A Forest-to-Beach Elopement in Olympic National Park

Lydia (she/her) and Michelle’s (she/her) elopement is one of those stories that makes you want to close your laptop, grab your person, and head straight for the forest. They traded the usual wedding chaos for a slow morning in the woods, handwritten vows on postcards featuring their cat, and an unplanned ceremony under a tree with a pair of hikers they met along the trail, who ended up being their witnesses. Olympic National Park gave them everything they’d hoped for: lush greenery, a rugged beach, and the freedom to just be together. With Marla Manes behind the camera, their day unfolded with curiosity, calm, and a little bit of lemon cake.

What made you decide to elope rather than plan a traditional wedding?

We’re both pretty private people and have family spread all over the world. The idea of planning a big event, and getting input from everyone, didn’t feel right for us. What did feel right? Traveling somewhere new and having a day that was just about us. We wanted something simple and meaningful.

Why Olympic National Park?

Honestly, we were dreaming about somewhere lush and green, maybe with a beach too. We found our photographer Marla Manes on Instagram and loved the vibe of her work. Olympic National Park had everything we wanted and the decision came together really naturally. Neither of us had been before, so it felt like an adventure from the start.

Can you walk us through the day itself?

We woke up in the beautiful forest with a raccoon outside our window. Seriously. We grabbed breakfast at the lodge, then got ready together in our room. Neither of us usually wears makeup or spends much time on our hair, so we kept things simple. We’d picked up a curling iron and a little makeup from Ulta a few weeks before.

When Marla arrived, she took some candid photos while we were finishing up. Then we hopped in her car and just drove until we found something beautiful. We explored trails, wandered through the woods, and stumbled upon an LGBTQIA+ couple who were delighted to be our witnesses. We read our vows under a tree, just the two of us, plus those lovely hikers, and then made our way to the beach for sunset photos, barefoot kisses, and lemon cake.

How did you personalize your ceremony?

We wrote our own vows and wanted to include our cat, Kahlo, in the day somehow. So we found an artist to turn one of our favorite cat photos into a little animated postcard. We each had one with us and wrote our vows on the back. Now they’re framed on our wall, and it feels like Kahlo was there with us.

What were you wearing?

A strappy white dress that was super easy to move in, perfect for hiking and beach walking, and an ivory suit with wide-leg trousers and a soft square-neck top. We didn’t want to deal with anything high-maintenance, so we made hair and makeup really simple and just did our own thing.

How did you find your vendors?

Marla made it really easy. She gave us a list of vendors she liked working with, and we just picked our favorites from there. We only used vendors for the bouquet and the cake, and picked everything up the day before the elopement. Simple and stress-free.

Any advice for others thinking about eloping?

If the idea of planning a big wedding feels overwhelming, or just not like you, go with your gut. Make the day about what matters to you. You can skip all the expectations and still have something incredibly meaningful and fun.

Photography by Marla Manes