I have always loved the idea of having a Columbia River Gorge elopement. It’s one of if not the most beautiful location in Oregon to elope. Heck, there is more than 90 waterfalls in the area alone!

My favorite little town in the area is called Cascade Locks. I stayed there the night before Alec & Anna’s elopement. This place strangely means something to me as my favorite book, Wild, takes place in this very town. Or should I say, ends here as it’s about a woman named Cheryl Strayed hiking the Pacific Crest Trail and this is where she finished. The book changed my life, and the fact that Alec and Anna wanted to have their elopement here had me completely giddy and filled with an excited electricity to be in the area.

I got there the day before their elopement and spent the entire day exploring the Columbia River Gorge getting a mental list of where all I wanted to take my sweet couple to capture their elopement photos and the exact spot that were have their ceremony with families. 

There is this special spot that is completely free (yes, free!) that you can do photoshoots at that show off the beautiful landscape of the river, Government Cove. Since the highway is so close to the mountains you can’t see them very well. But from their spot at Government Cove the mountains loomed large and silent behind them as the sun peeked in and out of the clouds during the morning hours.

I was up really early that morning just to make sure I was ready and prepared for them and did out some last minute scouting. Anna and Alec were coming from Portland, just over an hour away. Apparently they had some last minute panic with her wedding ring breaking 2 days before the wedding (don’t worry, it was fixed in time!). 

I met Anna and Alec for their Columbia Gorge Elopement at Government Cove for their first look before everyone else showed up. Anna showed up in this STUNNING Reclamation gown that was flowing more than a river after a storm! I loved it instantly!

 She had a beautiful flower crown and bouquet of gorgeous fall flowers that popped of reds, oranges, and deep reds. She looked like a goddess who was the epitome of Autumn! Anna wore a pair of custom made jasper earrings by Noduri jewelry and called it good. It was the perfect combination for an outdoor elopement without being over the top. 

After their sweet first look, we headed to the top of Government Cove for the ceremony. Anna and Alec made sure to keep their numbers to a minimum due to Covid regulations, so they keep it under 15 people and they still were all spaced out from each other. Their ceremony was short and sweet, with their friend David officiating for them.

After we got done with family photos it was time for the three of us to go on our adventure! We started off with just utilizing the top of Government cove and really letting Anna’s dress dance in the wind and twirl around so much that she almost fell! Thankfully Alec caught her and avoided a big grass stain on the dress, lol!

We then headed to the waterfalls!! Because of Covid we wanted to make sure that whatever waterfall we end to was not overly busy since the Columbia River Gorge is such a highly trafficked area. We decided on Horsetail falls. It was close to the road, and easy to get to, which is always a good thing when you have a beautiful but very long, trip prone wedding dress. 

But once we got down below and Anna had her moment to feel like a goddess, she did not disappoint! The lush green colors against her blonde hair and white dress made me swoon so hard I almost fainted!

After I came down from my euphoric high of how stunning these two were, we headed to the last location, the famous Vista House. It the most panoramic and photogenic spot to go for a Columbia River Gorge elopement. It’s historic, epic, and simply stunning. It was the perfect spot to end our time together as they were heading back to Portland for their reception, which I wasn’t going to be attending. 

But we got a masked selfie at the end, as I always do with my couples and said adios. I had a four hour drive home and wanted to get back asap so I could get to editing these photos as soon as possible! I sincerely hope that you love them as much as I do! Anna and Alec were the perfect couple and I hope I get more like them in the future!

Thank you so much for watching and reading about this amazing Columbia River Gorge Elopement.  I hope you enjoyed your time here.  If you would like to see some more elopements like this one, check out my blog here.