Abiqua Falls Oregon Adventure Elopement

Abiqua Falls is actually one of the first locations I photographed a styled elopement back in 2019. It was super cool because at the time, not a lot of adventure elopements or sessions had been taken at the waterfall, so we were able to explore a pretty new location! But since then, we hadn’t been back to the waterfall until C & S reached out. They wanted to center their elopement around this adventurous trail and epic waterfall! We were SO excited to work with them and help make their dream Abiqua Falls elopement come true! 

Meeting in Scotts Mills & Driving Together

In order to get to Abiqua Falls, we decided to meet in Scotts Mills to make sure that we’d all get to the right location! You lose service pretty quickly on the drive to the waterfall, so make sure that everyone in your party either meets ahead of time or has the correct coordinates and directions. 

You have to take a forest service road to get to the Abiqua Falls trailhead, and it can be a challenging road. Make sure that you have a high clearance vehicle and AWD! If you’re able to make it down to the Abiqua Falls Trailhead lot, the trail ends up being less than 1 mile out-and-back. But if you have a 2WD or low-clearance vehicle and decide to park at the upper lot (Crooked Finger OHV Area), the hike is about 4 miles out-and-back.

Important Note: Like we mentioned above, please make sure to have your directions downloaded since you likely won’t have any service to the trailhead. It’s also a great idea to have a downloaded offline map because while there is a designated trail and ropes along the way, it’s not very well marked.

Hiking to Abiqua Falls

The trail to Abiqua Falls is on private property, but is open to the public for recreational use! The falls and the surrounding area is part of the Santiam State Forest in Oregon. Please make sure that you’re practicing Leave No Trace by staying on trail, packing out anything you bring down, and respecting other hikers and wildlife. Local officials and private landowners work together to make sure that the public has access to this gorgeous waterfall, so please do your part to help keep the trail accessible! 

Getting Ready At The Falls

After hiking down and seeing C & S’s awestruck expressions as they saw the falls for the first time, we set up a changing tent to help them get ready! We had the entire area all to ourselves since it was a rainy day, which was absolutely perfect. C & S wanted to share a first look, so S helped C get his tie on, and then she went to the changing tent to get her dress on without him seeing.

Bride & Groom’s Waterfall First Look

If you want to do a first look for your adventure elopement, you bet your butt that we’ll help you navigate this! For C & S, that meant helping them get ready separately, then setting C up in front of the pool of water at the base of Abiqua Falls. We prepped both of them before stepping back and letting them share the moment privately, capturing it from afar.

Abiqua Falls Elopement Ceremony

After their first look, we set up their ceremony centered with the falls, officiated by Amy of Be & Be Weddings. We couldn’t hear everything going on, since the waterfall was roaring, but that made it feel even more private and special for C & S. Amy did a wonderful job capturing the beauty of their relationship, and giving them space to share personal vows. They sealed the ceremony with a kiss under one of the most gorgeous waterfalls we’ve ever seen!

Oregon Marriage License Information

Abiqua Falls is located in Marion County, Oregon. You can submit a marriage license application online and pick it up in-person during business hours (8:30 am to 5:00 pm Monday-Friday). According to the Marion County website, “There is a 3-day waiting period from the day you pay the fee and receive the license until the license is valid to use. Once the license is valid, you have 60 days to have a ceremony performed anywhere within the State of Oregon.” You must have an officiant and 2 witnesses (hey, that can be us!).

Here is the address for the Marion County Clerk & Recorder to pick up your license: 555 Court St NE, Suite 2130 Salem, OR  97301.

Details & Individual Elopement Portraits

Sometimes, it’s just not possible to physically include your furry family members on your wedding day. But we know how important they are, so it’s always special to see couples get creative with other ways to include them! For C & S, they created napkins with their two pups illustrated and labeled. It was a perfect way to incorporate them in spirit!

Abiqua Falls Adventure Elopement Photos

We spent a good majority of the time at Abiqua Falls walking around the shore, marveling at the massive waterfall pouring from the unique rock cliff, climbing on rocks and logs, enjoying the trees and dripping moss, laughing, and dancing! Their first dance on the rocky shore was something they had choreographed and practiced in advance. It was such a beautiful and gorgeous dance! C & S are so easy to be around, and it was an absolute joy documenting their Oregon elopement.

Hiking Back & Forest Portraits!

As our time together neared an end, we didn’t want to say goodbye! So, we took our time exploring the creek on our hike back. Stopping to have C & S kiss under a stooped tree branch and capture some moments in the dense PNW forest! S was an absolute badass hiking the muddy and steep trail back to the cars. Literally LOVE the photo of her hiking her dress up while holding onto the rope along the trail. It was the most perfect example of how your elopement can be any sort of adventure you want!

Enjoy The Rest Of This Oregon Waterfall Wedding Gallery! 😊

Don’t stop here, though! Keep scrolling for even more incredible moments from this unbelievably gorgeous PNW elopement. Enjoy C & S’s intentional details, tears during their private vows, badass adventuring, and special first dance!