Alicia and David’s Central Oregon Elopement Adventure With Their Dog, Whiskey

Alicia and David wanted to mix a traditional wedding and adventure elopement. They created the perfect mix of both with their intimate wedding ceremony with their family in a cabin and adventured together with their husky, Whiskey. This couple adventure through an epic Oregon waterfall and an Observatory at Willamette Forest. Get all the details below.

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About This Central Oregon Elopement Adventure

“Alicia and David planned to have their wedding with all their family in a cabin in Oregon. But being avid hikers and lovers of the outdoors they knew they wanted to do something that would be just for them.

Before their wedding date with all their family, they drove out to their favorite waterfall, changed into their wedding outfits, and started their adventure with their giant white husky, Whiskey.

We hiked through the dense green forest, balanced along logs over streams, and scrambled over boulders to get to this spectacular, giant waterfall.
After a brief break having a drink and eating some delicious food, we decided to drive up the mountain to the observatory to watch the stars and end their amazing day.” [Julia, the photographer]

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Deciding to Elope

“We have always enjoyed getting outdoors and having adventures. It could be a day trip driving around on gravel roads, eating jerky and apples, listening to music, and watching for chanterelles. Or getting up early to hike up a cliff in time to see the sunrise. Or scrambling up mountain trails to find waterfalls. So when it came time to plan our wedding, we wanted to do something that was reflective of our relationship and the memories we have made together.

David had proposed under the light of a full moon in front of a cascading waterfall in June. We wanted to have an outdoor wedding before it got too cold or rainy – which is always a hit or miss in Oregon – we wanted our best friend to officiate, and we didn’t want to wait until the next year. We also hadn’t decided on whether or not we wanted to have our families present or not. We loved the idea of just having the day for ourselves, but also felt it would be special to celebrate with our loved ones.” [The couple]

Should you elope? Check out these 10 reasons why you should. 

Deciding Where to Elope

“I wanted someplace with a view of the mountains and David had heard about this particular scenic highway that was only open between July and November. We went to explore it and immediately knew it was what we were looking for. A 40 mile stretch of highway that cuts through the Oregon Cascades. It transitions from a lush old growth forest full of moss, ferns, and waterfalls, to a high mountain lake, followed by a lava field, and finally vast open views of the surrounding mountains and at the very top is a stone observatory. We loved the dramatic changing landscapes and how it captured so much of Oregon’s different geography.

One side of the highway was also only about an hour and a half’s drive from a cabin my grandmother owns that had been in my mind as a venue option if we had an actual wedding. The idea sparked to have our own day in the mountains and then drive to the cabin and celebrate with our families. With this in mind we started looking at dates, dress shopping, and researching photographers. Between the dates the highway was open, potential weather, and calendar conflicts there was really only one weekend in October available. So we set the date, decided on an intimate guest list of under 30 people and sent out invitations for an evening at the cabin.” [The couple]

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Elopement Planning

“Working with Julia was great and easy. We had a Zoom meeting where she asked lots of questions and gave lots of good advice (like fleece-lined leggings under your dress). We had the full day and I really wanted to get some night shots under the stars, so we decided to start later in the afternoon.

Since our day was just going to be us adventuring out in the woods, we didn’t need to prepare much. I had found the perfect dress at a bridal shop that carried once-worn dresses and got a new pair of hiking boots (my old ones were wearing out anyway). David found a wool suit he liked and cleaned his cowboy boots.” [The couple]

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Top Tips For This Elopement

“This hike did not require a permit in advance. There were free, self issued permits at the trailhead when you arrived. We always practice leave no trace. We were careful not to leave anything behind.Definitely wear good shoes! The rocks can be very slippery. Also, in order to get to the waterfall you have to balance across a very long fallen log to get over the river. It was a decent length hike as well so being prepared for that.” [Julia, the photographer]

Memorable Moments From This Elopement

From the photographer:

“I think one of the highlights for me was when we rounded the corner and the absolutely massive waterfall was in front of us. It’s really so giant once you’re standing right in front of it. There were very few people there, and it was such a powerful moment as Alicia and David climbed up the rocks to pose in front of the.

I loved that they included their dog in their wedding day. I thought it was so special that they brought along such an important member of their family to share in their special day.”

From the couple:

“The morning of, we had a relaxing morning drinking coffee and eating breakfast. I had a local hair stylist curl and braid my hair and David got a fresh haircut. We packed up our hiking bags, Whiskey, our Siberian Husky, the clothes, and hit the road. We didn’t really have a complete plan, just a few locations we liked and some Mountain House meals if we got hungry. The weather was typical for an Oregon autumn, unable to decide if it wanted to be sunny or cloudy and rainy.

But we got up there, and the sun was out, and we decided to start by hiking into a waterfall and getting some photos along the way. We changed and did the first look on the path to the waterfall. It was a lovely start to an incredible day. We climbed over boulders, up and down steep paths, and tried not to fall off wet mossy logs. We hiked out over sharp lava beds and snuggled up in the big windows of the observatory. We waited for the stars to come out. And at the end of the day, we stood under a stormy night sky, cold, worn out, and exquisitely happy.”

Final Word of Advice From the Photographer

“Alicia and David chose to have a full wedding with their family in a cabin. But they both are avid hikers and their true dream was to elope in front of a waterfall. I think something to remember is you can make your wedding day (or days) anything you want. Just because you’re getting married in a cabin with all your family doesn’t mean you have to give up this other dream of eloping just the two of you. You can do as many celebrations as you want to get exactly what you want. This is a celebration of your love, and you should make it exactly how you want it” [Julia, the photographer]

Photos From This Elopement