Elope in Oregon | Locations + Advice
A Guide to Eloping in Oregon
Oregon has so many epic places you can elope at anytime. With everything going on in the world, many couples are just eloping now and planning a bigger party later (or some are just eloping and being done with it.) The PNW has many amazing locations you can elope at for cheap or free. Most locations are within 2 hours of Portland, Oregon and very easy to get to. If you are not sure on where to elope, chat with your photographer, as we can help you narrow it down. For some of these locations, pick a weekday or early morning time, as prime times can be more complicated.
What does eloping mean?
The dictionary defines it as “running away secretly in order to get married, especially without parental consent” but in 2024 it’s far from that. We capture many elopements and micro weddings that are far from running away and getting married in secret.
What is an Elopement?
The term “elopement” has evolved into removing the secrecy element while retaining the very small and intimate aspects. Most of our elopements have close family and friends, where some are just the couple. With the rising costs of weddings, living, and priorities in life changing. We are seeing a trend of more and more people scaling back and going back to basics. Most elopements tend to be 1-2 hours at most. They have a ceremony, some couple and family photos, time to mingle, and generally a toast and/or cake. From there they often leave the area to have a nice dinner at a restaurant.
Places to Elope
The Portland Metro is full of hidden gems, really just think about your favorite place to be as a couple and see if you can elope there. Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing. We even did an elopement on stage at a concert, so really the sky’s the limit.
In front of SE Portland street art. So many places in SE Portland have beautiful art on the walls and you can stand on the sidewalk and get married for FREE!
The Portland metro has many parks, some you can just show up and elope, and some you need to check into permits, but these are low cost. The great thing about an elopement is you just show up with an officiant, 2 witness and get married. When just showing up, remember you have to be respectful of people who are having weddings at this location who got permits. We suggest you elope during an off time (like a weekday or morning) if it's a popular location that others will reserve. With eloping, you have to be very flexible if you're just going to show up to a spot.
Some of our favorite parks in the Portland Metro
Coffeeshops, restaurants, bars or small businesses. If you have a location that means a lot to the two of you, ask the staff if you can elope for 15-20 min and offer to buy items or pay a small fee for the space. They might not want you to do it during business hours but will let you come before opening or after closing. It’s a great way to make the day even more special. Most locations are not off limits if you can be creative and are willing to ask.
The Oregon coast is another amazing location you can just show up to and elope. We recommend a less known beach, but if you want to do a popular spot we recommend early morning or a weekday.
The Columbia River Gorge has many stunning locations as well for elopements. It’s mostly waterfalls, but there are a few other good spots. And again if it’s a popular spot, we recommend early mornings or weekdays.
Central Oregon has some great locations.
Mt. Hood is another place you can find the perfect location to elope. Some people use the Timberline elopement package so they can get married inside, where as others just find a place with snow on the side of the road or a snow covered park.
Your house, parents’ house or a friend’s house. Do you know someone with a nice home and yard? Ask them if you can elope and most likely they will be honored to host your special day.
Renting a hotel or house is another great option for eloping. With so many options you can find the perfect house for any vibe. From tiny homes in the city, to cabins in the woods, we highly recommend getting a house for a few days and making it a mini trip.
Reach out to your dream venue and ask what the price would be to elope and rent the space for an hour. Some venues will offer discounts if it's outside and during the week. This is if you don’t bring in anything and only have a limited number of people.
Some officiants offer their homes and yards to elope. Chat with your officiate and see if this is an option and ask for photos of their space.
Another thing we love about elopements is that before or after the ceremony you can drive to another location to take more photos to get a variety of locations. We had a couple do a first look at one location and the ceremony at a second location near a waterfall. That is the best part of eloping, you set the schedule and we can help you ensure you get photos you will cherish for a lifetime. This is great if you plan to stream your wedding for others to view, and need somewhere with good cellphone reception.
One place we don’t recommend is the court house, it’s ugly, boring and the PNW has all the listed places as well as many more you can elope at for almost the same price (cheaper if you have someone you know get ordained online and officiate your wedding) We had a family member get married at the court house and it was the same judge who did his DUI and the judge mentioned it at his wedding, which we would assume is not something most people want.
Some talented vendors that are offering elopement specials to help make your day extra special.
Rentals- Power of Love Rentals
Flowers- Poppy & Paisley
Officant- Elope in Oregon
Video- Casperson Productions
How to Elope?
When you elope make sure you get the proper legal paperwork, an officiant and 2 witnesses (as a husband & wife photography team we have been witnesses at many elopements and would love to be your witnesses.) In Oregon you can get the marriage license via the US Mail. Here is the link with the information. Then pick a date and location. Find a officiant and book an awesome photographer team!
All of our elopements include:
Amber and Eric DePangher
Edited Images delivered via an online gallery with full control over downloading and printing
100 miles of travel (round trip)
1 hour-$500
2 hours - $1000
3 hours - $1500
Eloping in the PNW is beautiful, fun, and we highly recommend it!