The Ultimate Oregon Elopement
Caelum & Becks's multi-day Oregon elopement covered pretty much every type of stunning landscape Oregon has to offer, and captured their fun personalities.
We packed so many incredible sights and adventures into this Oregon elopement, from tide pools to redwoods to the Milky Way!
Hey there! I'm Sam, Your Destination Elopement Photographer & Planner
I absolutely adore Oregon, and I would be thrilled to help make your elopement just as amazing as Caelum & Becks's.
Caelum and Becks didn't just elope – they had the adventure of a lifetime.
When we first started planning their elopement, I sent the couple a location guide of amazing places all over the western U.S. They ended up falling in love with so many of the locations I sent that they turned their elopement into a month-long roadtrip to see as many sights as possible!
Caelum and Becks drove up from Arizona, through all of California, to the southern Oregon coast, where they met up with me for their elopement in early June. The couple didn't want to miss any of the stunning backdrops Oregon has to offer, so we kicked off a multi-day adventure to capture them all.
Starting the Day with Stars
We had originally planned to start the couple's Oregon elopement day in the afternoon, but the weather forecast wasn't looking ideal for sunset. So we pivoted to starting before first light to capture some astro photos and a sunrise ceremony!
We began the day with a few getting ready photos of Caelum zipping Becks into her dress, before heading to the beach at the literal crack of dawn.
Blue Hour and Sunrise Ceremony
After taking some insane star photos, we cooked a backpacking breakfast over the jetboil, and watched as the sun lit up the beach on the couple's Oregon elopement day.
Caelum and Becks explored the beach at blue hour with lanterns and had fun just laughing and goofing off together until it was time for their sunrise ceremony.
The couple exchanged rings as the sun rose over the ocean, surrounded by the gorgeous floral arrangements from Jacklily Floral that had we hiked into the beach.
I love when couples incorporate over-the-top florals into their elopements – you don't have to give up your dreams of stunning wedding flowers even if your "venue" is the middle of nature!
Exploring the Tide Pools
After the ceremony, we headed back to basecamp for our first nap of the day. We met back up around noon to see the tide pools on the beach.
Caelum and Becks stayed in casual attire so they could scramble over rocks and explore the area. We had a ton of fun hunting for sea critters! Then we headed back for our second nap/break before the day's next adventure.
One super important tip for couples planning a sunrise to sunset elopement is to schedule in time for rest. No one wants to be tired and cranky on their elopement day. It also gives us buffer time in case anything happens!
Afternoon in the Redwoods
We met up again in the late afternoon for the next part of Caelum and Becks's Oregon elopement. The light in the redwood forest was so gorgeous, with light beams coming through the treetops.
Caelum and Becks goofed around, climbing across fallen logs and making silly faces. It was a perfect snapshot of their whole elopement, and of their relationship – it was so clear that they absolutely love having fun together.
Sunset on the Beach
The forecast magically pivoted and was looking like a perfect sunset, so we headed back to the beach to take some more photos. I'm so glad it worked out this way, because we had some really cool – and very different – experiences at both times of day.
The next day, we were scheduled to go ocean kayaking in the morning, but it was cancelled because the weather was absolutely insane. Even though it was a little disappointing, it gave us extra time for our travel and rest day – and the eight-hour drive to our next location.
Getting Ready for Day Two
Caelum and Becks got ready for their next day of adventuring at an adorable greenhouse Airbnb. I grabbed some details photos and super cute portraits of the two of them exploring the greenhouse.
Then we packed up for the final activity in Caelum and Becks's Oregon elopement – a rather difficult hike to the most amazing waterfall.
Hike to a Secluded Waterfall
Caelum and Becks changed into casual clothes for the strenuous hike down to the waterfall. When we got there, it was so worth it – we had the waterfall basically to ourselves the entire time. I always recommend my couples elope on a weekday for the most privacy, and this was the perfect example of why!
Caelum and Beck changed into their wedding attire – Beck packed a cute mini dress – and explored the area together. They chased each other around the swimming hole and shared some fun pastries before it was time to change and hike back.
Road Trip Honeymoon
After their Oregon elopement, Caelum and Becks continued their epic roadtrip up into Washington, before heading all the way back to Arizona. They had an absolute blast on the most adventurous honeymoon.
And I was super excited to deliver their full gallery just a couple days after they got home!
Sam is incredible at catching candid moments on camera, knows when to step in and offer pose suggestions, and has an incredibly quick turn around time for finished edits.
Caelum + Becks's Review
As all of her other reviews point out: Sam is an absolute delight to work with from start to finish.
During planning, we loved all of her location recommendations along the west coast so much that we planned a month-long road trip to visit them all, and met Sam in Oregon for our actual elopement. Even then, we couldn’t decide between the beach, redwoods, and a waterfall, so Sam put together a dream schedule for us to visit them all.
She consistently went above and beyond to help out, including picking up our florals for us from a town over and suggesting modifications to our schedule the night before to avoid inclement weather, which relieved so much stress! Even on the day of our elopement, she allowed us to set the pace and was able to be as strict or as lenient as we needed with timing.
Sam provides so much stoke that it is impossible to not feed off of her energy, but she also knew when we needed a calm moment or a break in the day. She is incredible at catching candid moments on camera, knows when to step in and offer pose suggestions, and has an incredibly quick turn around time for finished edits. Every photo she took of us is stunning, not just the ones that end up on Instagram.
We look forward to working with her for our next wedding 🙂
- C + B
