How to Plan a PNW Elopement (Updated for 2025)

Feb 5

The Pacific Northwest is the region in the upper left portion of the US of Northern California, Oregon, and Washington where it’s constantly rainy and green all year long. I’ll be entirely honest here, my obsession with the PNW started early when I was 13 and watched Twilight. With time, my obsession with vampires waned, but my desire to visit the PNW didn’t. I visited for my first time in 2016 with some friends on a roadtrip to Portland. It was everything I’d ever dreamed. It was rainy, moody, foggy, we visited stunning waterfalls, saw the most beautiful fall colors, visited the coast, and I took the most beautiful photos I’d ever taken in my life. Having grown up in Colorado, a place with this much moisture and greenery was so new to me, I thought it was the most beautiful place I’d ever seen in my life. I visited Seattle a couple of times in the subsequent years and eventually made the PNW my home permanently because I just loved it so much. The excellent food, the coffee, the cozy rainy weather, the access to both mountains and coast- it’s unbeatable in my opinion. For that reason I decided to make a guide for my couples so that they can see the best of what the PNW has to offer, get help on finding beautiful venues, elope with breathtaking views, and stay in cute little forest cabins that will show you the magic that kept me coming back to this place over and over again.

Table of Contents

Why elope in the PNW?
Best time of year to elope in the PNW
Elopement Activities in the PNW
Elopement locations in the PNW
- Wedding venues in the PNW
- Hiking trails in the PNW
- Elopement locations in the PNW that don’t require a hike
Accommodations in the PNW

Why Elope in the PNW?

Moody Weather

If you love Twilight weather as much as I do, the PNW is for you. The PNW is full of mossy forests, ferns, and greenery for a reason. Moody, cloudy, rainy, weather and dark, filtered lighting make for a lovely ambiance if that’s something you love. If the rainy weather isn’t your thing, you can always plan for summer and aim for better weather, but even in summer there is the chance for rain. You should really only choose the PNW if rain not only doesn’t bother you, but the idea excites you.

Mossy Forests

The cedars and redwoods tower over hiking trails and roads all throughout the PNW. Redwood National and State Parks are a great spot to find beautiful big trees (big enough to drive through!) but you’ll find thick forests all over the Pacific Northwest in Oregon and Washington as well. There are lots of cabins nestled in these beautiful fairytale forests, it’s such a unique environment specific to the PNW.

Rugged Coast

The coast in the PNW is full of cliffs, foggy bays, caves, tide pools with sea creatures, and wide, expansive beaches. If you’re visiting the PNW, you just can’t miss the coast. Summer time is the warmest time to visit with the best weather, but you can go anytime, and the coast is usually far warmer in the winter than anywhere at higher elevation.

Breathtaking Mountains

The cascades were made from a series of volcanoes (that are still active!) and are full of waterfalls, stunning wildflowers, cloud inversions, lookout towers, and perfect pointy peaks. You can spend summer hiking the mountain peaks or spend the winters skiing one of the many resorts that dot the mountain range. The snow is beautiful and pcituresque, and there’s a plethora of different meadows and peaks to explore in the summer.

Fairytale Cabins

One of my favorite things about the PNW is all the cute cabins you can rent that are A-frames, midcentury modern time capsules, modern glass houses, or beach cottages nestled in mossy forests, next to rivers, and steps from the coastline. They all look so beautiful any time of year, and really add to the overall experience of your day when you get to wake up and get ready in a place that’s private and already in a scenic location.

Best Time Of Year To Elope In The PNW

Summer: June-August

Summer is the warmest and the least rainy time of year to visit the PNW, but it can definitely still rain, so if you don’t want rain on your wedding day, you should probably just look to elope somewhere else. Summer can also get HOT if you’re far enough from the coast. Portland got up to 114F a few years ago, the heat waves in the area are no joke. Plan for the mountains and coast where it’s cooler this time of year.

Fall: September-Mid November

Fall in the PNW is sooo gorgeous. It’s one of the best places in the US to experience fall in my opinion. The colors start changing from October through early November, and the peak is around the last week of October and the first week of November. This is a great time to visit the mountains, and if you’re able to plan around when the larches change in Washington, it’s one of the most beautiful sites to see in the fall.

Winter: November-February

This is the rainiest time in the PNW, so just prepare with some rain gear in case the weather is bad all day. Winter in the mountains of the PNW is downright stunning, though. Snow is always piled up on the trees, and because there’s so much moisture, it almost constantly snowing. If you’re looking for a winter wonderland location in the winter, the PNW is the place to find it.

Spring: March-May

Spring is such a beautiful time in the PNW. Blooms start showing up in February and are in full swing by March and April. Portland is known as “The Rose City”, because there’s so many roses that bloom around the area. You can visit the International rose test gardens in late spring and early summer as well. This is a great time to visit the tulip fields and peony fields if you want some photos among the lines of flowers. The weather is still rainy, and I wouldn’t recommend visiting the mountain as the snow has started to melt and make everything muddy, but it’s a great time for the coast, forests, and the cities.

Elopement Activities in The PNW

Hiking

This is an activity best reserved for the dryer months, particularly if it’s at a high elevation. Snow will make trails in the mountain inaccessible, so plan your hike for July through Early September. July has tons of wildflowers around the PNW, particularly on Mount Rainier, that’s the best time to catch them at their peak. Hikes at lower elevations will still be accessible, but be sure to bring a raincoat or an umbrella.

Camping

There’s a plethora of both backcountry camping and established campsites all around the PNW, whether you’re looking for spot beneath the towering redwoods, camping on the many public beaches, or a glamping experience in a yurt or canvas tent, there’s so many breathtaking camping opportunities to choose from.

Beach Combing

PNW beaches are rugged, full of stunning rock formations, sea glass, caves, redwood trees, waterfalls, and driftwood. You can say your vows on the cliffs surrounding the beaches, or gather on the beach later in the night to snuggle up next to a driftwood bonfire with some s’mores or hot cocoa.

Skiing/Snowboarding

The Cascade mountains have a number of different ski resorts up and down the mountain range in Oregon and Washington. If you’re looking for a winter wonderland elopement, the PNW is the place to do it. The snow is very heavy from all he moisture, but it’s abundant with lots and lots of fresh powder days throughout the winter. Rent a cozy cabin in the woods and hit the slopes for your elopement.

Elopement Locations in The PNW

The best wedding venues in the PNW for a micro wedding or elopement:

Hiking Trails For Your PNW Elopement

Colchuck Lake- WA- 8.7 miles
Artist Point- WA- 4.4 miles
No Name Lake- OR- 5.5 miles
God’s Thumb- OR- 4.4 miles
Wahclella Falls- OR- 2 miles
Proxy Falls- OR- 1.6 miles

PNW elopement locations that don’t require hiking

Samuel H. Boardman State Park- OR
Silver Falls State Park- OR
Kalaloch Beach- WA
Ruby Beach- WA
Hoh Rainforest/Hall of Mosses- WA
Hurricane Ridge- WA
Skylight Caves- OR
Garrapata State Park- CA
Fern Canyon- CA
Calla Lily Valley/Garrapata Beach- CA

Elopement Accommodations In the PNW

Need a PNW Elopement Photographer?

I’m based centrally in the PNW in Oregon, and spend my time traveling all up and down the west coast exploring all the Pacific Northwest has to offer. I moved here from Colorado, so I’m no beginner when it comes to enjoying the outdoors. If you love the rainy, mossy, green forests and expansive coastline of the PNW as much as I do, reach out and I can walk you through planning and photographing your day.

Reach out