Pacific Northwest Elopement Photographer

Elopements and Micro Weddings in the Pacific Northwest

Hey There!

I’m Katie Dawn, your pacific northwest elopement photographer and guide

And I can’t wait to show you around the pacific northwest. I first visited Oregon in 2016 and fell in love with the nature here and have been exploring the landscape ever since. The mossy trees, volcanic mountains, rugged coastline, and moody weather make the pacific northwest one of the best places to explore for your elopement. Whether you love the mountains, the ocean, or forests, the pacific northwest has it all.

I’m local to Oregon and have explored all over Oregon, Washington, and Northern California. If you want to hike the cascades, say “I do” on a cliff at sea, or explore towering redwoods, I can show you all my favorite spots anywhere in the pacific northwest.

How to plan a PNW elopement

Pick a location:

This is the fun part. Dream about where you envision saying your vows, look up inspo pics, ask your photographer (me!) where they recommend, and choose a destination. Decide whether you’d like to elope on the coast, in the mountains, in the forest, or some mix of all three! Choose a state or a natural location you’d like to say your vows and then figure out the rest of the planning accordingly.

Pick up your license:

Marriage laws will vary depending on the state, and sometimes even the county, but you’ll need at least one witness everywhere in the pacific northwest. Most counties will require an officiant as well as one or two witnesses. I’m allowed to sign as witness, and I’m ordained, so if necessary I can officiate the wedding. If you’d like to skip this step and just elope with the two of you, get the paperwork done at the courthouse beforehand.

Do something fun:

There’s so much to do in the pacific northwest for your elopement! You can always just say your vows and call it a day, but the couples who hire me tend to make a full day adventure where they can plan a meaningful experience to remember their elopement. Hike to a lookout tower above the clouds, find a secret waterfall, check out the rugged coast, soak in a hot tub, drink hot cocoa by the fire, ski down a mountainside, explore mossy forests, the possibilities are endless!

Best time to elope in the pacific northwest

First things first: this is the pacific northwest. It WILL rain. Yes, summer is less rainy than the rest of the year, but you still need to plan for the rain. If the thought of spending your day in the rain, holding umbrellas, or getting soaked doesn’t appeal to you, the pacific northwest probably just isn’t the right place for you to elope. Those mossy forests and waterfalls don’t come from nothing- the Olympic Peninsula is even classified as a rainforest! So if moody days, low hanging clouds, and rainy weather are your thing, the pacific northwest is for you.

Summer: Late June-August

Summer is the driest and hottest time to elope in the pacific northwest, but even this time of year it can rain. Summer in the pacific northwest has the most access to higher elevation areas and mountain peaks. Summer is wildflower season and the snow melts off trails and roads, giving more access to more locations in mountainous areas. This is also wildfire season, however, so late summer can be smoky and hazy if there’s a wildfire in the area. This is also the most popular time for tourists and hikers to visit national parks and hiking trails, so certain areas can be more busy than other times of year- sunrise or sunset ceremonies can help to avoid crowds.

Fall: September-early November

Fall is a perfect time of year to elope in the pacific northwest. The changing leaves are to die for, and mixed with the moody cloudy weather and mushroom season, there’s really no better fall destination than the PNW. In early fall, before there’s a ton of snowfall, there’s still access to roads and trails at higher elevations, and the weather can still be relatively sunny here and there.

Winter: November-March

Winter is a beautiful snowy wonderland in the mountains, but significantly less access to roads and trails at higher elevation. If you want to avoid the snow, the coast is warmer this time of year and almost never snows. The weather will be consistently rainy and moody this time of year, os be sure to be prepared for rain if you choose to elope in the pacific northwest in winter.

Spring: March-early June

Spring is a bit less rainy than the winter, blooms on trees and bushes are abundant, and waterfalls start flowing at their peak this time of year. Mountainous areas are still inaccessible this time of year due to snow and muddy, so higher elevation areas aren’t recommended, but the forests and coast are still a warmer option and beautiful year round.