a stunning no-hike elopement
This waterfall looks like it belongs somewhere on the other side of the world. I mean, the Iceland vibes are strong.
But it's not Iceland. it's Oregon. In fact, it's not just Oregon. It's 40 minutes from the Portland airport.
Yep. You can land in Portland, grab your rental car, and be standing in front of a waterfall that looks like it belongs on an entirely different continent before you've even had time to recover from your flight.
And you definitely don't need to spend six months working out to make the hike. This particular waterfall doesnt require a hike at all. Just a super short paved walk down, and then back out.
You'd never guess something this stunning could require so little logistical effort. And that's what I want to emphasize.
I love an adventurous elopement. I love getting outside and seeing places like this - views that just make you lose your mind. And I really love watching the expectations of my couples completely blown out of the water when they see the spots I plan out for them.
But I don't think adventure should be measured by how many miles you hiked to get there, how much gear you had to carry, or how complicated the logistics had to be.
Maybe you want to hike six miles into the mountains for your elopement. I'm absolutely here for that.
But maybe you don't.
Maybe you want the wild landscape, the dramatic photographs, the feeling that you've gotten completely away from ordinary life, without spending months training for your wedding day or figuring out how to get a wedding dress and a backpack up a mountain.
That's okay, too.
Sometimes the most wildly beautiful places are surprisingly easy to get to. And knowing where those places are is part of my job.
Finding the Right Kind of Adventure
When I start planning your elopement, I don't just pull out a list of my favorite Oregon locations and hand it over. I start with you. After you book, I'll send over a few resources along with a location questionnaire that helps me understand what you're actually looking for. How important are big views? Do you want privacy? Are you bringing guests? What kinds of scenery make you excited? Are you drawn to dark and moody landscapes, wide-open views, forests, waterfalls, mountains? How much hiking sounds fun to you, and how much definitely does not? I'll even want to know about the hiking abilities of any guests coming along. All of those little details help me figure out which places will feel amazing to you, not just look amazing in a photo.
Once I know what you're looking for, I start matching those priorities with places that fit. I'll put together a personalized set of location recommendations for you to explore, with photos, trail information, seasonal considerations, what I love about each spot, and ideas for what we could actually do there. Then I'll hand it over and let you dive in. Sometimes a couple knows immediately which place feels like them. Sometimes they fall in love with somewhere they never would have found on their own. And that's one of my favorite parts of the whole process.
Some couples genuinely want to hike for miles on their elopement day because the hike itself is part of the adventure. And I love that. If that's what sounds fun to you, we'll find a way to make that experience incredible. But maybe you're more drawn to the views, the landscapes, and the photographs than to the six-hour trek it took to get there. In that case, I'm thinking about what I jokingly call the scenery-to-effort ratio. I want to find you places that give you a whole lot of scenery without requiring a whole lot of effort to get there. That might mean a short hike, a scenic drive, or, in some cases, using a vehicle or even a helicopter to reach somewhere that would otherwise take hours of hiking. The point isn't to make your elopement as easy as possible. It's to make sure you're spending your time and energy on the parts of the experience that actually matter to you.
And if you're thinking, “These places look amazing, but I'm not exactly someone who spends my weekends hiking mountains,” you're in very good company. Most people aren't. You can love the idea of getting somewhere wild and beautiful without spending your free time training for long hikes or planning trips around remote trailheads. You don't have to become a different person to have an adventurous elopement. If you'd rather spend a couple of hours exploring a few incredible places than spend the entire day getting to one, we can build your day around that. More time to explore. More time to stop somewhere that catches your eye. More time to eat something good. More time to actually enjoy being married to your favorite person.
You get to have the views, too.
Latourell Falls, Oregon
Latourell Falls is one of my favorite examples of this idea. The dark basalt, the mossy forest, the huge curtain of water... it has that moody, almost Icelandic quality that makes you feel like you've traveled much farther than you actually have. Except you're still in Oregon. And you're only about 40 minutes from the Portland airport.
But beyond the fact that you didnt even leave the country, even getting to this stunning spot is easy. The walk to the falls is short (a quarter mile out and back - combined!), paved, and incredibly manageable. No specialized gear. No long hike. You just walk down, and suddenly you're standing in front of all of this.
Latourell falls is a great example of how the experience doesn't have to be physically demanding to feel extraordinary. You can spend your energy exploring, taking your time with your photos, finding another beautiful spot nearby, stopping for a picnic, or simply being together without feeling like you need to conserve every ounce of energy for the hike back.
You don't have to know exactly where you want to elope yet. Tell me what you're dreaming about, what sounds exciting, and what inspires you. I'll help you with the rest.