How to Plan an Oregon Elopement (Updated for 2025)
Oregon is one of the most beautiful states and has so much different kinds of nature to explore for an elopement. I moved to Oregon after having lived my entire life in Colorado, and I absolutely love it. I love how temperate the weather is, the moody lighting, the moss and greenery everywhere all year round, the huge beaches, stunning cliffsides, the mushrooms, the waterfalls- everything. I love to show all my couples all the amazing things that Oregon has to offer and wanted to make a guide to help me couples decide on where to go, what to do, and why Oregon is so so great!
Table of Contents
Why elope in Oregon?
Best time of year to elope in Oregon
Elopement Activities in Oregon
Elopement locations in Oregon
Wedding venues in Oregon
Hiking trails in Oregon
Elopement locations in Oregon that don’t require a hike
Accommodations in Oregon
Why Elope in Oregon?
No Permits Needed
With the exception of a few locations in state parks and such, Oregon doesn’t require permits to marry in many natural spaces all over the state. Every beach is open to the public and free to marry on without a permit so long as your guest list isn’t too big and your don’t have any structures or chairs or anything.
Unique Accommodations
Oregon Airbnbs and VRBOs are some of my favorites in the country. There’s TONS of A-frames, cabins, midcentury homes, and beachfront properties to choose from all over the state from the coast to the gorge. Waking up in a cozy cabin on your elopement day, making breakfast together, getting ready, and retreating at the end of the day to soak in the hotter under the stars, or roasting marshmallows over the bonfire out back really adds to the magic of the day and makes it extra memorable.
Fewer Crowds
As someone from Colorado, I’m used to having to plan elopements around sunrise to avoid crowds, fighting for parking spots, and planning around peak tourist seasons in order to give my couples a more private experience, but that simply isn’t the case in Oregon. Almost all year everywhere is relatively quiet. Multnomah Falls and Cannon Beach are the only places that really see a decent amount of people, and both of those are relatively seasonal. People don’t like hiking in the rain, and natural areas aren’t close to many concentrated towns the way they are in the mountains of Colorado, so a lot of places are perfect for a serene elopement experience.
Excellent Food
I’ve traveled all over the US, and Portland is consistently my favorite city for food (southern California is a close second). People take coffee seriously here, so it’s hard to find somewhere without a coffee shop or two nearby, and there’s several James Beard awarded restaurants in Portland as well as tons of other amazing bars, restaurants, and snacks to try out all over the city. I can give you my recs, but it’s hard to go wrong in the city.
Best Time Of Year To Elope In Oregon
Oregon is in the Pacific Northwest. It rains. Like all the time. I do not reschedule for rain, and neither does any other vendor, because it is constantly raining. Summer is more dry, but even then, you can not guarantee a sunny day. All the rain creates breathtaking forests covered in moss, and moody mountain scenes, but if the idea of eloping in the rain bothers you, Oregon just isn’t the place for you. If you choose Oregon for your elopement location, be prepared for rain, no matter the time of year and embrace the epic moody beauty of the Pacific Northwest that makes this place so unique.
Summer: June-August
Summer is dry season, which means the likelihood of rain is much lower, but it also means wildfires. Early summer is the best time to try to get a dry day without any haze or smoke. Oregon is mostly temperate all year round, but do keep in mind, summer is HOT. The highest recorded temperature from a few years back in Portland was 116 degrees! Heat waves come through Oregon on a semi regular bases where the temperatures are 100+ degrees. If you want to avoid the heat, choose someplace high up in the mountains like Mount Hood or the coast where the temperature fluctuates a lot less.
Fall: September-mid November
Fall in Oregon is so stunning. The leaves change here over the course of a month or so, and the sight is breathtaking. I recommend coming late October to early November to catch the peak of the leaves in their full glory. Fall is a great time to check out the forests and waterfalls so you can really see all the colors Oregon has to offer this time of year. The rain will be starting up a lot more around October, but I think it just adds to the moody ambiance of autumn.
Winter: Late November-February
This is the rainiest time of year in Oregon, but also a significantly warmer time of year compared to much of the country. You will find snow at higher elevation, like Mount Hood, and it piles up very beautifully on tree limbs, so if you’re looking for a winter wonderland, plan around ski areas to get the winter wonderland look you’re going for. The coast is more temperate if you’re looking for warmer weather, with temperatures typically ranging in the high 40s and 50s.
Spring: April-early June
Spring is a beautiful time to visit Oregon. Unlike where I’m from in Colorado, the blooms start showing up as early as February, continuing to bloom through May and June. Portland is called the “Rose City” because of all the roses that are planted around the city. Throughout spring you’ll find petals covering the ground around the streets, and later in the spring/early summer you can check out the International Rose Test Garden and wander the grounds among thousands of roses.
Elopement Activities in Oregon
Hiking
There are loads of trails all over the state where you can climb mountains, discover waterfalls, and walk among tower cedars. There’s an abundance of scenery to check out no matter what part of the state you choose.
Skiing
The nice thing about Oregon is that it basically never snows in places like Portland, but there’s tons of snow just about an hour drive away at the ski runs on Mount Hood. You can do all your winter activities here, but skiing is the most popular. Skiing around Mount Timberline really is something to behold if you have the time.
Surfing
Oregon is not known for surfing the way California is, but there’s still surf breaks and a small surfing community along the Oregon Coast that’s pretty uncrowded comparatively. Just be sure to bundle up in a thick suit, it gets cold!
Beach Combing
Explore tide pools, pick up sand dollars, and watch for whales. It’s not uncommon to run into someone on the beach who’s collecting seaweed or clams to eat later, people love foraging and harvesting wild things in Oregon.
Hot Springs
Oregon sits on top of a volcanic hot spot, which is why mountains like Mount Hood, Mount Jefferson, and St Helens exist- they’re all volcanoes! As a result, there’s a bunch of hot springs you can check out, and I highly recommend them. They look downright mystical with the blue water and mossy rocks that create them. My favorites are Umpqua and Terwilliger, personally.
Where to elope in Oregon
The best wedding venues in Oregon for a micro wedding or elopement
If you want a full list of small wedding venues, check out this blog here
Hiking trails for your Oregon Elopement
No Name Lake- 5.5 miles
Wahclella Falls- 2 miles
God’s Thumb- 4.4 miles
Proxy Falls- 2 miles
Toketee Falls- 1 mile
Oregon elopement locations that don’t require hiking
Hug Point
Devil’s Cauldron
Trillium Lake
Samuel H Boardman State Park
Latourell Falls
Ecola State Park
Secret Beach
Elopement Accommodations In Oregon
Need an Oregon Elopement Photographer?
I chose to move to Oregon after living in Colorado my whole life, because I was so in love with this state. I fell in love with all the natural beauty of Oregon, the moss, the mushrooms, the waterfalls, the coast- everything. And I want to share all of the beautiful things about this place with the couples who trust me with their day. If you want to see everything that made me up and leave my life in Colorado, send me an email, so we can talk all about what your Oregon elopement will look like.
