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Venturing Vows Elopement and micro wedding photographer for couples who want the local experience for their Oregon Coast elopement.

10/08/2026

To be blunt, the ocean doesn’t care about your schedule. When you start working with nature instead of against it, true magic happens.
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Each of these images required tide checking and knowledge. Some of these places aren’t even accessible for hours at a time. One of these images is only possible a couple days a year if you carefully line up everything. The reflections images are a trick I’ve learned while observing the ocean’s patterns.
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I have many philosophical thoughts about letting nature guide my work in a world where humans try to force it into whatever shape we need but at the end of the day, tides will make a difference in your wedding photos and even your safety.
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This is where I come in. Most folks I work with are traveling to the Oregon Coast from out of state. Many have never checked a tide chart in their life, let alone understand how that would impact any given location. I have some timelines where the tides are a moot point. I have some where the entire day, including picking their anniversary, was picked by the tides (which is really poetic in a way).
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The good news is, I do know how to check a tide chart. I know how that tide will look on the beach you’re really excited about. If you have a date you really want to use as an anniversary, I can walk you through what those tides will decide about our locations.
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One of the best things you can do for your planning and stress for your elopement is to hire someone local who knows the place well. They’ll take that stress off your shoulders and give you information no internet search could provide. If you want to never look at a tide chart while planning? I’m your gal. If you want a gorgeous mountain meadow with flowers? There’s another expert out there (definitely not me) who can line up all those pieces for you.
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Oregon Coast micro wedding
Pacific Northwest elopement
Oregon photographer

How far in advance should you plan your elopement?•There’s a lot of information out there and I’ve even had people reach...
10/05/2026

How far in advance should you plan your elopement?
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There’s a lot of information out there and I’ve even had people reach out 3 years out. The reality is, planning an elopement does not need the same timeline as a traditional wedding and there’s a lot of different factors for how much time you truly need for planning.
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I recommend planning your elopement 2-12 months prior to the date. I’ve been part of beautiful days that took 1.5 years of planning and equally beautiful days that came together within a month.
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You should plan your elopement further in advance if you’re planning on including a wide variety of vendors (especially venues), you have certain vendors you MUST have as part of your day, if you’re bringing guests from out of town, you have a special date in mind, or if the place you want to use has stricter permit regulations.
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You can quite easily plan your elopement in 2-4 months if you’re flexible on date, you’re going for a more minimalist vendor approach (ie beach picnic instead of catered meal or just a bouquet instead of a floral arch), there’s little to no guests coming along, and you’re open to various locations.
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The main difference on the best timeline for you will come down to preference (looking at you fellow planner types) and your flexibility. It’s totally fine if you have a very specific vision for your day and you’ll want enough time to bring it together. If you have a general vision for your day that can be brought to life in many ways, you won’t need as much time to bring it all together.
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Oregon Coast
Oregon elopement photographer
Oregon Coast micro wedding

10/01/2026

Join me while I package a final gift for an elopement day!
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While these memory boxes, thumb drive, and prints are something I love sending, this is not the full gallery viewing experience of my couples. This is intended more as a final hurrah of our experience together and a physical representation of the day.
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As soon as their gallery is done, the couple receives a link to a private gallery. The photos are organized into sections so they’re easier to explore. They’re able to download all their images from there and can even order prints through the built in shop (or print them anywhere they want with their printing rights).
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One of my recommendations to couples is to make an event out of viewing your full gallery for the first time. Make it a date night, pull them up on a big screen (one whose color balance you trust), and relive the day. There’s always a letdown when all of the elopement things have passed and it’s a great way to slowly come down, enjoying more moments even after the day.
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Oregon Coast photographer
Micro wedding photographer
Elopement photographer

Making this reminded me of why I capture all elopements on digital AND film.•Each elopement is photographed on one roll ...
09/18/2026

Making this reminded me of why I capture all elopements on digital AND film.
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Each elopement is photographed on one roll of film which is a fraction of the photos I take digitally. Despite that, there’s always something captured in those 36 frames that my 3k digital photos didn’t capture.
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Film demands time and intention. I can’t run it through heavy duty editing to change it. The limit on frames requires me to slow down and find a beautiful moment.
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The photos are never perfect. There’s dust and grain and sometimes the focus is a bit off. But that’s what makes the photos feel real. It’s just you and your partner living the day where you commit to each other.
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Oregon elopement photographer
Oregon Coast
Film photographer
Elopements and weddings on film

✋ Beware when you’re looking for elopement locations. ✋⁠⁠•You’re scrolling on Pinterest and come to a photo that takes y...
09/04/2026

✋ Beware when you’re looking for elopement locations. ✋⁠
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You’re scrolling on Pinterest and come to a photo that takes your breath away. That’s it. Your elopement location. That light, that view, the sense of adventure. You run off to your elopement photographer.⁠
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Then the true story unfolds.⁠
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It’s busy, crowded. There’s a thorough permit process. There’s limited time for photos around the crowds. Sometimes there isn’t even parking. And on, and on...⁠
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Because you have to remember, there’s hundreds, thousands even, of other couples scrolling through that same search. They see the same location and have that same moment.⁠
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One of my best pieces of advice I can give as an elopement photographer, is to avoid getting attached to that place you find on Pinterest. I get it a lot. Everyone wants to elope at a handful of very popular coast spots. I get the same images from Pinterest I sent to me over and over saying, “This is where I want to go.” But trust me, it’s not.⁠
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There’s around 15 other locations I have in mind for you that would’ve taken your breath away the exact same way. They just aren’t going viral on Pinterest and Instagram. They’ll give you all the privacy you could want, the right level of physical activity, and the awe-inspiring moment you’re dreaming of.⁠
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I’m not here to convince you to go to a viral location so I can show it off in my portfolio. I’m here to craft a genuine experience for YOU. I’ll take all the information you give me about your dream elopement and customize my recommendations to that.⁠
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Featuring an elopement that was 100% off the beaten path, not going viral on social media locations.
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Oregon Coast
Oregon elopement photographer
Pacific Northwest

What’s the hardest part about getting your gallery back?•Plot twist, I’m the subject of these photos! As someone who sen...
08/27/2026

What’s the hardest part about getting your gallery back?
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Plot twist, I’m the subject of these photos! As someone who sends people massive galleries of photos, I don’t often get the other side of the experience. I remember the first time I got a gallery back of myself after getting my business going. It was not easy. We’re used to photos being in a controlled environment, from one angle, smiling at the camera. Suddenly you have all these photos of you from every angle, some you may have never seen yourself from.
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Getting your gallery back should be a highlight of the experience and suddenly, you’re overwhelmed with insecurities. They seem to stare at you even if you love most of the photos. You want to see the cute moment but instead, you’re looking at something you’ve always struggled with.
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So what do we do? First, I think we need to be more open about it. I’ve never heard someone talk about the overwhelm of seeing such a giant gallery of yourself during so many candid moments. I think even knowing it’s coming can help you so much with that first gallery experience. For my clients, they get a full page about it in their elopement guide and a section in their final gallery email letting them know about the hide photo feature.
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If you’re especially concerned about your body image in your photos, look at your gallery first focusing on your partner. Find a favorite photo of them in the mix. This will help you avoid fixating on little things you see in yourself.
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Keep in mind, I’ve hand combed through these images to pick the best. When I photographed you, I saw two happy people having an amazing day. When your partner looked at you that day, they saw their favorite person.
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Big thank you to Oregon Elopement Photographer for snapping these for us!
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Oregon Coast
Oregon elopement photographer

08/25/2026

This is what the final gallery stats are for this actual micro wedding gallery on the Oregon Coast.
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Of course, every wedding gallery is going to come out different depending on many factors. For example, these two brought guests along which always increases the final photo count. The more guests you have, the more reactions I have to capture for each moment. Some folks have more hours of coverage, some spend more time hiking to their spot, and so on.
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Because many are announcing their marriage with these photos, everyone gets sneak peeks within 48 hours. These galleries tend to be 30-70 images so it covers a little bit of everything.
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For all galleries, there’s no cap on photos. I’m not a “you get 200 photos” kinda photographer. If 300 photos turn out, you get 300 photos. If 500 turn out, you get 500. Some of these photos will be in black and white but not all of them. Not all photos pop in BW so I save that for the ones who are enhanced in some way in BW.
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All packages also include a roll of 35mm film, no extra charge. This comes out to about 36 frames, 30 or so once I get rid of blurry and unsalvageable photos. This is also the only place I convert everything to BW as well as color. The film tends to look great in different ways in color vs. black and white.
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Lastly, I always take a handful of cell phone videos. Years ago, I did this for videos like this one. Then I realized my couples love these videos! That changed my goal to grabbing clips for the couple and air dropping them immediately so they have instant footage. They’re nothing crazy but there’s something special about having your day documented like you do your day to day life.
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Oregon Coast elopement
Oregon elopement photographer

Let’s bust some elopement myths today. 🙅‍♀️•Elopements have evolved a lot in recent years. This has left them with a lot...
08/21/2026

Let’s bust some elopement myths today. 🙅‍♀️
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Elopements have evolved a lot in recent years. This has left them with a lot of misconceptions. Let’s bust some common ones 👇
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❌️ You can’t have guests or tell people for it to be a real elopement.

✅️ Elopements frequently have guests but it’s a more intentional list. It’s usually 25 or less and only the most important people in your life. Some couples do opt for just the two of them just as some opt to tell no one while others tell close loved ones. This is all up to you and what you prefer!
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❌️ Elopements aren’t real weddings.

✅️ All weddings are REAL weddings. Elopements are just as meaningful as traditional weddings. Often more meaningful depending on the couple.
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❌️ Eloping is your budget option.

✅️ While eloping is often lower cost, that’s not a reason to skip things you want for your day. Beautiful florals, officiant, small venue, private chef, etc. You’ll definitely save money on catering and a large venue but don’t use it as an opportunity to cut expenses in every way possible.
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❌️ Elopements are 1-2 hours.

✅️ 1-2 hours has never been long enough in my experience. Couples book me for 5-12 hours. We pack the day with amazing events that fit the couple. You deserve to have the full experience.
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Photo: Oregon Elopement Photographer
Coordinator: Alyssa Wink
Reception: Restaurant Beck
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Oregon Coast micro wedding
Pacific Northwest elopement photographer

05/29/2026

Why you should elope on the Oregon Coast ⬇️

1️⃣ It’s 363 miles of epic scenery and location options. It gives you freedom to pick a spot that fits your vision, comfort level with crowds, and how long you want to hike.

2️⃣ The weather is mild year round. While there’s normal fluctuations seasonally, you won’t be dealing with snow or heat waves. Many people find the coast temperature from May-October to be perfect for those fancy outfits.

3️⃣ Less crowds than some public lands, especially national parks. Because the coast is so extensive and all public land, there’s lots of places to avoid crowds. Some places are busy but there’s so many hidden gems.

4️⃣ Forest fire smoke is rare on the Oregon Coast. Given how fire seasons have been going, this can be a big deal. You can’t guarantee no smoke but the odds are quite low because of how coastal weather works.

Check out my website to learn more about eloping on the Oregon Coast! There’s still time to plan your 2026 elopement.
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Oregon Coast elopement
Oregon elopement photographer

Swipe to see one of my favorite photos I’ve taken ➡️•We all love a good beach photo with birds flying about but actually...
05/12/2026

Swipe to see one of my favorite photos I’ve taken ➡️
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We all love a good beach photo with birds flying about but actually capturing that (and not disturbing them to get it) is a totally different story. I only have a handful of epic bird portraits in my portfolio.
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On this day, the stand out to me was just how many birds I know were in the background and how few of them really showed up in the image. There were HUNDREDS of birds soaring in circles and to me, it looks way less than that in the image.
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Regardless, I’m so glad I was able to capture this incredible feature of Haystack Rock. While I’m usually there knee deep in a tide pool, there’s something about experiencing the birds here. When the eagles land and they swirl like a cyclone. Or the masses who have gathered just to catch a small glimpse of the puffins.
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As always, I love my Oregon Coast home and I love when I get to capture all her amazing facets. 🪶
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Oregon Coast
Oregon photographer
Cannon Beach, OR

Address

Portland, OR

Website

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