Secret Beach | Oregon Coast Elopement

Oregon Coast Elopement by Outlive Creative

Secret Beach - An Oregon Coast Elopement

Big Wedding to Intimate Oregon Coast Elopement

When Kelsey and Brett initially inquired they were planning to get married at a wedding venue in California. We were excited to learn more and have the opportunity to shoot at a new venue. There was a lot of moving parts with locking in the venue and shifting their budget around to get what they wanted. A few days later the bride and groom scrapped all of their plans and decided to have an intimate elopement instead! This released a lot of stress that comes with planning a wedding and everything became flexible; the wedding venue, the date, the budget, etc. Kelsey and Brett knew they wanted to have a beautiful, epic backdrop for their elopement either in Big Sur or on the Oregon Coast. They turned to us for location recommendations. We suggested a few spots within Samuel H Boardman State Park as it’s one of our favorite coastal locations and eventually we landed on having an Oregon Coast Elopement at Secret Beach!

The Trek to Samuel H Boardman State Park

Secret Beach is located within Samuel H Boardman State Park. From Portland, it’s just shy of a 6 hour drive. We’ve explored this area in the past and done some filming for our commercial work, but we’ve never shot a Secret Beach elopement. Kelsey and Brett made the drive from the Sacramento area. We met the day before their Oregon Coast elopement to shoot an engagement session at Indian Sands.

“Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor is 12 miles of wayside along Highway 101 that is filled with a network of trails, including 27 miles of the Oregon Coast Trail. Visitors will find a rugged coast with seemingly endless viewpoints of off-shore sea stacks topped with old-growth Sitka spruce. There are dozens of nestled coves and beaches, and some stretches only accessible at low tide. There are opportunities for viewing many different types of sea life, majestic birds, and coastal flora. It is also a landscape photographer's paradise. Classic Northwestern coastline is packed together in a fairly short corridor”. - Daniel Sherman, Outdoor Project

Words from the Bride

How did you two meet?

“Brett and I have known each other for as long as we both can remember. We grew up in a very small town and when we were around the age of 5 our fathers were actually roommates for about a year. Brett and I don't remember a whole lot about being roommates but we guess that's where it all began. Although, we didn't even think about being anything more than friends until several years after high school. We had both moved away for college and found our way back to the small town life. On the 4th of July in 2012 Brett pulled me on to the dance floor and we never let go”.

How did Brett propose?

“On my birthday we were getting ready to go out to dinner and as I ran around trying not to be late I frustratedly told Brett that I could not find my earrings. Without skipping a beat he said, "you want to wear this?" and pulled out a ring that was nothing short of perfection. It wasn't fancy, or intricate just the two of us in our bedroom with our two dogs”.

Tell us about your gown.

“Oooohhhhh the dress! Let me tell you! My sister, Emily, and I went to Swoon bridal in Reno, NV just the two of us to try on Pronovias gowns. At this point we hadn't booked a venue so I probably shouldn't have been dress shopping but we went anyway. After trying on various beautiful gowns there were a few close contenders but I wasn't 100%. After talking with the consultant she said, "Well, we have one more in the back but they might not make it anymore so I'll have to check if its available to sell." As I squeezed into the sample I thought that if I had to lose weight I would to make this dress fit. The wonderful consultant let me know that she would contact Pronovias and see if there was any way they could make one more (in my actual size) and the DID! It was truly a dream come true. The simple but elegant style with the train and paired with a long thick veil was everything I ever imagined”.

What is one piece of advice that you could give brides-to-be?

“If I could give brides-to-be one piece of advice it would be less is more. There is so much that people think the "need" when in reality all you need is each other. Also, I highly recommend hiring a coordinator! Don't do it yourself, don't let your mom do it, leave it to a professional”.