One-Of-A-Kind North Bend, Washington Elopement

One of my best pieces of advice for anyone dreaming of their own one-of-a-kind elopement is to remove the barriers that come from thoughts around what you “should” do, or even what you “can” do, on the day you get married. Even folks who have already tossed out the traditional wedding approach sometimes have a hard time truly embracing the idea that their wedding day can be anything they want it to be. Especially here in the U.S., the wedding industry has deeply ingrained in us the idea that weddings include (or don’t include) certain things that a lot of folks unknowingly acquiesce to without meaning to do so. It shows up in things like wearing certain attire, having a particular structure to your ceremony, or even the idea that the entire day has to be about the wedding itself – rather than the foundation of that celebration: Your connection, which exists well beyond the wedding day.

This isn’t to say that some traditions can’t or shouldn’t be included in an elopement day, especially if they’re meaningful to you. Sometimes traditions are traditions for a reason, and that’s incredibly valuable! But my point is really about encouraging couples to deeply think about what they truly want and what’s actually important to them. To not allow any of what they choose for the day to be a “default” or because it’s what’s “expected”.

My biggest hope for marrying folks is that they get to celebrate in a way that is 100% true-to-them and full of real significance. That the day is genuinely representative of the relationship they’ve built and the future they’re dreaming of together.

And I’m so excited to share an elopement day that is a perfect example of doing just that.

A Fully Personalized Washington State Spring Elopement

Mara (she/her) + Kasey (he/him) originally reached out to me about a larger, more traditional adventure wedding. They had a bigger guest list, but still wanted to incorporate nature. We were all very excited about this plan.

But then, shortly after our initial chat, they reached out about doing something a little different. While they still wanted to celebrate with all their loved ones at some point, they were also thinking about something smaller and more intimate. They wanted to 1) get married sooner than a large celebration would allow for, and 2) have a day that was focused more on them…their relationship and their experience. And so, we began planning an elopement.

From the beginning, they were wholly devoted to the idea of incorporating activities, places, and moments that were authentic to who they are as individuals and as a couple. This became a multi-location celebration around one of their favorite places (and one of my favorite places too!): North Bend, WA.

I started by asking them about all the things they loved most. What hobbies they shared, what locations had special memories for them, what feelings they wanted to tap into for this day. The result was a whole day full of laughter, quiet moments, intimate conversation, and fun.

A Wedding Day Full of Fun Activities and Meaningful Moments

First: The Great Outdoors, Nostalgia, + Good Food

Mara + Kasey wanted to start their day with one of their favorite shared activities: Bouldering. We spent an hour or so playing around in the rain at a city park climbing wall, with Mount Si in the background. It was an absolute blast!

From there, we took a short drive to a nearby trail with even better views and the most peaceful setting. We marveled over the incredible light, and Mara + Kasey ran around, giggling together, and generally having the best time.

After that, we went to another nearby spot to do some elk watching! This spot was special because Kasey had told Mara about how you could view elk there, but the elk had never actually been present when they’d gone together. But luck was on our side this day with a herd of elk waiting for us, the weather was dramatic and beautiful, and everything generally felt like a movie. Which was perfect, because our next location was…

A local movie theater! Mara + Kasey bonded early on in their relationship over movies, and the North Bend Theatre was so happy to have them stop by for photos. The theatre even rents out their marquee board, so Mara + Kasey got to have custom signage celebrating their marriage!

And after all that fun, we ended with what is always a lovely way to end a day of adventure: Tasty treats. Mara + Kasey love ice cream, so naturally, we had to stop at one of the best local ice cream shops. It was a sweet and memorable way to end their morning activities.

Second: Making it Official

You might notice that none of those activities included these two actually getting married! Which honestly, was kind of the point. Ensuring that they got to focus on just being together, in ways that allowed them to really connect, was the magic of the earlier part of the day.

But, ultimately, they did want to be officially married, of course! And so, later in the day, we met up again at a local courthouse. They asked a small group of family members to join them as a judge made their marriage official. Even this part of the day was intentionally crafted, and it was slow, simple (in the best way), and beautiful. I think courthouse ceremonies don’t get enough credit!

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All in all, Mara + Kasey’s elopement was the epitome of making your wedding day your own. And oh, how beautiful it was!

See how we brought it all together in their timeline below, and definitely check out some images from the day to really get a feel for how incredible their celebration was.

Example Timeline for a Partial Day Elopement in North Bend, WA

Morning Adventuring

8:30AM – Meet at local park w/ bouldering wall; say hello, get gear, etc

8:35AM – 9:30AM Bouldering + park portraits

9:35AM – Leave for local nature trail (~10 min drive)

9:45AM – 10:30AM – Exploring trail, portraits

10:35AM – Leave for elk viewing location (~5 min)

10:45AM – 11:15AM – Elk watch, relax, play in the rain

11:20AM – Leave for theatre

11:30AM – 11:50AM – Portraits outside the theatre, document custom marquee

11:55AM – Walk over to ice cream shop (~5 min)

12:00PM – 12:30PM – Ice cream!

12:30PM – Photography wraps up for now; see you in the evening!

Evening Ceremony

4:15PM – Meet at courthouse for check-in

4:30PM – 4:50/5:00PM – Ceremony (including document signing)

5:00PM – 5:20PM – Family portraits outside in courtyard

5:20PM – 5:40PM – Couple’s portraits before heading to dinner with family

5:45PM – Photography wraps up; you all go enjoy dinner!

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Vendors:

Photographer – Nadia of Venture Ever After (that’s me!)
Attire for Mara – Birdy Grey
Attire for Kasey – SuitShop
Theatre – North Bend Theatre
Ice Cream Shop – Scott’s Dairy Freeze