5 Reasons to Elope in Oregon

They say that Oregon is the Iceland of the United States. And it’s true. From windswept coastline, to lush forests of the Cascade mountain range, to volcanoes and desolate desert reminiscent of the Bonneville Salt Flats, Oregon truly has it all. Here are the 5 top reasons to elope in Oregon:

Reason to elope in oregon #1: Oregon has a variety of landscapes to choose from.


Whether you’re wanting the Oregon Coast, or somewhere mountainous like the Cascades or Crater Lake, or you want someplace super desert-y, like the Painted Hills or Alvord Desert, it’s alllll in Oregon.

Oregon has the following topographies/ecosystems:

Maritime/Coastal
Temperate Valley
Subalpine/Mountains
Desert

#2 Everything’s easy to access.


You’ve got great wineries in the Willamette Valley, and can’t go more than an hour either north or south on the I-5 corridor without hitting a main highway to the Coast or Central Oregon.

#3 Oregon’s birthday is on Valentine’s Day. Enough said.


How romantic would that be to spend your wedding adventure in a state whose birthday is the day of love? Forget what you think about the greeting card industry, that’s romantic.

#4 You can see California Coastal Redwoods and the rocky coastline of Oregon within half an hour of each other.

Now, what would a trip to Oregon be without a dip down into California to see the stunning Coastal Redwoods? A half a day’s drive from Crater Lake will get you there! Crescent City and Brookings will likely be your hubs for lodging and food.

#5 Oregon is home to crater lake national park

Crater Lake is about 2 hours from my hometown of Roseburg (one gateway to the park), while Medford is another. Between Roseburg and Crater Lake there are countless waterfalls that are possible to combine into your day as well! Fair warning, while the park is epic, accessibility is limited aside from mid-June through September.

Want to elope in Oregon?

Glad you’re here! As a native Oregonian and an elopement photography industry leader (yeah, I can actually say “Thanks for coming to my TED Talk” after I did one – watch here), I can show you all the epic and little-known spots, what vendors to contact, where to stay and more. Below are just a few to get you started.