Intentional Oregon Coast Elopement

From start to finish, Ari and Tanner’s Oregon Coast elopement was intentionally designed to center their relationship. Without the distractions of a traditional wedding, they could connect over a waterfall hike, seaside ceremony, and a home-cooked meal overlooking Coos Bay. Their photos show just how madly in love these two are. 

An Intentional Oregon Coast Elopement

When we created Ari and Tanner’s elopement timeline, we decided to start the adventure on the evening before. I joined them for a waterfall hike near their AirBnB. It was a great way to settle in and connect before the full day of elopement activities. When you book a bomb-ass airbnb literally 2 minutes from an entire waterfall, how you can NOT go!?

The next morning, Ari and Tanner started the day by making their own bouquet and boutonniere from loose flowers I picked up for them in Portland. This was such a fun bonding experience for them. They got to ease into the wedding day instead of rushing immediately into hair and makeup. They even made a separate bout and bouquet for Tanner’s grandparents, who they were surprising later that day. Adorable!

Once the flowers were ready, Ari and Tanner got ready for their Oregon Coast elopement together. They were so emotional that they had to pause a few times to avoid crying. I made sure to stay as quiet as possible so they could really enjoy being in the moment with each other. It was just one of many moments when I could see how much joy they find in their relationship.

I created a customized location list for Ari and Tanner that included a ceremony at the lighthouse. They weren’t expecting to fall in love with it, but they did! When we arrived, though, the road to the lighthouse was blocked for cars. We easily pivoted to have the ceremony overlooking the beach. Everyone was so happy to be there that they rolled with the changes calmly. 

Even though their Oregon Coast elopement was mostly just the two of them, Ari and Tanner did invite his grandparents to the ceremony. The best part was that they didn’t tell his grandparents that they were getting married. They were completely surprised! You can see from the photos just how excited they were to be included in Ari and Tanner’s day.

Intimate Dinner at Coos Bay

After the ceremony, the road cleared to the lighthouse. We headed up there for portraits before piling into Ari and Tanner’s freshly decorated truck. This couple loves exploring nature in their decked-out truck, so we decided that a private meal on a cliffside overlooking Coos Bay was the perfect way to follow up their ceremony.

The cliffside was so picturesque. As the sun set, Ari made cocktails, and Tanner cooked vegan mushroom pasta. They took their time over the meal and breathed in the moment. Getting moments like these are why I always preach having full elopement coverage. You just can’t get these images in a short, four hour elopement. Its impossible. I spent almost 13 hours with these two!

Then we made our way down to the coolest little black sand beach. Low key, my new favorite spot on the Oregon coast, not even gonna lie. Ari and Tanner played in the water, danced, and sat in the sand to read letters they’d written each other. They cried more happy tears, cuddled, and watched the stars come out. We capped off the night with pie back at their AirBnB.

Ari and Tanner’s elopement day was twelve hours altogether. Even though we were all bleary-eyed and sleepy, we didn’t want it to end!

Would you like me to photograph your Oregon Coast elopement? I would love to photograph your adventures! Reach out to me.