Having a summer elopement in Olympic National Park is perfect for couples who want to immerse themselves in quiet, mossy forests and misty beaches. Erin and Russ’s Olympic National Park elopement struck a perfect balance of beach, forest and glowy sunset.
They reached out to me pretty early on about eloping in late July, 2022. Summer in Olympic National Park brings temperatures of around 60 degrees, making it the warmest month of the year in the park. On their day, we got a ton of sunshine, which is lucky for such a notoriously rainy area!
Originally, they weren’t sure if they wanted to elope. Like lots of couples, they were kind of torn between a larger traditional wedding and a private space for the two of them in nature.
To test the water, they booked an adventure session with me. We explored the Finger Lakes region together, and by the end of the session they were hooked. They loved the idea of having a day just about the two of them, in nature, with no other distractions or stressors.
READ MORE: Why you should have an adventure engagement session
Their family was a bit upset about their decision, so they found a middle ground in a two day celebration. They had a more traditional family celebration the day before at Snoqualmie Falls, then met me for their adventure elopement.
In this case, everybody wins, and it’s a huge reason I recommend two day elopements if your family insists on being involved!
Summer elopement in Olympic National Park: Kalaloch Beach and the Tree of Life
We started their elopement day at around 1pm. Erin had her hair and makeup done in the morning and they were ready by the time they met me at the Hall of Mosses trail.
We started by exploring the ferns and hanging moss between dense trees. We headed to the Kalaloch Beach, where they had their adventure session. One of their favorite images from that session was when Erin found a flower to put in Russ’s ear, and we wanted to recreate it.
It was a special memento, but what happened next was maybe even luckier:
A stranger on the trail saw them walking in their wedding outfits and thought it was just so cool they were having a summer elopement in Olympic National Park. By chance, this guy had been carrying around a “lucky dollar,” in his wallet. He’d gotten the lucky dollar from somebody else for good luck, and was waiting for the right person to pay it forward to.
Erin and Russ gladly accepted it, making it their second super cute keepsake of the day.
There was a little bit of fog as they began a complex classical dance in the sand. They both had been practicing the dance for a long time, and I was pretty impressed!
Summer elopement in Olympic National Park: Rialto Beach and Sunset Toast
Our last stop during their day was at Rialto Beach. This beach is less known than the famous Ruby Beach, but also has picturesque sea stacks in the water.
They found a comfortable spot in the sand and sat down. They unpacked some champagne and letters from their family. As the sun went down, they read the letters to each other, and the day ended on a high note.
A beautiful fact about the letters is that Russ is an illustrator, and had hand drawn the cards himself.
Their day was full of so many personal touches and lucky moments. It was so much fun witnessing their sweet friendship!
