Best Oregon Coast Elopement Locations

Best Oregon Coast Elopement Locations

Let’s talk about the best Oregon Coast Elopement locations! The Oregon Coast offers so many swoon worthy beach locations that are perfect for your Oregon Coast Elopement, wedding, maternity session, engagement session or family session! I’ve been blessed to have been able to photograph so many love stories across the Oregon Coast. From Bandon to Cannon Beach, there are jaw dropping spots everywhere.

Cannon Beach

When looking at the best Oregon Coast Elopement locations, Cannon Beach will always come up first. Cannon Beach is a great wedding spot because it has excellent restaurants, hotels and some of the most beautiful photo locations there are. The top spots for elopement locations in Cannon Beach are:

1. Hug Point– It boasts jaw dropping caves, big rocks and a seasonal waterfall.
2. Haystack Rock– Probably the most popular! Haystack Rock is close to many hotels and a great spot! It’s iconic for us Oregonians. For summer weddings I recommend a weekday wedding/ elopement as it can be super packed on summer weekends!
3. Ecola State Park– This is my favorite in Cannon Beach! I love that Ecola State Park has a lot of different options for photos. Oceans, trees, interesting rocks- it has it all! I especially love the tree options as it allows more timeline flexibility for couples because it gives them shaded options for some of the photos on full sun days.

Cannon Beach is an amazing vacation spot, making it a great wedding spot. I always recommend my couples eat at Driftwood Restaurant for good drinks and next level prime rib and crab cocktail. They have outdoor fire tables that are large and perfect for you and your friends/ family to eat after your wedding day! I’m also a big fan of the Mcmenamins Gearhart Hotel to stay at and enjoy a lot of the wedding festivities at. They’re also a venue, if that’s your style! Lastly, Insomnia Coffee is there too, making it an all together great spot to get married!

Pacific City, Cape Kiwanda

This one is great for a more private wedding experience. Cape Kiwanda is one of my all time favorite elopement/ wedding spots. It is without a doubt one of the best spots. I have included some engagement sessions here as well as a few wedding shots, to better show the diversity of the area! Everywhere you look at Cape Kiwanda, it’s a wildly different look. Overall it boasts sand dunes, red rocks, shade (so great to have this option at the coast), big ocean rocks, fun rocks to climb on depending on the tide, shockingly blue water and the best view of the punchbowl. It is a 10/10 spot.

It’s important to note that this is a spot that has some dangerous spots if you choose to go to the top. I error on the side of safety always at this location. What’s great though is you can choose to stay at the bottom of the beach and get great red rock/ ocean views OR you can head to the top and get great views too. So there is an option for everyone (especially nice for weddings with kiddos!).

Cape Kiwanda has so many options and is a favorite for a reason! Pacific City is a relatively small town, about 30 minutes north of Lincoln City. I recommend grabbing a cool Airbnb and staying there or popping over to Lincoln City for a hotel! While in town, it’s always worth a stop at Pelican Brewery while you’re in town- I love sitting outside with ocean views and the crab mac is always so good! Also, Pacific Coast Floral Design is what your floral dreams are made of. They are based in Pacific City and also travel the coastline making the BEST bridal florals and installation pieces.

Oceanside, Oregon

I will never understand why this spot isn’t more popular. However, that’s a good things! Oceanside IS SO FREAKING COOL. There are caves, cool rock formations, and tunnels. It’s a really fun spot that I highly recommend. The biggest benefit is that this beach is fairly empty most of the time, allowing for more privacy for an intimate Oregon Coast wedding.

Oceanside, Oregon is a small town about an hour south of Cannon Beach. I recommend a local Airbnb for your wedding experience and definitely stop by The Schooner for the best fish and chips ever. This is an incredibly beautiful location that is private and not too wildly popular. A great pick for your wedding day!

Neskowin, Oregon

It blows my mind that I grew up in Oregon and had never heard of this place until I was asked to photograph a wedding here. Honestly, so so shocking! Neskowin is right next to Cape Kiwanda and just 22 minutes from Lincoln City. What’s cool about Neskowin’s beach? It’s another gem that’s not wildly well known. Most people coming to the area are headed to its more well known neighbors, so chances are you’ll have a lot of this beach all to yourself! This is another Oregon beach that boasts caves, massive rocks to climb on, shaded areas and pretty ocean views.

I recommend staying in a Airbnb here or staying in nearby Lincoln City. You can consider having a barbecue or catered meal at your Airbnb or head into Lincoln City for a celebratory dinner after your ceremony. I’m always a huge fan of the Lighthouse McMenamins and always stop at Coldstone after, because ice cream is life. Lincoln City has a ton to do, so you won’t get bored or be lacking in good food while you’re in the area. And remember, Pacific Coast Floral design is in the area, so definitely use them for your floral needs!

Bandon, Oregon

Bandon, Oregon is probably the prettiest spot on the Oregon Coast. It get’s missed a lot because of how far south it is. If you’re willing to make the drive though, you won’t regret it! Bandon State Natural Area has the most beautiful sunsets and has beautiful rock formations all around.

I also recommend considering making it a “camp wedding/elopement” if that’s your thing! The Bandon State Park has yurts that you can rent here. The yurts here are in blocks that would make for such a fun wedding weekend. The yurts are equipped with heaters and electricity. If you’ve never stayed in a yurt, they’re fun and comfortable, usually sleeping 4-5 people. Outside the yurts there are campfire spots, making for a connecting and fun wedding experience, whether just you two or with those you’re celebrating with. Also, they have dog friendly options, which I always support including the fur babies in your wedding day! For restaurants, I recommend Bandon Coffee Café and Bandon Brewing!

More Oregon Coast Elopement/ Wedding Locations Worth Mentioning

• Samuel H Boardman State Park in Brookings
• Proposal Rock near Lincoln City
• Cape Perpetua near Yachats- optional hike for view
• God’s Thumb near Lincoln City- hike to view
• Pistol River State Scenic Area near Gold Beach
• Otter Point near Brookings

Some Considerations for Oregon Coast Elopements/ Weddings

• It’ll be windy. Rain could happen. It’s part of Oregon. However, wind and rain do make for emotive photos! See the Oceanside photos below!
• Plan around sunrise or sunset. In general, the beach has little to no shade. Full sun photos are harsh and shadowed, so I highly recommend avoiding full sun for best photo results. By a lot. So plan your portrait and ceremony time around golden hour for gorgeous images! Or, pick one of these locations that offers shade! If I’m your photographer, I build a timeline for the day with you, so the lighting is in mind!
• The sun should either be behind you for the ceremony or directly in front of you. This is always a rule of thumb, but more so for beach weddings.
• Make a trip out of it! A cool thing about beach weddings is that you are already in a vacation spot. Making great memories there for your wedding also allows for you to return there for anniversaries for years to come!
• When picking date, look at the tides! It would be an unhappy coincidence to have a king tide on your wedding day!
• Make sure to choose a photographer with experience photographing beach weddings. A good photographer is always worthwhile! In this case they’ll research great areas, understand the lighting and understand the tides!
• Consider what permits you may need! You may need a special use permit depending on the quantity of people, if you have an arch or even your photographer or videographers equipment. There’s more info for you here!
• Think about a weekday wedding! Less crowds, lower lodging prices and an easier time with permits! Also, if it’s a wedding/ elopement that’s happening soon, chances are your vendors will be more open on weekdays!

That wraps up the best Oregon Coast Elopement/ Wedding Locations

I really love the Oregon Coast and these Oregon beach weddings are so fun! Last year with all the COVID craziness, I had the privilege to document some resilient love stories at the Oregon Coast and they were pure magic. There is a peace that the Oregon Coast offers that makes wedding days so relaxed and tranquil. True and joyful celebrations of love. So whether just the two of you or with those you are closest to, your Oregon Coast wedding has all the makings of being a dreamy, connection filled day.

Looking for a wedding photographer that loves love and the Oregon Coast? I’m your girl! See a full page I have devoted to Small Weddings and Elopements here! Want to see more wedding days? This is the spot! Ready to chat about your wedding day and get to know each other? Contact me here and I’ll get back to you quickly!

Warmly,

Kenzi