These Brides Planned An Oregon Beach Elopement And Announced It Over FaceTime
Elopements

These Brides Planned An Oregon Beach Elopement And Announced It Over FaceTime

Amy and Kelly decided to plan an intimate Oregon beach elopement to witness the true beauty of the Pacific Northwest. Cara, from Wild Earth Weddings, and the couple gives us all the details and tips for their intimate ceremony with just a few family and friends.

This elopement story will bound to make you want to elope in Oregon asap!

Ready to elope in Oregon? Explore our elopement vendors to get started.

Photography by Wild Earth Weddings

Deciding to Elope Instead of Having a Formal Wedding

For a lot of couples, deciding to elope is a tough decision. Amy and Kelly always wanted to keep their wedding day small and intimate, but they found themselves still getting caught up in the typical wedding details during the beginning stages of their planning.

They didn’t want the opinions of others to influence what they both prioritized during their special day.

“Kelly always jokingly mentioned eloping, but I just envisioned Vegas when I heard the word elope. As Kelly and I regrouped to better get in touch with how we saw the day, we happened across some Pinterest and Instagram pages (Including Cara’s!) with incredible photographs of couples in incredible landscapes. We both instantly looked at each other and decided we needed to make that happen. It ended up being a dream we didn’t even know that we shared.” [Amy and Kelly]

What do you think about when thinking about eloping? Check out what it means to elope. 

Deciding to Plan an Oregon Beach Elopement

There are so many gorgeous places to elope, but ultimately these brides decided on Oregon for the weather and epic views they saw on the internet.

“We entered ‘Oregon Elopement Photographers’ into a google search and our list quickly narrowed in on Wild Earth Weddings. We reached out to Cara and set-up a FaceTime to meet her and get a feel for the whole process. She was AMAZING. We knew we found a gem.” [Amy and Kelly]

Oregon has every landscape a couple can want, so it can make it hard to choose one for your ceremony and portraits, but Cara from Wild Earth Weddings helped them narrow down the locations for the day. Their elopement adventure included their first look in the Redwoods, breathtaking coastal views during their ceremony and a gorgeous beach for their first dance.

If you’re thinking about eloping in Oregon, then check out our Oregon elopement packages for more inspiration and location ideas.

Planning Your Wedding Day in Oregon

Amy and Kelly tell us Cara took the lead on planning, which was a great relief to them. They tell us not only is she a talented photographer, but she gave them 4-5 different timelines to help them envision their elopement in Oregon.

Teaming up with a professional photographer within the area will help you be better prepared, including avoiding higher traffic areas and times. The only thing these brides needed to worry about was their gorgeous elopement dresses, booking their flights, and securing a couple of Cinnamon rolls from a local Oregon bakery.

“When adventuring on the Oregon coast, it’s important to be ocean aware- take note of the tide tables. Many gorgeous beaches become accessible only at low tides! It’s an incredibly diverse landscape, and every season has its magic.” [Cara]

Are you thinking about eloping? Check out our 7 step guide on how to elope.

Including Family and Friends During Their Beach Coastal Elopement Ceremony

We love this elopement because Amy and Kelly included the elements of a traditional wedding they loved but kept it 100% them. They told only a few people about their plan to elope, and they decided to surprise their loved one via FacetTime right after they said their “I dos”.

Besides announcing their elopement through FaceTime, Amy and Kelly also FaceTimed during their getting ready too. Cara did an amazing job capturing the moment.

Are you thinking about how you’re going to tell your friends and family about your elopement? Check out our favorite ideas and tips for announcing your elopement!

Memorable Moments During This Elopement

This elopement has pretty much everything you would hope for on a wedding day from emotional vows to a romantic first dance as the sun sets. We asked both Cara and the couple what their favorite moments were during their Oregon beach elopement and we couldn’t agree more with their choices.

Amy and Kelly’s Favorite Moments:

“The first is our first look. Cara helped hide Kelly in the Redwoods, while I waited nearby getting all nervous (which I did not expect!). She then came over to guide me to the trail Kelly was down and once Kelly was in my view, I felt ALL the emotions…

Second favorite part was saying our vows atop the rocky coast above the Secret Beach. The sun was in its golden hour and setting over the Pacific Ocean. We got to focus on each other and every word of the vows we wrote. Nothing else mattered. The floral, the cake, the guests, the table settings, the bridal party, the DJ, the venue…none of that had to cloud of minds or our hearts that day.” [Amy and Kelly]

Cara’s Favorite Moments During This Elopement:

“I loved being able to give them space to have lots of private moments together- from their first look in the Oregon redwoods, and right up until the end of the night where we set up candles for their first dance on the beach. Being able to create the space, and then step away and let the couple experience the results of that naturally is really important. As much fun as we had together, I wanted to make sure they could focus on each other, and the beautiful surroundings.” [Cara]

Advice For Couples Thinking About Eloping

If you both are looking at this elopement in gorgeous Oregon and thinking, “we can do that…”, then you are absolutely right!

If eloping with magical coastal views sounds amazing, then go for it. Cara tells us she challenges couples to think about the origins of what we think of as the modern wedding. A wedding can be an entire experience- seeing new places, experiencing new things, all with your favorite person!

“When couples aren’t sure if they want to elope, I encourage them to think deeply about what makes them feel not only comfortable but actually excited. Attending a wedding as a guest is a wholly different experience than being at the center of one. If you aren’t excited about the prospect of planning your wedding day, I think that’s a great indication that you should consider an elopement.” [Cara]

Are you still unsure about eloping? Check out our top 10 reasons to elope to help you decide.

Photos From This Oregon Beach Elopement Adventure

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