Okay y’all, you want to elope in Washington, AMAZING! I’m so psyched for you! SO, first of all, you gotta find the right location for you guys and your needs. So let’s make a checklist.
NUMBER ONE: Send me an inquiry!
NUMBER TWO: We chat! We go over all of the details of the locations and I’ll tell you everything you need to know about planning an elopement in Washington! You’ll pick a location and we’ll make a plan!
NUMBER THREE: Apply for your marriage license
NUMBER FOUR: GET FREAKING MARRIED! We’ll go on the adventure of a lifetime, create some kickass memories, and end up freaking married at the end!
THERE YOU GO. That’s it. Simple, right? So send me an inquiry, let’s plan this thing!
Here is all of my favorite places to elope in Washington state:
The North Cascades
Details
First up, THE NORTH CASCADES. These amazing landscapes are gorgeous and offer both short AND long hikes so it is easy to find an amazing view at whatever length hike you’re willing to do. This mountain range is probably the most underrated place in Washington and its a bit easier to find some privacy here than anywhere else in the state.
Here’s all the ‘tails!
Location – Most of these locations are between 3 and 4 hours away from Seattle. I would recommend getting
an airbnb close by your chosen location to stay at!
Timing – The best time to elope in the North Cascades in going to be July-September. October thru June is going to have snow
covering the majority of the trails so we can DEFINITELY plan a magical winter wonderland elopement for you, but just
be aware that many of the locations I go to are only accessible July thru September!
Weather– November – march is likely to be snowing
April-June is likely to be overcast or rainy but there’s always clear days here and there!
July-September – Often clear! Just be aware that it gets very cold in the mountains once
the sun goes down so always be prepared for the mountain chill!
Permits – You’re going to need either a northwest forest pass, a discover pass or a specific parking pass based on your specific
location so hit me up and I’ll tell ya exactly what you’re going to need!
Whatever the weather, I love to shoot in it all! If it rains, you get a moody romantic elopement, if its sunny, we get an amazing sunset! I am fully skilled to work with all weather situations and I am prepared in case the weather changes!
Mt. Rainier
Second up, MOUNT RAINIER. Honestly the most iconic place in Washington. So iconic, we even put this mountain on all of our license plates!! This place is covered in snow most of the year, but July to September is when all of it melts and we are rewarded with a PLETHORA of trails that cover the mountain. August is the time of year when the mountain is covered with wild flowers and if you’re dreaming of a field of purple flowers, we can make that happen for you!
Here’s all the ‘tails!
Location – Mount Rainier is located about 2 hours from the Seatac airport, and I would totally suggest renting an a-frame cabin to stay at while you explore the
mountain! There’s so many cute ones that you can get, and its way more convenient than commuting to and from Seattle!
Timing – The best time to elope on Mount Rainier in going to be July-September. The mountain is closed when it is snowing, so winter elopements are harder
to plan for, but we can always change your location to Longmeyer bridge or the forest which is equally as beautiful!
Weather– November – march is likely to be snowing
April-June is likely to be overcast or rainy but there’s always clear days here and there!
July-September – Often clear! Just be aware that it gets very cold in the mountains once
the sun goes down so always be prepared for the mountain chill!
Permits – You’re going to need either an America is Beautiful pass or a park specific parking pass to enter this park!
The Olympic National Park
THIRDLY, Olympic National park. This place has ALL OF THE OPTIONS! It is literally HUGE. You want mountain views? ya got ‘em! You want a moss covered forest? You got it! The coast? Its here! Hot springs?! HERE TOO!
Here’s all the ‘tails!
Location – The Olympic National Park is located about around 3- hours from the Seatac airport, and I would suggest staying somewhere on the olympic peninsula for at least several days to be able to experience many parks of the park.
Timing – The best time to elope in the olympic national park is ALL YEAR LONG! In the olympic mountains, there will be snow November through April, but the coast, the woods and the waterfalls are accessible all year long!
Weather– November – march is likely to be snowing in the mountains or raining in the forest.
April-June is likely to be overcast or rainy but there’s always clear days here and there! The snow melts in April in the mountains, but not all the trails
are open until June some years
July-September – All clear!
Permits – You’re going to need either an America is Beautiful pass or a Discover pass or a park specific parking pass to enter this park!
Snoqualmie Pass
FOURTH, Snoqualmie Pass. This place is awesome because its only about an hour away from Seattle so its super accessible! This place has hikes, waterfalls, mountains and gorgeous lakes! Even though its so close to Seattle, its mountainous and isolated and so so beautiful!
Here’s all the ‘tails!
Location -Snoqualmie Pass is located about around 1 hour from Seattle so you can totally stay there OR get a cute cabin on top of the mountain! There’s tons of options and its convenient to be so close to the airport especially if your trip is shorter!
Timing – The best time to elope on Snoqualmie pass is June-November if you want to avoid the snow. Snow is so beautiful though, and there’s tons of snow activities to do on Snoqualmie pass from snowshoeing to skiing!
Weather– November – march is likely to be snowing in the mountains or raining in the forest.
April-June is likely to be overcast or rainy but there’s always clear days here and there! The snow melts in June in the mountains!
July-November – All clear!
Permits – You only need a pass during the winter months here for most of the locations, but a few require a northwest forest pass!
The San Juan Islands
North cascades national park elopement – Mount Rainier National Park Elopement –
FIFTHLY, the San Juan Islands! These islands are AMAZING and BREATHTAKING and THERE ARE ACTUAL WHALES EVERYWHERE. There’s a bunch of islands in the San Juans, but my favorites are Orcas island, Guemes island and San Juan Island. These islands offer a variety of beaches, cliffs, forests and WATER EVERYWHERE. Its incredible.
Here’s all the ‘tails!
Location -The San Juan Islands are located north of Anacortes, about 2 hours from Seattle. The ferry ride to the various islands varries in length, so it can take 1-3 hours on the ferry depending on which island you wanted to go to. The ferry ride is amazing though. Its my favorite thing to do it at sunset when everything is bathed in a beautiful golden light and you can see orcas and grey whales and harbor seals. I’d definitely recomend staying on the island that you’re eloping on, and there are a variety of airbnbs, hotels, and camping options on the islands.
Timing – The best time to elope in the San Juans is ALL YEAR LONG. The islands are surrounded by water so they’re pretty stable all year long weather-wise.
Weather– November – march is likely to be a bit chilly and windy (hello islands!)
April-may is likely to be overcast or rainy but there’s always clear days here and there! The snow melts in June in the mountains!
June-November – All clear!
Permits -depending on where you’re eloping, you might need a discover pass to enter the park!
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