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When you combine a super in-love couple + an incredible team of vendors and you place them in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, how could ANYTHING go wrong?! Kathy & Austin’s Rialto Beach elopement was the ultimate Olympic National Park adventure that I was so honored to be a part of. From beautiful blue skies during their beach ceremony, to the magic of Washington’s rainforests, to a classic PNW evening on the coast, this day was everything. Congratulations to the beautiful couple – who’s ready to re-live their day with me & get all the dreamy ONP inspo you could ever need?
Kathy & Austin’s Stunning Rialto Beach Elopement Day
A day full of smiles, love, & gorgeous details
Kathy and Austin are the type of couple that really just wants to have FUN together, and trusts that the rest will fall into place. This wonderful quality shined so brightly on their elopement day: they were so chill, so sweet, and so excited about every part of the experience. I’m not exaggerating when I say that they fist bumped and laughed the entire day, which was the most adorable thing ever that gave me plenty of easy photo ops. And one of my favorite parts of this elopement was watching them marvel at the incredible scenery – being able to take couples to new places, especially my personal favorite places in the PNW, is such a gift!
While these two absolutely could have made their day incredible with nothing but their smiles & sweet love, they did hire an amazing team of vendors that brought the experience to a whole other level. Kathy and Austin listened to so many of the vendor recommendations I gave them and it paid off beautifully! From their makeup artist to their private chef, they were absolutely thrilled with every hire – which I LOVE to see. Hiring the right vendors who you trust + whose work you love, truly makes your day 10x better.
I was super happy with the vendors that my husband & I hired for our Mt. Baker wedding, so I usually recommend them to couples that I work with. These two hired the chef that made our elopement food, Sylvia, and Kathy hired the makeup artist I used, Anne – so we all knew it was going to turn out perfectly! I’ve included a full list of their vendors at the bottom of this blog post so you can check out their websites.
Now let’s take a peek at the details of this day, which were kept very simple but added beautiful touches to their adventure elopement. I loooved Kathy’s giant bouquet, which featured the most gorgeous spring color palette of pinks, beige, and plenty of lush greenery. Austin’s coordinated a variety of his accessories with the beautiful shades of pink in this bouquet, including his tie, socks, boutonniere, cufflinks, and their vow books. Everything matched so wonderfully – even the shoelaces on Kathy’s hiking boots were a bright pink, which added a stylish touch to a really great choice of practical shoes!
A sunny first look + elopement ceremony at Kalaloch Beach
The day started with a first look between Kathy & Austin on the hike down to Kalaloch Beach, and then we made our way to the shore for their ceremony. We lucked out with such gorgeous weather – sunshine and blue skies, which is rare on the Washington Coast even at the start of summer! They said their vows in front of an area of large boulders surrounded by their families, who were actually meeting for the first time that day. It was such a special, intimate moment for everyone to enjoy with the most incredible scenery everywhere you looked.
Kalaloch Beach is one of my favorite stops on the Washington Coast. If you’re considering saying your vows here or adding it to your elopement itinerary, check out Taylor & Mike’s Joyous Kalaloch Beach Elopement for more inspiration!
Whimsical elopement portraits in the Hoh Rainforest
To me, the Hoh Rainforest is THE quintessential elopement location in the Pacific Northwest. Nothing says “PNW” more than the lush, green forest covered in vibrant moss & ferns that feels like it’s straight out of a fairytale! So Kathy & Austin absolutely had to make a stop in this magical part of the Olympic Peninsula for a set of elopement portraits. We got extra lucky and saw elk in the rainforest – it was my first time seeing one there, so we were SO stoked! The lighting was just perfect, and the shades of green everywhere were breathtaking in the gorgeous sunshine that illuminated the entire forest.
Before we left the rainforest, Kathy & Austin each wrote each other a letter to put in a glass, to open on their ten-year anniversary – so sweet! They also wrote letters to each of their guests to give to them at dinner as a thank-you. I always love when couples add their own special touches to their elopement to make it the most meaningful day possible.
Moody Rialto Beach elopement portraits at sunset
We ended the day at Rialto Beach, where the sun had disappeared behind the clouds and we got the most classic, moody PNW vibe that we could’ve asked for. It was perfect since Kathy & Austin had already gotten beautiful sunshine earlier in the day, and now they could experience the beauty of the misty ocean shores & cloudy skies! We walked towards the iconic hole in the wall but since the tide wasn’t in our favor and the sun had already set, we just switched on the lantern I brought and had a blast exploring as the sky darkened. Kathy & Austin were in awe of the size of the sea stacks, and totally embraced the darkness as we played around with the lanterns and flash on film!
A 10/10 team of Olympic National Park elopement vendors
This sweet bride and groom seriously nailed it when it came to vendors, like I mentioned already – so here’s a full list of who they hired, in case you’re looking for vendors for your own Washington elopement.
Hair & Makeup: Anne Timss
Florist: Farm & Flower
Baker: Middle Name Baking Co.
Chef: The Elevated Epicurean
Dress: Dior Bridal, Maggie Sottero
Jewelry: Faith Jewelers
Officiant: A friend, Paige (who is also a professional cookie maker!)
Rialto Beach Elopement Photographer
On the hunt for your own Rialto Beach elopement photographer to take you on an incredible adventure through ONP? Count me in! I can’t wait to document your love and be by your side every step of the way, helping you make your elopement the best day of your life. Learn more about my Rialto Beach elopement packages here, and get in touch here when you’re ready to get this party goin’!
Olympic National Park Elopement Tips & Inspiration
Clearly, I’m obsessed with Olympic National Park and everything it has to offer to eloping couples. Here are a few of my favorite ONP planning guides and real adventure elopements!
