From ocean serenity to lush forests to vast mountaintops, eloping in the PNW, and specifically the Olympic Peninsula, is one of the best ways to pack variety into your elopement! Zoe had a full day of adventure with this sunrise + sunset elopement. Starting with a sunrise stroll along the rugged coastline and ending with windswept mountain sunset vows, the day was beyond perfect.
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Eloping in the PNW: See beaches, forests, waterfalls, and mountains all in one day
Eloping in the PNW is one of the best ways to get a massive amount of variety in your elopement experience and photos. The Olympic Peninsula and Olympic National Park really have it all and show why eloping in the PNW is so incredible. Zoe started off the morning by meeting Julia and Bryan early in the day for a first look along the ocean. She explored with just the two of them before their family joined us a bit later to capture their love and marriage as a group. She couldn’t get over how cute Julia’s son, Parker, looked in his suit!
Thinking about eloping with your kids? Check out this other sunrise elopement with kids!
Then they headed back to the AirBnB and brunched on some of the most amazing local food, followed by a simple, yet elegant, ring exchange between Julia, Bryan, and Parker. Pro tip from Zoe: she recommends integrating brunch versus dinner into your big day as a good way to refuel while the sun’s still up (and for more photo ops!).
We get so excited for sunrise + sunset elopements because it means we get to hang out with our couples for even longer during their big day. Later in the afternoon, Zoe adventured back out for another hike with just Julia and Bryan. In typical fashion of the Pacific Northwest, the weather was very moody, which made them question if they should continue with the hike or go with plan B, because this hike is quite the workout! It’s known for the stellar views, and if you’re going to be socked in by clouds it tends to not be worth the climb. But, they made the call and went for the hike as planned. Us photographers have sort of become unofficial meteorologists in the mountains lol, and Zoe had a feeling the clouds would break around sunset.
Holy cow, was taking the chance worth it! Julia and Bryan exchanged vows to each other on the mountain as the sun set and the wind kicked up. They were pretty cold as the sun dropped and wind picked up, but Julia and Bryan were absolute troopers and ended up seeing a stunning sunset followed by an incredible rainbow. They stuck around for as long as they could, then started the hike back down the mountain chatting about music and future trips to other epic locations, like Moab. It really was the most perfect elopement in the PNW!