One of our favorite things about elopements is the ability to spontaneously choose a location that feels just right. We won’t steal the limelight from Christina, who shares more below about how she + Geoff ened up in Oregon for their vows + how they settled on their amazing ceremony spot – a moss covered stone house in the forest, but let’s just say we’re pretty in love with their day. And speaking of love, the photos Phil Chester captured from C + G’s elopement are really almost too good to be true!
From Christina, Geoff and I are both pretty laid back. From the beginning we both knew that we wanted something super small and intimate and it had to be in the mountains, surrounded by nature. Our goal was something relaxed and romantic with a touch of vintage-bohemian flair. Both of us were eager to visit the Pacific Northwest so choosing Oregon was easy. The Columbia River Gorge is like nothing we’ve ever seen before. Originally we planned to elope at Wahclella Falls, but the day before we found this abandoned stone house in the forest and we just knew this was the place. We were still able to hike up to the falls after the ceremony for some awesome photos.
Selva Floral Design (formerly The Green Dandelion) crafted the most perfect florals for Christina. The berry tones + greenery are just a great match.
We’re pinning that bouquet for sure…
Isn’t there such a magical feel to their ceremony?
Its hard to pick just one memorable moment. We spent that entire week exploring Oregon. Starting at the coast, we drove up through Willamette Valley and then to the Gorge. We stayed in a bed and breakfast cabin on the Gorge for a few days and ended our trip in Portland. The entire week was memorable for us.
See even more in the beautiful film below by Native Wedding Films:
If you’re considering eloping, do it. We literally woke up, had a long, relaxing breakfast on the porch of our cabin and then got ready. A couple hours later, we were married and on our honeymoon aka continuing with the rest of our trip. DEFINITELY get an amazing photographer! This is the most important advice I can give. Phil was so much fun to work with and was willing to hike in the rain and jump over rocks and walk on the edge of cliffs to get a great shot. And since he was from the area, it made things so much easier as he was always there to give advice and answer any questions we had.
photography: Phil Chester // florals: Selva Floral Design // videography: Native Wedding Films // calligraphy: Reserved Only // officiant: Anthony Behrens The Wedding Judge // location: The Columbia River Gorge, Oregon // cabins: Carson Ridge Cabins // announcements: Minted
The location is beyond beautiful! It’s like out of a storybook. Their photographer was excellent!
-M
http://www.violetroots.com
Wow ! Amazing place for a wedding photoshoot
Wow! That place is awesome! I agree, brings back the story book days.
Beautiful wedding! Christina’s cover-up/top is stunning – any idea where it is from?
The stone house is located in Forest Park, right in Portland, if anyone is curious. :) Don’t go looking for it in the Gorge, but DO still go to the Gorge. (PS it’s actually an abandoned public restroom! But that doesn’t make it any less romantic)
Hi there, this is Christina. Although the stone house looks similar to the one in Portland, this one is NOT the same one. Its actually located in the woods in Skamania WA on the Columbia River Gorge.
Thank you for the sweet comments, the shawl is from BHLDN but they dont sell it anymore.
Hi, beautiful wedding. We found this link of your wedding because my daughter is eloping in Oregon at the end of this month. She is in love with that stone house but loves the idea of a waterfall also. You say you were also able to hike to Wahclella Falls also for some pictures. Was it on the same trail? How far from the stone house did you have to hike? Or, did you drive to a different location to hike to the waterfall? I appreciate your help.
What a perfect dress for a romantic elopement! The cape makes the ensemble. If I could have my wedding again, I’d consider wearing something like that.
-Katy
http://sundryblog.blogspot.com/
Beautiful wedding!!
Lovely pictures! I truly like to reading your post. Thank you so much for taking the time to share such nice information. Keep sharing this type of post with us.