Portland Elopement | Ellie & Danny

I met Ellie and Danny for the first time in the spring when we did their engagement photos in the Columbia River Gorge during peak wildflower season and we just totally clicked. I take pride in my ability to change people’s minds when they say “i hate this” and sure enough, I had success with Danny. I walked away from their session feeling, “did I just make new friends??” Shortly after, I got a message from Ellie that they were planning to elope and wondered if I was available! The answer was an immediate yes, and we got to planning. While their original plan was to elope at Mt Hood, an unexpected loss over the summer made it feel like that route wasn’t what felt right for them. So they decided to pivot and went with an urban Portland elopement instead. While I usually spend most of the time in the National Parks or deep in the forest somewhere, this Portland elopement was one right out of a fairytale and was everything an urban celebration should be! We went to several locations, played around in their hotel, and had the prettiest of sunsets. You’ll often hear me speak of intention when it comes to elopements, and that word rang true with Ellie and Danny: they listened to their hearts and were intentional with their day so it felt right to them in this season of life.

We started at The Sentinel, where Ellie was getting ready. She actually chopped several inches off her hair the night before so she could surprise Danny when she walked down the aisle! We spent some time before she got in her dress, then read some letters from family that wasn’t there for the day. Their Portland elopement ceremony was at Cathedral Park, where Danny and a few of their closest friends waited. It was a perfect October day, with sunshine and blooming dahlias all over the place! After their ceremony, we went to another area of the park where Danny played the guitar and sang some songs for Ellie. After a bit of time here, we headed to Grace Cathedral to get creative with the gothic architecture.

Grace Church ended up not being quite what we expected so we headed back to the Sentinel! As we were driving back I noticed a couple of cool buildings, so we decided to take advantage of the architecture by their hotel. We finished their Portland elopement by having cake in bed, running through the streets, and soaking up the perfect October sunset. I always feel attached to the couples I work with when the day is said and done; we spend so much time chatting and planning the day that when it’s over I feel like, “now what?” These two were no different and I’ll truly cherish being part of such a special Saturday in October. Love you guys!

From Ellie and Danny:

Why did you choose to elope?

We chose to elope because it felt like the best way to honor our relationship and our love for each other; we wanted intimate, simple, and to be able to spend a whole day/weekend doing only what WE wanted to do. Also, we have spent the majority of our relationship across the country from our home state and getting married, just the two of us, in the place we really fell in love, felt so right.

What was your favorite moment from your Portland elopement?

Ellie: my favorite moment from the day was obviously getting married, but also having a champagne toast and listening to my husband play guitar in the park and basking in that “omg, we just got married” feeling.

Danny: My favorite part of the day was figuring out what to do next. We had no obligations other than being together so it was fun to be apart of the creative process in choosing where to go next for photos and feeling like we were running around the city in a movie.

What was your favorite location we went to for your Portland elopement?

Ellie: my favorite location was at cathedral park. The lighting was so beautiful, the weather was gorgeous, and I feel like the photos we took at cathedral park really captured the beauty of Portland and enhanced the way we looked and felt.

Danny: my favorite location was at the hotel because we were able to watch the sunset from our balcony and the hotel photos were so playful and really captured the “eloping” vibe.

What advice would you give other couples who are on the fence of eloping or starting to plan?

If you are considering eloping, you will not regret it; instead of considering what 100+ people might enjoy, you get to consider what you and your partner truly want out of your wedding day. Pick a location that feels true to you and your partner; go to a place you love or choose somewhere you’ve never been, but choose something beautiful. Choose to elope because you will experience uninterrupted just married bliss.

Is there anything you’d change about the day?

The only thing that I would change about our elopement day would be our officiant; I wish we would have chosen someone who aligned more with our relationship or who knew us more intimately than someone we hired off theknot.com. But looking back, it was the absolute perfect day and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

Ceremony location: Cathedral Park

Hotel: The Sentinel

Dress: Ania Bridal

Cake: Little Banana Bakery

Florals: City Flowers Tommy Luke

Ready to plan your own Portland elopement?! Let’s connect! As an Oregon and SW Washington native, I’m not only familiar with locations but the permit process too! If you want to see some other adventures I’ve been on, check out this North Cascades Elopement, this Hurricane Ridge Engagement Session, or just the blog for all the good info! You can also follow along on Instagram or Pinterest!