I know I say this about EVERY elopement, but Jenn & Jon’s elopement was truly one of the most special days ever to be a part of!! We went on one of my fav journeys through some beautiful Oregon elopement locations for their big day, including the Jedediah Smith Redwoods in northern California & Secret Beach in southern Oregon. Get ready for TONS of gorgeous DIY elopement ideas because this couple truly created the most stunning day for themselves!!

Jenn & Jon’s Elopement at Secret Beach, Oregon

Let me just start off by saying that these two are perfect examples of how you can fully customize + curate your elopement, even from afar! Jenn & Jon actually traveled into Oregon for their elopement, so before the big day, Jenn shipped me BOXES of stuff for the big day – she decided it was just easier to send to me than to fly with all of it. She sent me rugs, blankets, plates, glasses + so many more rad details! Check out more about their DIY elopement details below, because it all came together so beautifully 🙂

A first look in the Jedediah Smith Redwoods

I truly will never get over the Jedediah Smith Redwoods, since they’re right on the border of northern California & southern Oregon. They’re the PERFECT place to hit up for your Southern Oregon elopement if you want that touch of California without having to drive too far!

Jenn & Jon got ready in the freaking cutest treehouse in the middle of the forest, read letters they’d written each other separately, and then headed to a pretty spot in the redwoods for the sweetest first look. We found a little waterfall for them to do it in front of, and their reactions to each other were the cutest ever!! 

Northern California Redwood elopement photos

After getting over the emotions of their first look, we ventured further into the redwoods for some magical portraits of the two of them. They did a handfasting ceremony, which is a little unity ceremony some couples choose to do before exchanging rings in order to symbolize their commitment! Then we took tonsssss more pics of them just having a beautiful time exploring together, enjoying the beauty of the giant redwoods around them. 

Check out Abby & Gil’s Unique Forest Elopement for more dreamy af fall redwoods wedding photos!

A vow exchange on the Natural Bridges

When it was time for Jenn & Jon’s ceremony, we headed from the redwoods to Secret Beach in Brookings, one of my fav spots on the southern Oregon Coast. It’s only a 40-minute drive from the Jedediah Smith Redwoods, so it’s seriously the perfect spot to choose for your elopement if you want to explore both the California redwoods & the Oregon Coast!

They said their vows on the Natural Bridges, a viewpoint overlooking Secret Beach that you get to by a 0.7-mile hike. This viewpoint gives you insane views of the beachfront, the unique sea stacks, & lush green forest trails on the other side – it straight up feels like a fairytale!

Yummy charcuterie elopement dinner

Once they’d made things official & exchanged their vows in the sunlight, they brought out a delicious charcuterie board put together by Dakota Eats, full of yummy cheese and finger foods. Charcuterie boards are one of my favorite options for elopement meals since they’re pretty easy to pack & bring along, and they make for a super beautiful picnic out in nature!

Sunset elopement portraits at Secret Beach

Finally, we wrapped up the night with some cake + sunset photos on the beach with lanterns and the night sky shining above us. It was such a magical ending to the most perfect day celebrating Jenn & Jon’s love for each other, such a romantic + kind love. This couple is like two young kids just giddy and silly together! So thankful I got to capture the day for them!!

DIY Elopement Ideas from Jenn & Jon

If you’re looking to DIY some elements of your elopement, look no further than Jenn & Jon’s elopement for inspo! Here are three ideas based on what they did that you can take + make your own for your big day 🙂

1. Macrame ropes for your handfasting ceremony

For their handfasting ceremony, Jenn & Jon made macrame ropes back at home. You can find tons of macrame rope on Amazon and plenty of tutorials online to help you easily create beautiful macrame designs! 

2. Customize your ropes with beads

Along with DIY-ing their macrame rope, Jenn & Jon added beads to their rope for each of the kids they had + were joining together in their marriage. This was such a special touch to make their unity ceremony extra personal to them & their new united family!

3. Bring (or ship!) your own decor

Like I said before, Jenn shipped a ton of their elopement decor to me, everything from rugs to tableware. If you’d rather not hire somebody to help you with decor/rentals and DIY it (or parts of it), it’s pretty easy to find unique pieces to decorate your elopement day. You know I LOVE me a good thrift store – make a date out of it & go thrift shopping to find cool pieces together! Or go on Etsy and buy stuff from a small business. I’ll totally help you bring your vision to life + help you with ideas if you want!

More Oregon Coast & Redwood Elopement Inspiration

If you LOVED this elopement, check out some more similar elopements below for inspo + some of my favorite elopement planning resources!

Sunrise Elopement at the Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor

The Ultimate Guide to Eloping on the Southern Oregon Coast

Fall Redwoods Wedding | Abby + Gil’s Unique Forest Elopement

 

Southern Oregon Coast Wedding Vendors

Hair & Makeup: Make Me Up Cyn

Florals: Freckled Fleurs

Videography: Alesia Films

Cheeseboard: Dakota Eats