There’s nothing more breathtaking than a magical Oregon Coast elopement, rain or shine. This day was rainy and oh so incredible.
A couple that doesn’t even want to know where they are going to elope? And just goes with the flow? When Summer and Brian first reached out to me about planning a super relaxed and intentional Oregon Coast elopement, of course I said yes! This classic Pacific Northwest elopement was such a special honor to photograph.
I always tell my couples to picture their wedding day both as a sunny, beautiful day and a rainy, wet day. Unfortunately, we just can’t control Mother Nature, and sometimes the universe decides that your wedding day will be a little rainy. The bottom line? If you’re down to go with the flow, we can always plan a special and adventurous day no matter the weather.
On this particular day in March, the universe decided that it would rain, pretty hard. When I called up my couple and explained the situation, Summer and Brian were super down to just roll with it. Hell yes!
The morning of the elopement, I drove up to the cute little cabin in the woods that the couple had picked for their elopement adventure. The morning turned out to be absolutely perfect: not too hot, not too cold, and only slightly windy. Classic PNW weather!
We started off the day getting ready for the elopement. The couple spent some time getting ready for the big day. Summer and Brian both spent time apart writing their vows: Brian on the porch, with a warm cup of coffee, and Summer on the dining room table. Summer wore a gorgeous wedding dress with lace details on the sleeves and a corset tie-up back. Once the couple had written their vows and packed for the day, we were off!
Summer + Brian’s Oregon Coast Elopement: Natural Bridge
Summer and Brian had told me early on that they didn’t really want to know where they were going: they just wanted me to take them there. Despite our original plan, we ended up rearranging the day a little bit due to the weather. I absolutely love that level of trust in me and my expertise, especially after we’ve already spoken so much about their special day, and I knew exactly where we would be going: Natural Bridge.
When we parked at the trailhead, I warned everyone to be careful and take it slowly. The hike down to Natural Bridge is just a little treacherous, and sheer cliffs on both sides make it really steep and tricky. It ended up being a clean hike down and we reached the bottom. This isn’t a hike I’ll take my couples on if its raining, thankfully – the rain hadn’t started yet.
After enjoying the view and taking some photos, the couple did rock-paper-scissors to decide who would reach their vows first. It was such a beautiful spot for the couple to say their vows and start their lives together.
On the way back up to the car, I started picking up trash because people really should not be littering in such a freaking beautiful place – or anywhere. Brian even picked up some dude’s random boxers!
Summer + Brian’s Oregon Coast Elopement: Secret Beach
Next stop: Secret Beach! We had this breathtaking spot along the Oregon Coast all to ourselves… I honestly couldn’t believe it! The whole coast was completely untouched, and it was just three of us out there. What an unreal experience, and we all just felt how special it was.
Summer and Brian walked up and down the coast before settling on the sand. Brian, a master bonfire builder, built the coolest little bonfire for the two of them to just warm it all up and take it in.
Once we wrapped up on Secret Beach, it became pretty obvious that everyone was just super starving (me included!). Jayne to the rescue: one of my favorite pizzerias was right down the road.
Zola’s on the Water, in Brookings, Oregon, is the coolest little spot with some of the best pizzas around. As soon as Summer and Brian walked in, everyone started congratulating them – and they even drew on their pizza boxes! How sweet was that?
Summer + Brian’s Oregon Coast Elopement: Pizza & The Downpour
We had one more stop after our pizza break: Indiana Sands. At this point in the day, it was straight-up pouring…And I looked at Summer and just asked her: are you down for that? Summer and Brian were totally down, so we drove to Indiana Sands and went to go play in the pouring rain.
The couple slowly hiked down the trail with umbrellas and champagne in hand. Is there anything more special than sharing this moment together in the pouring rain? I’m so grateful to these two for just saying “fuck it” and going with it all!
Once we reached the lookout point, Brian popped the champagne and the couple shared a sweet moment together to celebrate their new lives together, rain jackets and umbrellas and all. Summer’s dress ended up a bit muddy, but the couple absolutely loved their day together. What a magical Oregon Coast elopement!
What Summer & Brian Said
I was so touched when Summer and Brian emailed me after their elopement, telling me about how much they loved my photos and the entire elopement experience! Here’s a little bit of their note to me.
“When my husband and I decided to turn a pre-planned vacation into an elopement we were definitely nervous about finding a photographer with just shy of 60 days notice! Jayne was one of the first people we reached out to and we couldn’t be more thankful she was available and willing to work with us on such short notice!
She is so much more than a photographer, she helped us plan our whole day, made sure we were prepared for all conditions and more importantly just a great FRIEND to share our day with! Jayne was always quick to respond and made the booking and planning process a breeze. She made sure we were enjoying our day and gave us some private time at each location to fully enjoy our surroundings.
Jayne’s charisma and excitement throughout the day just helped make our day that much more enjoyable! When it came time for our last location it started pouring rain… but we still wanted the last shot of a champagne pop on the cliffside. So she grabbed us some umbrellas, got herself geared up and we trekked out to the cliff in the torrential rain and took what probably are some of my favorite pictures of the day.
She sent us sneak peaks quickly and the full album so fast. She captured our day perfectly and got so many amazing shots. Jayne is truely the best without a doubt. We are so thankful our paths crossed and we hope to meet up again down the road! We couldn’t imagine sharing our day with anyone else!“
Want to elope on the Oregon Coast?
I’m your girl! I absolutely love the Oregon Coast, and I have some of the most insanely beautiful places already mapped out for the most epic elopement. Contact me here and let’s get this party started!
Vendors featured in Summer and Brian’s elopement
- Bouquet and boutonniere: Bridal Wish Design on Etsy
- Vow books: J&A Homes Store on Amazon
- Airbnb: Sugar Mountain Rustic Coastal Cabin
