Moody Oregon Coast Elopement at Indian Beach in Ecola State Park
When a tattoo artist and a mathcore musician marry in their special place at the seaside
Kala and Dan approached us with the desire to get married privately in their most favorite place, Indian Beach at Ecola State Park on the northern Oregon coastline.
They wanted a ceremony that was custom built to them around the theme of the rhythms and seasons of nature. With the dependability of change as a building block for their relationship, they were after a mix of traditional nods to their families and doing things unapologetically in their own way.
On a hazy day in September, they checked into a local Air B&B in Cannon Beach, Oregon. Spending the afternoon listening to their favorite albums, they donned their wedding clothes and got ready to seal their love with life's biggest commitment.
They met Sean and his camera in the parking lot and begin their non-traditional processional disguised as a leisurely walk along the beach.
Kala's bouquet was a mix of foraged, home grown and traditionally obtained blooms.
Dan's pocket square contained a 420 friendly surprise and a charm from his late grandmother.
A sacred space for a wedding ceremony
As Kala and Dan arrived to their designated ceremony location on the beach, they came to a semi-circle of flowers creating an altar. They were greeted by their nieces who collected seashells and made a complete circle in the sand, completing the sacred space to take their vows.
Just in time before the ceremony, a good samaritan ran up to Dan and handed him his hand written vows that were dropped somewhere along the beach. While we typically encourage our couples to choose a quiet day to elope in a public space, the strangers we do encounter are always filled with kindness and congratulations.
A Celtic handfasting on the beach
Once Kala stepped into the circle, Dan lifted her traditional cathedral length veil and the service began. In a nod to Kala's Irish heritage, the couple choose a handfasting ceremony using braided sea grass. As is the tradition, they recited their vows while bound by the hand. They exchanged rings of turquoise from their home state of Colorado.
Just after the kiss, their youngest niece surprised everyone by showering them with leaves that she had collected during the ceremony.
“Love only endures when it moves like waves,
Receding and returning gently or passionately,
Or moving lovingly like the tide
In the moon's own predictable harmony”
A sweet ending to a perfect elopement
As the sun dipped into the horizon, they came to their wedding picnic, snugly set in a cave of branches. By the sounds of the ocean they toasted to their lives ahead and nibbled on wedding cake and their favorite local cheeses and charcuterie.
Planning & Design | Florals & Decor | Custom Ceremony & Officiating | Food & Beverage Curation | Photography: Arche Creative
Ceremony and picnic location: Ecola State Park
Picnic Provisions: Olympia Provisions and Briar Rose Creamery
Wedding Cake: Sweetheart St. Johns
Bride's dress: Reformation
