ADVENTURE JOURNAL

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worldwide adventure elopement locations

Are you stuck on where to elope? Maybe you love cascading waterfalls, but also magestic mountain peaks. You might be a waterbug who loves the ocean, or a desert rat craving some smooth sandstone. If you aren’t sure where to start, let’s dive into these locations and weigh the pros and cons. Every adventure elopement location is epic, so you can’t make a wrong choice!

mountains

how to make it awesome

Do we even have to try? It’s no secret that the mountains are one of our favorite adventure elopement locations. The rugged, towering peaks make for an epic backdrop, and this environment offers PLENTY of fun activities to include in your day. We love being surrounded by fresh, crisp, alpine air– and that alpine glow?? Yes please!

It is so easy to add a little extra adventure to your mountain elopement. Luxury picnics, hot air balloon rides, helicopter tours, bike riding, skiing, jeeping, hiking… can I go on forever? This barely scratches the surface of possibilities for a mountain adventure elopement.

perks

Really easy to add fun activities to your day.
Accessible – there are hikes to epic viewpoints for all ability levels. If you don’t want to hike, a handful of locations offer 4×4 or traditional road access.
IT’S BEAUTIFUL.
Easy to find seclusion.
Can elope in any season.
Easy to incorporate scenic variety.
Alpine lakes!

struggles

Usually further away from a major city airport (not always).
If you are in the backcounty, some vendors will likely have travel fees.

what to pack in addition to your standard travel items

spring, summer, or fall

sunscreen!
dry bags
sturdy shoes
chapstick

winter

sunscreen! (yep, even in winter)
microspikes
hand warmers
packable layers
warm, waterproof boots

best mountain elopement locations

The San Juan Mountain Range – Colorado
The Swiss Alps
The Dolomites – Italy
The North Cascades – Washington
Alaska
New Zealand
Rocky Mountain National Park – Colorado
Glacier National Park – Montana
Grand Teton National Park – Wyoming
Norway

beach

how to make it awesome

There is something so peaceful about the ocean. The warm sand in between your toes, the sound of the waves crashing on the shore, and the pastel colors of the sunset all create an environment where you can easily leave your stress behind! We recommend eloping on the beach in the spring or fall for perfect weather and to avoid crowds.

There are so many excursions to take your beach elopement to the next level! You can go whale watching, sailing, parasailing, surfing, snorkeling, scuba diving (and even get married under water!), or keep it on the shore for a beach picnic or volleyball.

perks

Proximity – beaches on either coast and all over the world!
Some beaches (like The Pacific Northwest and California coast) also have cliffside views.

struggles

Sand in areas no one likes sand.
Sometimes it’s hot and humid.

what to pack in addition to your standard travel items

Sunscreen!
A beach hat
A net bag for sandy things and a secure-close bag for non-sandy things
Matching coverups

best beach elopement locations

Whitsunday Islands – Australia
Cannon Beach – Oregon
Ruby Beach – Washington
Tulum – Mexico
Big Sur – California
Greece
Thailand
Hawaii
Seychelles

glacier

how to make it awesome

Picture it with me — you’re bundled up cozy winter gear, your heart is pounding with excitement, and you hear the love of your life over the headset yell, “oh my gosh look at this!!” You’re in a helicopter overlooking endless snowy peaks, and you’re about to drop on a secluded glacier in the middle of nowhere to say your vows. Wow.

This is already an epic experience. You made an out of the box, full send choice to have an awesome day. If you want to add a cherry on top, be sure to include a guided glacier tour and a luxury dinner back at your cabin. You can even go snowshoeing or dogsledding to see the northern lights.

perks

This is an incredibly epic choice.
The Northern Lights
Total seclusion.
Stunning beauty.

struggles

It’s chilly — bundle up!
This is a full send adventure, so it will take some commitment to reach your destination.

what to pack in addition to your standard travel items

Handwarmers
Microspikes
Warm, waterproof boots
Thick, cozy layers
Chapstick

best glacier elopement locations

Iceland
Alaska
Argentina

waterfall

how to make it awesome

Waterfalls make for stunning adventure elopement backdrops. There are epic waterfalls all over the US and all over the world, so it’s likely you won’t have to travel too far if this is your adventure elopement location.

One of the best ways to make the most of your waterfall adventure elopement is to take a dip! If the water is warm enough, plan on swimming. You can also usually add a hike, some hot springs, or a hammock nap. If you are more of an adrenaline chaser, schedule a whitewater kayaking or rafting trip!

perks

Like many of the locations on our list, waterfalls are beautiful!
Great place to swim.
Can usually add hikes or other fun adventures to your day.
Some areas have multiple waterfalls so you can see more than one!

struggles

Waterfalls are loud, and it can sometimes be hard to hear each other if you are close to the falls.
Big waterfalls put off some serious mist. This might not be the best place for you if you want to keep your hair or attire totally dry.

what to pack in addition to your standard travel items

Microfiber towel
Hammock
A swimsuit

best waterfall elopement locations

Iceland
Croatia
Yosemite (add some rock climbing to your day!)
New Zealand
North Carolina (changing permit restrictions here)
Victoria Falls – Zambia, Zimbabwe, or Botswana (add a safari adventure!)
Hawaii
Oregon

desert

how to make it awesome

Sand dunes, sandstone, rock arches, and canyons!? We are here for it! We love the desert and everything it has to offer. The desert showcases a surprising variety of scenery and a ton of activities to add adventure into your day. We recommend eloping in the desert in fall, winter, or spring to avoid crowds and scorching heat.

If you want to add to your day, our favorite desert activity that we recommend is jeeping! You can explore rock trails in a guided jeep, an ATV, UTV, or dune buggy. The desert is also a great place for a sunrise hot air balloon ride, a guided camel tour, or overnight stargazing.

perks

Proximity – you often don’t have to travel too far for accommodations or services.
Scenic variety – rock arches, canyons, plateaus, sand dunes, and more!

struggles

Can be dangerously hot.

what to pack in addition to your standard travel items

Sunscreen! (am I a broken record yet?)
Water!
A sled for sand dunes

best desert elopement locations

Utah! Zion and Moab (very permit restricted) are well known, but Utah also has hidden gem elopement locations including slot canyons.
Arizona – Sedona, Horseshoe Bend, Grand Canyon
Colorado National Monument
Great Sand Dunes National Park – Colorado
Vegas!

forest

how to make it awesome

The forest creates such magical, whimsical, ethereal vibes for an adventure elopement. It’s easy to tuck away in a lush, green environment surrounded by towering trees. Forest areas look incredible year round with changing fall leaves, a blanket of snow, saturated colors from fresh rain, or summertime flowers blanketing the ground. The forest is a great option for an adventure elopement!

We love picnics anywhere, but there is something really special about a luxury picnic in the forest. Forests are also great locations to find epic camping spots, great hiking trails, kayaking on hidden lakes, and rock climbing!

perks

Great any time of year!
Lush vegetation and towering trees make a great backdrop!
Could easily add scenic variety

struggles

There are some forest restrictions on bonfires and picnics.

what to pack in addition to your standard travel items

Bugspray
Packable layers

best forest elopement locations

Sequoia National Park – California
The Hoh Rainforest – Washington
The Grand Mesa – Colorado
The North Cascades – Washington
Rocky Mountain National Park – Colorado

Why we love adventure elopements fall hiking elopement

cliffside

how to make it awesome

If you want a dramatic, jaw-dropping elopement location, you can get it with a cliffside adventure elopement. Add a sunset or sunrise and you will get a view that absolutely takes your breath away. We love cliffside during the warmer seasons for safety, but cliffside areas make for beautiful adventure elopement locations any time of year.

You already know we are going to suggest a luxury picnic. Take it to the next level and hire your own personal chef for the day! If you are cliffside, there might be epic rock climbing around. This is a great area to lay on a blanket and read or paint together, or you can hike to soak up more views!

perks

Jaw-droppingly beautiful.
Accessibility – there are cliffs that require no hiking.
Scenic variety is super easy to accomplish with cliffside locations.

struggles

Although you can drive to many cliffs, they might be further from major airports.

what to pack in addition to your standard travel items

Your climbing gear

best cliffside elopement locations

Scotland
Ireland
Iceland
Yosemite
Hawaii

a combination?

Sometimes when you’re narrowing down adventure elopement locations, you still just can’t pick! There are plenty of locations that offer scenic variety where you can get a little of everything, including mountains, waterfalls, cliffsides, forests, and beaches! This creates a great opportunity for an epic, sturdy adventure full of exploring and sightseeing. Here are our favorite adventure elopement locations that offer a combination of environments:

Iceland
Washington
California
Italy
Hawaii

let’s hang out

We would love to go on an adventure with you! Michael and I are a traveling adventure elopement photo, video, + planning team. We chase loving souls and deep emotion, and we go wherever the wind takes us. Check out our blogs below for recent work, or reach out to plan your epic day. We can’t wait to get you in front of our lens!

Elope With Us