Olympic National Park Elopement | CJ + Teylor

CJ and Teylor had the sweetest Olympic National Park elopement this Summer. It was just them, us, their little girl and two friends who served as witnesses. They knew from the beginning they wanted to avoid the stress and chaos of a big traditional wedding so an elopement at a beautiful destination was an easy choice. But where to begin? Well… that’s where I came in!!

“When I came across Xsperience Photography on Instagram, and I just knew it was the way to go. Trisha helped us nail down the location after we told her we were open to anywhere in the country that was green, lush and would make for beautiful photos. We considered a few other spots but ultimately landed on Olympic National Park, and we are so glad we did. The locations we traveled to on our day completely surpassed our expectations! Trisha and her daughter, Halle, made the elopement so fun, relaxed, yet still adventurous.” ~Teylor

Olympic National Park Elopement Itinerary in the Summer

National Parks are at their peek for tourism in the summer time so we needed to come up with a plan that allowed for some lean-way in case we had to wait for parking or traffic on the main drive to the coast. We skipped a planned dinner for this reason and opted for snacks on the drive and a little picnic on the beach. Since they had me for 5 hours it was doable to eat prior and/or after. Honestly…most people don’t like photos of themselves eating so I usually recommend this for evening elopements;)

Crescent Lake Lodge Wedding

I suggested Crescent Lake Lodge for the ceremony since it was near their Airbnb in Port Angeles. That way if the sweet little Maizie got tired or hungry she and their friends could head back to Port Angeles while we went the other direction to the coast. Crescent Lake Lodge is one of the busiest places in Olympic National Park on a nice sunny summer day so I scouted the evening prior to make sure we could find parking and a secluded spot away from the crowds. Teylor secured a permit with the National Park Service so we were good to go with confidence. You can find permit info HERE if you are planning a National Park wedding or elopement.

La Push Beach and Second Beach

It’s a good hour to hour and a half drive to the Beaches on the Coast from Crescent Lake Lodge. Maizie utilized this time for a cat nap. Smart girl!! We originally planned on driving to the iconic Ruby Beach, but I was concerned it might be packed so we changed plans last minute and headed to La Push Beach instead. It is my personal favorite beach in Olympic National Park. I gave them their freedom to just explore the beach while I observed with my camera. Their trip was short so this would be their only time to take in the Coastal views so I wanted to make sure it didn’t get consumed with just posing for photos the whole time. It’s too beautiful of a place to not enjoy.

After our time at La Push we headed to Second Beach for a little hike through the magnificent wooded forest full of tall trees and ferns. I told Maizie she was going to LOVE this part of the wedding. My favorite moment of the day was when she was skipping through the forest and said, “You were RIGHT, I do love this part!!”. We ended with a little picnic at sunset on the beach.

Words from the bride and groom in regards to their Olympic National Park Elopement

“We loved how relaxed our day was. We started our morning with a drive up Hurricane Ridge where we were able to spend time soaking in the breathtaking scenery. From there, we grabbed coffee at a local Port Angeles coffee shop and headed back to our Airbnb. The rest of the day we were able to hang out in the sun, grill, relax and slowly get ready for the ceremony.”

Why did you choose to elope?

“We chose to elope because we didn’t feel comfortable having a large traditional wedding. The number of family and friends rose very quickly in the initial stages of planning, and we just knew it wasn’t something we wanted to move forward with. Eloping was something we considered for a long time, as we wanted to do something small and intimate. As outdoor enthusiasts, an adventure is much more our speed.”

Do you have any advice for newly engaged couples planning a wedding?

“All in all, our advice to engaged couples is: ELOPE. It was truly so enjoyable. Go on an adventure, have fun, make it exactly what you want out of the day, because it’s your day!”

Olympic National Park Wedding Vendors

all-inclusive elopement planning team | ELOPE WEST

photography, video, officiant and bouquet | XSPERIENCE PHOTOGRAPHY, based in Minnesota, travels worldwide for adventure weddings and elopements!! See a CRESCENT LAKE LODGE WEDDING + HIKE HERE.

Port Angeles Airbnb | THE PERCH by @purvisionproperties Port Angeles, Washington

Hair and Makeup | OXANA PALILOVA, Seattle Washington

custom engagement ring and wedding band | SARAH O. JEWELRY, Denver Colorado

wedding dress | JACKIE J’S BRIDAL, Alexandria Minnesota

groom’s suit | HALBERSTADT’S ON 32ND, Fargo, North Dakota

video provided as a gift from Xsperience Photography…