregon truly has so much landscape diversity, which makes it an incredibly unique state. Countless waterfalls, epic coastline, beautiful forests, barren deserts, volcanoes, grasslands, mountains, and canyons… Oregon State truly has it all. Below are some of my favorite places for recreation, which happens to also be a list of incredible places to elope!
The Columbia River Gorge & Mt. Hood
The Columbia is full of beautiful places to elope. The Columbia Gorge divides most of Oregon and Washington. I’m pretty partial to this area in particular because it’s where I grew up! But even with my bias considered, it’s still an amazing option for an elopement or wedding. The Columbia Gorge that I think it the best area to elope is between Hood River, Oregon and Portland. There’s countless waterfall hikes for all levels, beautiful bluffs looking over the water, and beautiful forest as well. The town of Cascade Locks has a fun pit stop for huge soft serve ice cream which is a great option for an elopement day activity. Hood River, OR has a lot of great restaurants, SO many breweries, and so many fun outdoor rec activities to do. You have so many amazing hike (and elopement location) options near Mt. Hood, you have beautiful rivers for white water rafting, paddle board rentals on the Columbia, wineries and fruit stands to tour… it truly has so much to offer and it’s just an hour away from the Portland International Airport—which is great if you plan to have guests fly in to join you on your day. If you’re choosing to elope in the winter or spring, the best places to elope are lower elevation areas like the waterfalls and bluffs on the river. If you’re interested in a summer date then you have a lot more options and you can visit two different areas like the waterfalls in the Gorge and a mountain peak hike with a view of Mt. Hood!
The Oregon Coast
The Oregon Coast is an amazing spot to elope with a lot of beautiful options! There’s stunning sandy beaches that go on forever, there’s little coves with huge jagged rocks jutting out of the sand, there’s the iconic places like Cannon Beach with the massive Haystack Rock in the background, there are epic cliff locations that are perfect for private ceremony locations… there’s truly so many amazing options on Oregon Coast.
The Alvord Desert
The Alvord Desert is truly UNREAL! It’s a huge 12 x 7 mile dry lakebed that’s in the middle of nowhere Oregon. The drive out there is quite the commitment so this location is best for someone truly committed to eloping out in the desert with solitude. There’s nice hotels or airbnbs… you have one option for a place to stay otherwise you’re camping—which is a great option and a unique experience. This location is best visited in the spring and late fall, because it can get very hot in the summer. It’s an amazing area to bring a group of friends and have a campout. You can be as loud and rowdy as you want because it’s easy to find privacy and get your own spot. If you’re considering eloping in Oregon but want the desert, definitely check this spot out!
Bend/Smith Rock
Bend, Oregon has a lot of great options with quite a bit of variety as well! Bend is in Central Oregon and it’s known for it’s outdoor recreation and craft beer! There’s beautiful mountains to explore as well as drier areas like Smith Rock! Smith Rock is a great option for climbers as there’s a ton of great climbing routes with a variety of difficulty levels. I’ve only had the chance to climb there once, but it was epic and I’d LOVE to shoot a climbing elopement there! Smith Rock is also a great off season (spring/late fall) elopement area because of the drier climate and warmer temps.
How To Make Your Oregon Elopement Legal
Marriage License: You need to apply for a marriage license within 3-60 days of your date. You can apply anywhere in the state of Oregon regardless of where in Oregon you decide to elope. There is a small waiver fee if you need to apply the day of, but make sure you’re going in on a weekday! Oregon requires you to both go in person to get your marriage license, so it’s important to plan for that.
Officiant: You are required to have an officiant to officially declare you married. If you have guests coming, it’s easy for one of them to get ordained so they can officiate. If you’re having a “just us” elopement, but you really want someone to walk you through your ceremony then you can hire an officiant. There are some awesome officiants who are willing to hike with you or even wake up 2 am so they can officiate your sunrise ceremony! More often than not, my couples have me officiate (yes, I’m ordained!). I give my couples space to walk through their own ceremony and then I say the legal words to make it official!
Witnesses: Oregon State requires you to have two witnesses to become legally married. If you don’t want to have guests come with you, it’s usually easy to find people on the trail to sign as witness! It can be a really fun part of the day and a way to connect with other folks!
And that’s it! You’ll fill out your marriage license and send it back in to make everything official!
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I’m an elopement photographer based out of my campervan. I help down to earth couples plan and photograph epic elopements all over Oregon State. I grew up in Oregon and love exploring all that Oregon has to offer. I even solo backpacked across the entire state!
I’m not just a photographer. I’m your sounding board for dreaming up your perfect day, I’m your logistics planner, windblown hair fixer, tie adjuster, and so much more. I’ve also been in your shoes—I eloped too!
I’m here to help guide you through the process of planning and executing whatever day you and your partner dream up. From the moment you book me as your photographer I am there for you to help create an experience that you will remember and cherish.
