September 15, 2021

Full Day Olympic National Park Elopement

Adventure Elopements, Washington

A man dips his bride to give her a kiss while her hat falls off and smoke fills the morning air at sunrise.

Olympic National Park Elopement from the mountains to the coast

A man and his fiancee sitting together on the edge of a cliff with mountain views in the distance.

A hat laying in a grass field with a bouquet and wedding vow books.

Jackie and Ryan traveled from the East to the West coast for a Pacific Northwest elopement in Olympic National Park. These two decided to elope for many reasons that a lot of our couples will relate with. They wanted a stress free day where they could connect and even get out of their comfort zones together. They were equally excited about the mountain views, the stunning coast line and a completely unique adventure elopement to start off their marriage. When we have the chance, we always love to meet up with our couples prior to their elopement day. We’re so grateful that we were able to meet up with Jackie and Ryan the night before their elopement for dinner in Port Angeles! We love being able to clear the jitters, go over all the details of the day and for our couples to get to know us better since we will be spending the wedding day with you!

The following morning we drove up the mountain as a historic meteor shower was at is prime. We arrived to a perfect mountain morning, without another soul in sight. As we started to get closer to where they would become husband and wife, the sky started turning pink and the most beautiful blue showing off the Olympic mountain range. We passed a few wildflowers still in bloom, making for a truly perfect way to start off their wedding day. We arrived at the location just before true sunrise so they could change into their wedding attire for the first look. Ryan waited on a rock overlooking the mountains and the Canada shoreline. Jackie wore a beautiful dress and made her way over to Ryan for such a special and private first look. Following their first look, they hiked further up on the pass to sit together side by side, but facing the other way from each other so no one could peak to hand write their vows into their vow books. Once their vows were complete we headed over to a private ledge for their ceremony. They walked hand in hand together as the watching the sunrise as they made their way over to where they would say I do.

Their ceremony was beautiful and touching. It was still, calm and peaceful. In the midst of their ceremony, another hiker made their way up the main trail, and stopped to watch at a respective distance. A They sealed their marriage with a kiss and then held each other close, embracing the fact that they were now husband and wife. The other hiker who had stopped to watch was just in time to become their second witness needed in the state of Washington to legally get married. We all signed the marriage licenses against one of the park signs telling you what each peak in view is.

A bride and groom share a first look while out taking in the sunrise at Hurricane ridge with vast mountain views.

After a few portraits while exploring the mountain top area we started our hike back down the mountain (Looking for tips on hiking during your wedding day?). We looked out for deer along the meadows as we drove down back towards Port Angeles. We all took a break to relax and eat lunch before meeting back up at their super cute A frame they had rented. Upon pulling into the driveway there were two baby deer taking a nap in the shade right outside their cabin. We got to capture some the details from their day like the map of the park, gifts they had given each other while in the cabin and flowers. We shot the last details of them getting ready for their sunset adventure before heading out.

Two baby deer, one standing and one sitting near the wall of a shed.

A flat lay of Olympic National Park map with rings and wedding decor.

A man and his wife stand together on the front porch of an a frame cabin surrounded by trees.

A man helps his wife with her shirt in a cute A frame cabin.

We drove into Olympic National Park passing Lake Crescent (Check out this couples wedding day at Lake Crescent!) to arrive at Rialto Beach. We made our way along the shore line to a spot with privacy and good views to hangout for the evening. Jackie and Ryan popped a bottle of champagne in celebration of their marriage before the sun set. Then enjoyed a picnic they had packed with all sorts of yummy snacks. Ending the evening with two mini cheesecakes.

It was a beautiful day celebrating many years of building a relationship for marriage. It was a day of many firsts for these two as they explored Washington’s mountains and coasts together for the first time on such a special day. I have a hundred favorite things about elopements, but one of them is that you can honeymoon where you get married! That’s just what these two did, before heading back home, they set off to explore the Mount Rainier area.

A groom gives his bride a kiss at a distance while they enjoy the sunrise up at Hurricane Ridge.

A review from the bride!

“My husband and I had been together nearly 10 years before we got engaged. We instantly knew that when we wanted to get married, we wanted something low key, stress free, and just for us. City hall seemed like it was going to be the way our journey was going to go (yes I’ve had a lot of time to think about this in the last 10 years lol). When we got engaged we thought, why wait. And why can’t we do something extremely special for our big day? We haven’t traveled much together, even after being in a relationship for so long and we both work extremely hard. The idea popped into my head, let’s go to the west coast and elope! (We live on the east coast). I honestly just searched on Google the most beautiful/magical places to elope and the PNW came up. I did some research and I knew this was the place. A place to begin our journey to marriage and a place to make new memories. Of course I thought to myself, I need to find someone to capture these beautiful moments, so I did some more research and came across Traci and Bill’s website. Just after reading about their business, adventure and vow, the first time I saw it, ease completely washed over me. I saw some of Traci’s photography on Instagram and was completely floored by how amazing her work is. I instantly e-mailed her and I’m so grateful I did, because our experience working with Traci and Bill was nothing short of wonderful. From the very beginning, they felt like long lost friends. Communication was seamless and the anticipation and excitement up to and on our day was always present. They held our hand through the whole process from beginning to end and left no detail unturned. Their professionalism and preparation are something to admire. Not only did they capture every moment of our day, they took us to dinner the night before our elopement so we could get to know each other. Traci gave us endless recommendations on things to do/see for our trip. Gave us constant updates and reminders. I could go on and on, but to say they go above and beyond for the couples they work with is a complete understatement. We had never been photographed together and were extremely nervous, but you would never know because Traci and Bill are that good! They were so patient with us and gave us all the guidance we needed. What they do is extremely special…and it takes two genuinely amazing people who are passionate and truly care about their work to create experiences like this for others. They are not only photographers/videographers, they are friends, wedding planners, adventurers, improvisers, problem solvers, always prepared, great at recommendations, active listeners, easy to talk to, and are down for anything! Bill officiated and put together our ceremony. I couldn’t have asked for anything better. It was beautiful and felt like it was written just for us. So thankful Traci could be one of our witnesses also, considering it was just us. Even after a long eventful day starting on the mountains and ending at the coast, Traci sent me our sneak peaks that night. I also couldn’t believe how fast we received our entire gallery and our elopement video. Seeing our full elopement story on their blog on their website, was truly special and I am still shocked and in awe. I feel like it was just yesterday, even though we got married back in the beginning of August. This whole experience was completely out of our comfort zone and was scary at first, but I can not be more grateful/thankful that this is what we decided to do. Once we found Traci and Bill the fear went away and it was probably the easiest/best thing we ever did. I can’t say enough great things about these two, and I will recommend them over and over again to anyone who is looking for a similar experience! I hope someday we cross paths again. When we travel out west in the future, we know who to contact for an anniversary shoot! <3” – Jackie

A man and woman share a kiss on the beach shore of Rialto in the Olympic Peninsula.

A couple stand together near sunset on the Olympic coast line looking out over the ocean.

Your Olympic National Park Elopement Photographers!

Hey there! We are a husband and wife team offering photo, video and planning assistance for adventurous weddings! We live right next door to the Olympic area and know it well from the many moody beaches and awesome mountain peaks! We believe starting your marriage off on an epic adventure, away from the distractions of everyday life is the best way to start this next chapter in your relationship. We can’t wait to hear what you’re envisioning for your own elopement day!

Learn more about eloping Washington