Inspired by the themed galleries from the Elopement Legend Awards.

Water is so healing. Many of our favorite places in nature are in and around water elements. As such, many of the best adventure elopements are in and around water. Waterfalls, creeks, ocean waves, alpine lakes… this post is a love letter to some of my favorites.

Below each image is a bit of information about the elopement and/or the location.

Waterfall Elopement Photos

Ramona Falls is nestled in the western slopes of Mount Hood national forest. I’d been dreaming of shooting at this spot for nearly 10 years before I captured this image. I hiked past this waterfall on the PCT and was floored by the beauty of it. It’s a hike for a more adventurous elopement, around 7 miles round trip. I highly recommend early June for an elopement at Mount Hood National Forest as the rhododendrons and azaleas were in full bloom. It was like hiking through a forest of lollipops.

Tumalo Falls is a 90 foot cascade in Deschutes National Forest. The surrounding hills and trails wind their way through the foothills of the Central Cascades. A short hike will take you to the top of the waterfall, where you can see down the canyon. You may also take a less traveled route to the base of the falls… a more athletic route for sure, but worth the work if you’re up for it.

Latourell Falls is one of the many waterfalls to choose from in the Columbia River Gorge. It is a favorite for elopements because the walk to the main falls are a very short, easy walk. The creek plunges nearly 300 feet over a wall of volcanic rock. Or, if you have a little time (and a little stamina), you can hike to the upper falls for an adventurous hiking elopement. The upper falls are not as tall, but very beautiful, and quite a bit less traveled– a perfect spot to exchange private vows.

The McKenzie River might be my favorite river in Oregon. The crystal turquoise water. The lush, mossy rocks. The verdant understory of vine maples… This enormous waterfall is Sahalie Falls, along a pleasant loop that passes by another big cascade, Koosah Falls. Where Tanner and Jennica are standing up there on that rock, there is a ton of spray. It’s one of the more powerful waterfalls that I frequent, and if you want pictures like this one, I highly suggest saving this shot for the end of the itinerary… you’ll get quite wet up there, so it’s best to make sure you have towels and/or warm clothes waiting.

This is Multnomah Falls, the tallest and perhaps the most visited waterfall in all of Oregon. A short drive from Portland, I do not often recommend this waterfall for elopements, unless it’s a quick stop. The crowds rarely die down here, and there’s timed entry permits during the busy season. It is all worth is for elopement pictures like this, though.

Ocean Elopement Photos

I love this image so much…there’s just something about it. Laura and Joe came all the way from Pennsylvania to elope on the Oregon Coast. Short Sands Beach is part of Oswald West State Park, a diverse park with beautiful beaches, towering cliffs and old growth forests. Even a waterfall that cascades into the ocean.

Marysa and Joel cross this small creek as it flows into the ocean. During their elopement, we hunted along the bottom of this creek for interesting rocks. I love rock hunting, and it is such a fun activity to connect more deeply with nature during your adventure elopement. It forces you to slow down and allows for more connection to your partner by sharing the details of each rock that you like.

Go for a ferry ride for your elopement! Seattle has many ferry routes on the Puget Sound that connect to many of the different islands and peninsulas. This ferry boat elopement was on the boat from Bainbridge Island, which is a fun, short 40 minutes trip.

Get your feet wet during your beach elopement! But try to take your shoes off before the water reaches you…

The Oregon Coast has so many gorgeous overlooks, cliffs and bluffs that are perfect for an adventure elopement. This is the sandstone cliffs at Cape Kiwanda.

Short Sands Beach at Oswald West State Park is one of my favorite places for an Oregon Coast elopement. You can visit a scenic bitch, old growth spruce forest, dramatic cliffs, and even a waterfall into the ocean!

I feel so lucky to have visited this beach. While the entirety of the Oregon Coast is open to the public, this beach has an access point within a gated neighborhood. This is Sacchi Beach, and I believe there are ways to park farther and walk in, this couple had rented an enormous house on the cliff, known as SeaWinds Estate, for their micro wedding on the Southern Oregon Coast.

Overlooking a roiling ocean from a grassy meadow on the cliffs at Oswald West State Park. A perfect place for a vow exchange or a sunset picnic during your Oregon Coast elopement.

This is seriously one of my favorite pictures I’ve ever taken. I love the way the ocean nearly perfectly mirrored the shape of their two wedding dresses.

These are the turquoise blue waters of the Monterey Bay. It is a rare day, indeed, when this color is not hidden by the foggy blanket that covers the Monterey Peninsula. Nicki and Jake ended their elopement day along the streets near Cannery Row, eating breakfast burritos by the bay.

This dreamy scene is from a sunrise elopement at Hug Point. Driving to the location in the darkness had my worries peaked, as the rain hammered my windshield all the way there. I could not believe the amazing luck we had as the skies cleared and the clouds turned pink just as our meeting time arrived.

Lake Elopement Photos

Who says lake visits are just for the summer? This alpine lake scene was actually in mid March, after a particularly cold and snowy winter in the Central Cascade Mountains. Odell Lake is a good elopement destination for folks who dig a rustic, adventurous vibe.

This lake is featured quite a lot in my portfolio. Sparks Lake is not only one of the most scenic lakes in Oregon, but it is also a mere 30 minutes from downtown Bend. The water levels vary dramatically throughout the summer. Late August and September are fun to explore as the levels drop and you can do some rock hopping, like Heather and Nate.

Another scene from Sparks Lake. Carley and Autra share a cute moment on paddleboards in early June.

True, this image is not from an elopement, but a surprise engagement… but I wanted to showcase this lake. This is Crescent Lake at Olympic National Park, specifically Devil’s Punchbowl. A short hike leads to this picturesque bridge that crosses deep blue waters.

Sparks Lake again! Surprise! This is Heather and Nate admiring the alpenglow from a sunrise at Sparks Lake.

These crystal teal waters are Clear Lake along the McKenzie River highway. A crisp, clean lake that features black lava flows, forests of vine maple and row boat rentals at the resort! I love the McKenzie River highway for an adventure elopement. I was able to show Sara & Ana this beautiful lake as well as amazing waterfalls, just a few minutes down the road.

Another scene from Carley and Autra’s Sparks Lake elopement.

Moody days are the norm in Mount Rainier National Park. Mowich Lake is up a bumpy road in the Northwest corner of the park.

Picture Lake in the Mount Baker wilderness in the North Cascades of Washington is a perfect vantage point for Mount Shuksan. There’s an accessible trail for folks who want a little adventure, but don’t want to work too hard, or for folks with mobility considerations.

River Elopement Photos (and creeks and streams and babbling brooks)

Soda Creek is just another way for me to sneak Sparks Lake into this list again… it flows into Sparks Lake. I do like taking photos here over the lake sometimes. I like the meadow and the clear waters with black and red lava stones lining the bottom. The dewy grass glistens in the morning, and you still get amazing views of the mountains (not from the angle in this image, obviously).

A winter elopement along the Deschutes River. This is another body of water featured heavily in my work, as it is close to my base camp of Bend, OR. This spot is not always accessible in the winter, unless you have very specialized vehicles, but this December day was PERFECT. It had dumped several inches a few days before… enough to coat the rocks and trees, but not so much that the sunny days were able to melt the snow on the roads.

This scene is on a dinner river boat cruise along the Willamette River. The Portland skyline lit up as the sun went down on this perfect, joyful elopement. A fun, unique way to celebrate during an adventure elopement.

I love when people decide to get really adventurous for their elopement. A dip in the Deschutes River on the morning of their simple backyard micro wedding was the perfect start to the day for Tara and Eric.

Bri and Mary prance towards each other after exchanging their vows next to the wild and scenic Deschutes River in Bend, OR. Bend is a seriously amazing adventure elopement destination… mountains, lakes, rivers, deserts… breweries… so much to explore.

Adventure Elopement Photographer

If you’ve made it to the bottom of this page, thank you for checking out my work!

Adventure elopements take many forms, and if you’re just embarking upon your journey of planning an elopement, please peruse other resources on my blog! There are how to guides, location spotlights and real stories to provide guidance and inspiration.

If you have any additional questions, please feel free to get in touch here. No pressure! I genuinely love answering people’s questions about eloping in the Pacific Northwest and the greater West Coast. Before officially starting my business, I spent years as an outdoor guide and nature educator. I believe that experience gives me a unique take on planning and photographing adventure elopements… but I may be a little biased.