Oregon Coast Elopement from the Forest to the Sea | Nguyet & Matthew
An Intimate Oregon Coast Elopement | Nguyet & Matthew
Nguyet + Matthew | Oregon Coast, Oregon
Just the two of them, their dog, and me with my cameras.
After more than a decade together, Nguyet and Matthew decided to skip the traditional wedding day and do what felt most like them: elope along the Oregon Coast.
We spent the day exploring a few completely different landscapes—from quiet sand dunes to the forest and, finally, the cliffs overlooking the Pacific.
It was intimate, wildly windy, a little adventurous, and exactly what an Oregon Coast elopement should feel like.
An Elopement That Actually Felt Like Them
Nguyet and Matthew met in Iowa and have been together for over a decade.
When it came time to get married, they decided to forget about what a wedding was supposed to look like and plan something that made sense for the two of them.
No wedding party. No huge guest list. No packed timeline.
Just them, their dog, the Oregon Coast, and an afternoon to explore.
They’ll eventually celebrate with their family and friends at a reception back in Iowa, but this part was entirely theirs.
And I loved that.
From the Sand Dunes to the Forest
One of the best parts about eloping along the Oregon Coast is how quickly the scenery can completely change.
We started among the sand dunes before making our way into the forest, where everything suddenly became quiet, green, and moody.
The forest was especially important to Nguyet.
She’s a huge Twilight fan, so naturally we needed at least a little modern-day Edward and Bella moment among the trees.
Honestly? The Oregon Coast understood the assignment.
Chasing the Coastline
Our final stop brought us back to the ocean.
This was also where the Oregon Coast decided to give us wind. So. Much. Wind.
But instead of fighting it, we leaned into it.
Nguyet’s cape was flying everywhere, her dress was moving, the ocean was crashing below us—and suddenly the wind that could have easily felt like an inconvenience became one of my favorite parts of their entire elopement.
Some of my favorite photographs from the day happened because we stopped trying to control what the weather was doing and let it become part of the photos.
Just the Two of Them
There is something completely different about photographing an elopement with no one else around.
There’s no audience waiting.
No reception timeline we’re racing back to.
No pressure to move on to the next wedding tradition.
We could explore, stop when the light looked beautiful, let their dog tag along, and spend time creating photographs without taking Nguyet and Matthew away from their actual wedding day.
Because this was their wedding day.
Quiet moments and big landscapes. Windblown hair. A dress getting a little dirty. Walking through the trees. Sitting along the cliffs and looking out at the Pacific.
Nothing overly complicated.
Just two people who had already spent more than ten years choosing each other finally making it official.
Your Oregon Coast Elopement Doesn’t Need to Look Traditional
Nguyet and Matthew’s day is such a good reminder that getting married doesn’t have to mean planning a traditional wedding.
Your ceremony can have 200 people.
It can have 20.
Or it can literally be you, your person, your dog, and your photographer somewhere along the Oregon Coast.
There isn’t one right way to do it.
And if you decide to elope, we don’t have to stay in one place either. Part of the experience can be exploring—moving from the sand to the forest to the cliffs and creating a wedding day that feels more like an adventure together than a photoshoot.
Planning an Oregon Coast Elopement?
If you’re dreaming about getting married somewhere along the Oregon Coast, I’d love to document it.
I photograph elopements and weddings throughout Oregon using a mix of digital and film, with an approach centered around beautiful portraits, honest moments, and actually giving you space to experience your day.
Whether that means running around the coast together, disappearing into the forest, bringing your dog, or embracing whatever weather Oregon decides to give us—I’m there for it.
Your wedding doesn’t have to be big to be worth documenting beautifully.
