How to elope on the Oregon coast.
Beaches, weather backups, permits, and a full table on the sand — everything we've learned setting up elopements along the coast, in one guide.
Why the coast
Some of the best weddings we plan are also the smallest, and a lot of them happen on the Oregon coast. The southern coast especially — the stretch from Brookings up through Gold Beach and Bandon — has private-feeling beaches, sea stacks, and golden light you simply can't book at a venue — and when you do want a venue, Crook Point in Pistol River is the one we plan at most. We set elopement picnics all the way up the coastline: Florence, Newport, Lincoln City, and Cannon Beach included.
Picking your beach
We're open to new beaches and locations. Before we say yes to a spot, we do our homework: is it safe, can we haul a full table setup to it, and what do wind and tides look like at your time of day? On the day itself we sometimes shift a setup down the beach as conditions change — that flexibility is part of the plan, not a failure of it.
The weather question
The coast is unpredictable in every season. We can cover picnics up to 20 people with canopies, but no canopy beats a real windstorm — so we always encourage couples to have an Airbnb or indoor location as a backup. Fog, for what it's worth, photographs beautifully.
Do you need a permit?
For the setups we do — under 50 people, no large structures — we've never needed one. Rules vary by county and by beach, though, so we check the specific regulations for your location as part of planning.
What we bring
Everything you'd never pack yourself: tables, rugs, pillows or chairs, full tableware with goblets and champagne glasses, cloth napkins, table decor, an ice bucket with water, and an amenity basket. Three hours, fully set before you arrive and cleared after you leave. Elopement picnics scale from just the two of you up to 38 guests, plus a coastal travel fee that varies by stretch of coast — current pricing for both is on the elopements page.
Add day-of or full coordination and the only thing left on your list is showing up.