When Joshua and Andrea told me they wanted a ceremony tucked away beneath the trees, I knew exactly where I wanted to take them. Their Jedediah Smith Redwoods elopement started beneath some of the tallest trees on earth and eventually carried us north to the cliffs and coastline of Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor. By the end of the night, they were dancing together on the sand as the sun disappeared over the Pacific.

Redwoods to the Oregon Coast in one wedding day. You really don’t have to ask me twice.

I’ve spent more time in this corner of the world than I can count, and somehow it still gets me every single time. Walking into the redwoods feels a little like stepping into some prehistoric Jurassic Park wonderland, minus the dinosaurs. Everything is enormous, green, quiet, and completely different from what waits for us just across the Oregon border.

That’s one of the things I love most about planning an elopement here. You don’t necessarily have to choose between the redwoods and the coast, and Joshua and Andrea’s day is such a good example of what it can look like when you do both.

Beautiful Moments from Joshua + Andrea’s Elopement

Letters from Their Families

Joshua and Andrea asked their families to write letters for them to read on their elopement day. They sat together beneath the redwoods and read them out loud, and I couldn’t help tearing up behind my camera.

Their parents had written words of wisdom and encouragement, but what got me most was hearing the way they described their kids. I’ll never forget the way Andrea’s mom spoke about her daughter and her kind soul. It was one of those moments that didn’t need anything added to it, and now those words exist both in the letters they can hold onto and in the photographs of the moment they first heard them.

Their First Dance

Joshua and Andrea’s first dance happened on the sand at Secret Beach, but this wasn’t just a pretty-song-at-sunset situation. They danced to the song Joshua sang at karaoke the night they met, singing it back and forth to each other while they danced. Joshua even pulled out some of the dance moves from their parents, which obviously made the whole thing better.

Champagne on the Oregon Coast

After their ceremony in Jedediah Smith, we crossed into Oregon and headed for Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor to finish the evening. They popped champagne, hung out on the beach, and watched the sun drop toward the Pacific. We even had a few sea lions bobbing around offshore while we were out there.

Samuel H. Boardman stretches for about 12 miles along the Southern Oregon Coast, with cliffs, secluded beaches, offshore rock formations, viewpoints, and trails packed into a relatively small stretch of coastline. Secret Beach is one of the places tucked along this corridor, with a rough trail down to the beach and tides you absolutely need to pay attention to while exploring.

So yes, Joshua and Andrea got redwoods, sea lions, champagne, a first dance on the beach, and sunset over the Pacific all in the same day.

Pretty fucking good wedding day.

How to Elope in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park

If you’re thinking about having your own ceremony beneath the redwoods, there are a few things you need to know before you start making plans:

• You need a permit. Weddings, elopements, and vow exchanges within Redwood National and State Parks require one. Jedediah Smith is California State Park land, so the application process is different from ceremonies held on National Park land. The Redwood National and State Parks wedding page will point you to the correct current application based on where you’re getting married.
• Make sure you’re applying through the right agency. Redwood National and State Parks includes both federal and California State Park land, and the process differs depending on exactly where you want to hold your ceremony.
• River Trail is one of the designated wedding locations within Jedediah Smith. It’s one of my favorites for a small, intimate ceremony beneath the trees.
• Your permit doesn’t make the area private. These are public lands, so other visitors may still be around. Timing and location choice can make a big difference if privacy is important to you.
• Always check the current rules before making final plans. Permit processes, approved locations, access, and park regulations can change, which is why I verify the current requirements while we’re planning rather than relying on information from an old blog post.
• Leave the drone at home. Drones aren’t permitted within Redwood National and State Parks, so we’ll build the visual story of your day without one.

And this is part of what I mean when I talk about experience design. You don’t need to become an expert in permits or figure out which side of a state/federal boundary a particular grove of redwoods happens to fall on. I’ll help you figure that shit out.

For the most current information, check the Redwood National and State Parks wedding and celebration guidelines before making final plans.

Why I Love Combining the Redwoods + Southern Oregon Coast

One of my favorite things about this area is how much variety we have without turning your elopement into a race from one photo location to another. Jedediah Smith is in Northern California, but the Oregon border is right there, which means we can start the day beneath enormous old-growth redwoods and end somewhere completely different beside the Pacific.

You could read letters beneath the trees, have your ceremony surrounded by redwoods, stop for food or drinks, explore the coast, watch for whales or sea lions, and finish the day barefoot on the beach. Or your day could look completely different depending on what the two of you actually want to experience.

The point isn’t to collect as many landscapes as possible. It’s having enough options to build a day around what you actually want to experience. Joshua and Andrea’s version took us from a quiet ceremony beneath the redwoods to their first dance on the beach. That’s a hell of a way to spend a wedding day.

What Andrea had to Say About Her Jedediah Smith Redwood Elopement

“My husband and I eloped in May 2021 in the Pacific Northwest and Jayne made this whole experience extraordinary. Jayne was such a pleasure to work with and helped provide endless STELLAR recommendations for everything from the Airbnb we stayed at to flowers and videography to the most stunning locations. She literally planned our entire experience and it could NOT have gone any better. We are still in awe of this entire experience. Jayne was extremely professional while also being a joy to spend the day with. She even provided us recommendations for the rest of our trip (breweries, kayaking, etc). We can’t recommend Jayne enough. 10/10!! I can’t imagine our wedding day without her. Jayne, thank you for sharing such a beautiful experience with us and for introducing us to some of the most absolutely breathtaking locations we’ve ever seen.”

– Andrea

Elopement Vendors Near Jedediah Smith Redwood Forest Featured in this Elopement

• Elopement Photography JayneMayAgnes
• Florals JackLily A personal local favorite of mine; her florals blow me away every time.
• Videography Danny Hall Danny and I work wonderfully together, and his drone footage is awesome!
• Cake First Rise Baking Co The couple reported that their cake was wonderful and loved the fresh jam inside.
• Airbnb Private Ocean Peninsula Such an awesome place to start your day; the view from here is insane.

Want to Elope in the Jedediah Smith Redwoods?

If getting married beneath enormous redwoods and ending your wedding day somewhere along the Southern Oregon Coast sounds like your kind of adventure, I’m your girl.

You don’t need to come to me knowing which grove, which beach, what permit you need, or how the hell we’re going to turn all of those ideas into one wedding experience. Tell me what you’re imagining, how you want the day to feel, and what sounds like the most fun you could possibly have getting married. I’ll help you build it from there.

LET’S DESIGN YOUR REDWOODS ELOPEMENT →