One of the classic views for an elopement is a beach. The power of the ocean crashing on the shore and the way the light reflects off of everything around you adds power and majesty to your wedding day. But there are some things that you will need to keep in mind if you are going to have a beach elopement in the pacific northwest.

Step 1: Plan for Weather

It is no secret that the Pacific Northwest gets a lot of rain. Nowhere is this more true than the Washington Coast (remember that Twilight is set in Forks because when Stephanie Meyers was writing the books it was listed as the most rainy town in the US). While there are times of year when this is less true —July and August get relatively low rainfall these days— there is still the potential for rain and wind. This means that when you are packing you should plan warm clothes, blankets, and umbrellas just in case.

Step 2: Be ready to get dirty

Some of the coolest wedding pictures are of a couple in their fancy wedding clothes wading out into the tide. Everything washes out, so don’t worry too much about a little bit of mud on the train of your dress or the cuff of your suit pants.

On a side note, My wife knelt down in the mud in her dress during our elopement and after taking it to the dry cleaner you can’t tell that it was once covered in mud and grass stains.

Step 3: Bring shoes

The classic beach pictures are footprints in the sand or a couple standing barefoot in the surf, but the beaches on the Washington coast can be extremely rocky and downright hazardous to bare feet in some places. For this reason you need to bring good walking shoes.

This isn’t to say that you won’t be able to get those barefoot beach pictures that you’ve been dreaming of, or even that you won’t be able to spend the majority of your time barefoot if that’s what you want; but having shoes can be a day-saver.

Seattle Boxing Elopement — This Boxing Gym was a backup location

Step 4: Have a backup location

This is a good rule of thumb for any and all outdoor elopements and intimate weddings. Weather happens, so it’s a good idea to have a backup location in case there is extreme weather at your original location. On the beach strong winds can make massive waves that can be deadly at high tide, and limited shelter can make what would be a typical rain storm anywhere else extremely uncomfortable.

The good news is that most of Washington’s beaches have beautiful sheltered areas within a few miles if not a few hundred feet so finding a backup location won’t be as hard as in some other places.

Step 5: Have Fun

As with all other elopements —regardless of weather and location— have fun with the day. It’s one of the most important days of your life and you deserve to have the best day ever.

Ready to have your Washington beach elopement? Let’s chat and dream up your beach elopement!