OREGON COAST ELOPEMENT

When Amy and Gage reached out to us to photograph and film their Oregon Coast Elopement, we could not contain our excitement. After a few months of planning, they decided they would get married at Samuel H. Boardman State Park. We had never heard of it before so we did a TON of researching and OH BOY were we excited. It was truly the elopement of our dreams.

This was our first time shooting on the coast so we learned a lot!! We spent hours scouting different beaches, reading photographer blogs about the Oregon Coast, researching tide charts, finding beaches that were accessible with a wedding dress, and more. By the end of our trip, we had every location mastered. If you are looking for a photographer and videographer who will not only capture your Oregon Coast elopement, but also be your tour guides, we are your people!

Secret Beach

Amy’s dream shoot location was Secret Beach in Samuel H. Boardman State Park. We weren’t going to have enough time on the wedding day to go there so we opted to do an “engagement session” there the night before the wedding. The views were unbelievable. We expected to be dealing with fog, wind, and rain but it was sunny and beautiful the entire time. We truly lucked out.

The views of the rocks in the distance were enough to take your breath away. It felt so surreal being there with them before such a huge moment in their lives. One of our favorite moments was when we had them turn out to face the ocean and give a huge celebratory yell. It felt so free and beautiful. After hiking around up top, we descended a rope down a small cliff to get to the beach. It felt so adventurous and exciting. 

We spent the remainder of the evening frolicking around the beach. Dipping our toes in the freezing cold water and letting the tide chase us farther up the beach. The color of the sky changed from gold to pink to blue and we soaked up every second of each beautiful phase of the sunset. The magic of the golden sun rays peeking around the boulders in the distance was so special. Nothing could have been more perfect than this session!

The First Look at Harris Beach State Park

The next day we were in for a long, exciting adventure. Amy and Gage wanted to spend the majority of the day hanging out, taking photos, and visiting all of the places they had been dreaming of visiting for so long while planning their Oregon Coast Elopement. 

We started out the day by meeting up before the sun came out at Harris Beach State Park. The beach was almost empty, the sand hardly touched, and the birds were out catching their morning meals in the water. Gage and Amy opted to have a first look moment at this location so we set Gage up for the big moment and made sure Amy looked perfect. His reaction to her dress was priceless. You can really feel how much Gage truly adores Amy and he never surpasses a generous thought. He couldn’t stop telling her how beautiful she looked and it had us all tearing up.

Lone Ranch Beach

We spent about an hour at Harris Beach and decided it was time for a new adventure so we headed over to Lone Ranch Beach, where they would later have an intimate ceremony with their family members. I personally loved this beach because there were two huge rocks in the distance that formed a broken triangle that I thought were so unique and beautiful. We were blessed with little bit of fog that rested in the sky for a few minutes and made the light rays look amazing and we lived up every second of it! It’s amazing how much the weather varies throughout the day on the Oregon Coast. It creates such a dynamic environment and we loved every second of it. 

Natural Bridges and McDonald’s Breakfast

We then decided to head over to the Natural Bridges Viewpoint. We thought we would be able to hike over to the bridges and walk on them but there were signs that talked about the conditions being dangerous so we opted to settle for the viewpoint. It was difficult to take a lot of photos there, but it was an INCREDIBLE sight to see. We took it all in, took a deep breath, and decided that we were HUNGRY. It was time for a McDonalds run. We stopped in and grabbed some warm breakfast sandwiches. Everyone in the restaurant was congratulating Amy and Gage and it made us so happy to watch them soak up their big day. It’s not every day you see a bride and groom in their wedding clothes in McDonald’s in the middle of nowhere on the Oregon Coast!

The Redwoods-Jedidiah Smith State Park

After we nourished up at McDonald’s, it was time for a new adventure… this time, with trees instead of the beach. It was time to head over to the Redwoods. We drove 20 minutes to Jedidiah Smith State park and explored the trails on Walker Road.

It was the perfect place to go. The Giant Sequoia trees that populate the Redwood Forest will ALWAYS take our breath away no matter how many times we see them. Gage was loving the trees so much, he kept hugging them and saying “wow, these trees are HUGE!” We hiked over the fallen tree trunks, danced around in the shade of the branches, and weaved our way through the giant ferns. It felt like we left Oregon and entered a new planet! It was the best way to add even more adventure to their Oregon Coast Elopement AND some more spice to their wedding gallery.

After the Redwoods we were POOPED so we all headed back to our airbnbs to rest up before the intimate ceremony. We met up at Amy + Gage’s air bnb a couple of hours later to capture some of their getting ready moments with their families. It was the CUTEST little house with beach decor that provided the perfect backdrop for all of the pre-wedding shots. Amy had her sisters and bridesmaids help her put her dress on, touch up her hair, put in her veil, etc. while gage touched up his beard and freshened up for the big moment. Once everyone was ready, we drove a few minutes back to Lone Ranch Beach where their families were preparing for the ceremony.

The Ceremony

The wind at the beach was absolutely INSANE. There was sand flying everywhere, hair was all over the place, and it was so chilly. Although the weather was crazy, Amy and Gage weren’t going to let all of that ruin there moment. The ceremony went on as planned and it was absolutely beautiful. A + G shared the sweetest vows in the presence of their families. Tears were shed and a magical kiss was shared. It felt so surreal to be with such a perfect couple right by the ocean on the Oregon Coast. It was one of those “I can’t believe this is my life” moments. We would never trade this job for anything.

We ended the evening with family photos and some yummy beach sandwiches. Since Amy and Gage didn’t have a wedding cake, they opted to cut the sandwich together and bite out of it at the same time. It was so funny and SO them. We love these two so much.

A Dip in the Ocean

After their family left they popped some celebratory champagne on the shore and then changed into their swimsuits. Amy had the CUTEST bridal-themed swimsuit cover up. The last request that Amy had to end their wedding day was to run into the ocean together. If you know how cold the water is in on the Oregon Coast, you know that this is crazy. Gage agreed and then frolicked into the freezing water. They danced, hugged, kissed, and then ran right back to us to get warm. We left them alone on the beach so they could watch the last sun rays fade away on their special wedding day. 

This was an amazing experience for us in so many ways. Witnessing the love that Amy and Gage shared was beautiful and experiencing the Oregon Coast was incredible. We couldn’t have asked for a better trip or a better couple. If you are interested in an Oregon Coast Elopement, reach out to us! We traveled the entire Oregon Coast on our trip and shot several different sessions. We can act as your photographer, videographer, hype team, and tour guides. We’ve got you covered. 

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