Oregon elopement planning can be hard. Why? Because there so dang many gorgeous places to elope in Oregon! But for this Oregon elopement shoot, we chose one of our favorite spots on the Oregon coast, Cape Kiwanda. With this shoot, we also wanted to show how unique lodging can really add that extra special touch to the elopement. The vintage Airstream campground across the road from the beach was the perfect spot for getting ready.
↓ Keep reading to see the full Oregon elopement adventure ↓
Oregon Elopement Inspiration at Cape Kiwanda
Oregon elopement planning is hard. Why? Because there are so freakin many gorgeous places to elope in Oregon! But after some grueling decision making, we chose one of our favorite spots on the Oregon coast for this Oregon elopement inspo shoot, Cape Kiwanda. With this elopement, we also wanted to show how it’s not only about a stunning location – unique lodging can really add that extra special touch to the elopement. As soon as we learned of the vintage Airstream campground across the road from Cape Kiwanda, we knew this was the place to go.
We took a gamble with the weather. The Oregon coast in the middle of November is typically wet, chilly, and windy. Well, big surprise, it was all three of those things on the day of our shoot. But weather is always an unpredictable force you have to deal with at elopements. The best thing to do is be prepared for it and even embrace it. Wild weather can make for some really fun photos! But fortunately, the rain held off for most of the day and this Oregon elopement inspo shoot was everything we hoped for.
Related: Check out this Ruby Beach Elopement on the Washington coast
Check out Hart’s Camp for your Oregon Elopement
If you like vintage Airstreams, succulent-filled cozy outdoor showers, and two-minute walks to beautiful beaches, you definitely need to check out Hart’s Camp in Pacific City, Oregon. We kinda have a thing for Airstreams if you haven’t picked that up yet. I mean, we did gut renovate one that we’ve been living in for over two years full time now. But still, don’t let our extremely biased opinions cause you any doubt; these Airstreams are objectively really, really cool. And cozy. And fun to photograph 😉
Related: Check out this snowy and magical Gold Creek Pond Elopement
With this styled Oregon elopement, we really wanted to show the range of photos that we capture during an adventure elopement. It’s not all about the epic landscape photos. We love starting things off wherever the couple is getting ready so we can tell the full story of the day. Sometimes, especially when family and friends are around, we take a more candid/photojournalistic approach to this part of the day. But since it was just Nick and Paean, we did a mini-session with them in the Airstream and these ended up being some of our favorite shots from the whole day.
Off to the Beach for a textbook Oregon Elopement
After hanging out and getting ready in the Airstream, we made the long drive across the street to Cape Kiwanda. In Oregon, you’re allowed to drive on the beach, which is always awesome. While Erika (of The Greatest Adventure Weddings & Elopements) set up the ceremony site she had designed for the day, we went on a little adventure with Nick and Paean up the sand dunes. We can’t put into words adequately just how impressive and beautiful this stretch of Oregon coastline is, but the pictures do a pretty good job. There’s a reason so many Oregon elopements happen here.
It was a windy and overcast day (par for the course in November on the Oregon coast), but it made for some moody and epic photos. Wherever we go out to shoot with couples, we always make sure to scout the area beforehand. It helps so much to have specific spots picked out where we know we want to shoot, and it allows us to focus more on helping the couple relax and have fun the day of. Nick and Paean had never really modeled before, but they absolutely killed it. Crazy story – they actually got engaged a week after this shoot! So technically, they eloped before they got engaged 😉
Want to see more epic Oregon coastline? Check out this Hug Point Adventure Session
Soon the rain started to move in though and things got wet and chilly fast. So we hustled down the dune to the area we had picked out for the ceremony, a warm cove by the water with a backdrop of rich, red rock. And we were surprised to find that Erika had somehow managed to light the candles, despite all the wind. Master candle lighter right here. Side note – Erika is not only a wedding and elopement planner – she’s also ordained and can officiate elopements, which is an awesome package for anyone looking to elope. After we shot the ceremony, we wrapped things up like any proper elopement should – popping some bubbly. And even though the weather turned a little bad towards the end, we embraced it and the couple embraced it and we all had a blast getting wet out there. It’s a good example of why we shoot “rain or shine.” Weather is always going to be unpredictable, but if you’re prepared for it and up for a little extra adventure, it always ends up being fun no matter what. And the photos speak for themselves. Such a fun Oregon elopement shoot!
Learn more about The Foxes Elopement Photography
A lot of talented people came together to make this styled Oregon elopement as close to the real thing as it gets. We highly recommend all of these people for your elopement!
Planning and Florals The Greatest Adventure Wedding // Hair and Makeup LisSun Goh // Dress Designer Linyage // Jewelry Green Lake Jewelry // Calligraphy Ink + Sable // Airstream Campground Hart’s Camp
