June 16, 2021
Rachel and Carl’s Olympic National Park elopement was a PNW dream, especially since they were from Florida and had never been to the PNW before!
Rachel & Carl’s Olympic National Park elopement
Carl and Rachel actually traveled up here from Florida for their elopement. They’d never been to the PNW before, so I was super excited and honored to be the first to show them around! They told me all day how they’d never seen anything like it – they were in total awe all day and it was the coolest.
Olympic National Park is pretty much the dream place for anybody who wants all the PNW vibes, and these two definitely agreed! They couldn’t stop talking about how green it was. I think the word green was said about 100 times throughout the day, haha. And I don’t blame them – coming from Florida, Olympic NP is definitely a culture shock in the best way!
Rachel and Carl were actually already legally married. So the ceremony, vows, and the logistics + paperwork were done beforehand. This means that we simply got to celebrate and have a relaxing evening together! They just did a simple, sweet ring exchange at sunset and had the best time exploring the park. Congrats to these two wonderful humans!
Why have an Olympic National Park wedding/elopement?
Olympic National Park is incredible for many reasons, and in the future, I’ll write a more in-depth guide to eloping in the park! But for now, I wanted to tell you why you should consider having your elopement in Olympic NP: the location diversity is unbeatable.
You’ve got forests, you’ve got lakes, mountains, beaches. What more could you really want for a PNW elopement?
For Rachel & Carl’s elopement, we explored three different locations in the park: Marymere Falls, Lake Crescent, and Ruby Beach. Let’s talk a little bit about each one!
About Marymere Falls
Marymere Falls is a super beautiful 90-foot waterfall that sits on the shores of Lake Crescent. The hike to the falls is 1.8 miles roundtrip. It is a fairly easy hike for anyone who’s wanting to venture into the forest. It’s about a 30-minute drive from Port Angeles, and is easy to get to using Google Maps!
Rachel and Carl looked super stunning standing on the logs in front of the falls. If you’re down to potentially get your dress a little dirty, these falls will NOT disappoint. The lush greenery everywhere surrounding the falls is that PNW look you dream of, and you can get fairly close to the falls which are awesome for photos!
Visiting Lake Crescent
Lake Crescent is about a 30-minute/18-mile drive from Port Angeles and is the lake that Marymere Falls is located at. It’s got a variety of hiking trails, a great campground if you want to make a camping trip out of your elopement (10/10 recommend), and lots of opportunities for fun water activities. Bring along a kayak or paddleboard and let’s get in the water after you say your vows!
Eloping at Ruby Beach
Ruby Beach is one of the places I will never ever get tired of visiting – second to Mount Rainier, of course. It’s located on the southwest coast of the Olympic Peninsula and is about a 3.5-hour drive from Seattle. You definitely want to consider camping or finding a nearby Airbnb if you’re eloping at Ruby Beach. Since it’s a long drive from any towns or cities! Below, I’ve even got a full guide for you on having a Ruby Beach camping elopement if it’s something you’re considering for your Washington elopement:
Ruby Beach Elopement Camping Guide
The beach is stunning and the way the sun sets over the rocks + sand is to die for. Check out some more Ruby Beach photo inspiration below!
Ruby Beach Summer Engagement Photos
More Ruby Beach Engagement Photos
Olympic National Park wedding vendors
Florals: Capital Blooms | @capitalblooms
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