Oregon Elopement Photographer
You're in love—with each other and the landscape.
Let's capture both.
During every elopement there is this spectacular…moment. Where despite all the big feelings, you feel small in the magnitude of the scenery. You’ll be squeezing each other's hands, soaking in the view with sheer amazement.
Words don't do it justice. And that's exactly what images and memories are for.
“Words really can’t describe how epic our photos are—they’re a mix between nat geo and romance. Our traditional wedding friends always ask if our pictures are photoshopped. And although we love every photo, it’s the actual experience of going there that we love most.” — Van & Charlie
THE MAGIC OF ELOPING IS PLANNING A WEDDING YOU’RE ACTUALLY STOKED ABOUT
AND LIVING EVERY EPIC MINUTE TO THE FULLEST
Sounds amazing, right!? But how exactly do you plan and execute this once-in-a-lifetime, heart-pounding, dream-worthy day?? Truth is, you’re going to need A LOT more than a photographer. You need a …
Permit resource
Windblown hair fixer
Officiant
And so much more…
Sounding board
Location scout
Safety advisor
Logistics planner
Kinda sounds like you’ll have a whole team following you up the mountain! Or … just me! My expertise paired with your vision makes an incredible team. Then on your wedding day, whether it’s an intimate ceremony with loved ones or a multi-day elopement, you’ll be able to fully let go and focus on the adventure.
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.
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!
Types of Scenery for Oregon Elopements
The Mountains
Mt. Hood, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Bachelor/Three Sisters, Eagle Cap Wilderness/Wallowas
Waterfalls
Mt. Hood, Columbia River Gorge, Silver Falls State Park
Lakes
Mt. Hood, Crater Lake NP, Bend/Three Sisters
Coastline
Cannon Beach, Samuel Boardman Scenic Cooridor, Pacific City
High Desert/Lake Beds
Alvord Desert, John Day, Steens Mountains, Painted Hills, Smith Rock
Forests
Mt. Hood, Ecola State Park, Oregon Redwoods, Columbia River Gorge
Rivers & Oak Woodlands
Columbia River Gorge, Deschutes River, Lyle
The Best Places to Elope In Oregon
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!
Oregon Elopement Photographer
Meet Your Oregon Elopement Photographer
Hi, I’m Sierra! I’m an elopement photographer that specializes in adventure elopements. I help couples plan their dream elopements in locations that inspire them. I grew up in Oregon and am currently based in Hood River, Oregon. I’ve backpacked continuously through the entire state, so when I say I can help you with your hiking elopement, I mean it.
Whether you’re looking for help finding the perfect elopement location or need more help with finding local vendors, lodging, or building a plan or timeline for the day, I’m here to help. I’ll walk you through the entire process of eloping and will make sure the day is curated around your unique relationship.
Ready to see my Oregon elopement Photographer packages?
Kind words from a couple who eloped in the Columbia Gorge and Mt. Hood, Oregon.
“Sierra was absolutely phenomenal to work with! Working with Sierra from the moment we made first contact until the day of the ceremony she kept us well informed, helped us with ideas and was just genuinely pleasant to speak with. She’s a very sweet person and truly cares about the work she does. If I had to do it all over again I would absolutely choose her all over.”
Interested in seeing Oregon Elopement Examples?
check out my blog for elopement examples and stories
What your Oregon Elopement could look like…
Some of my recent work on Instagram:
