How to Elope in Washington
Washington truly is one of the most beautifully unique states. The diversity of scenery, innumerable locations, and plethora of opportunities make Washington one of the best places to elope. Whether you’re looking for snow covered mountains, alpine lakes, deep forests, deserts, or coastlines, Washington has it all to offer. Let’s look at everything you need to know to plan a Washington elopement.
The Legalities of Eloping in Washington
Upon receiving your marriage license it’s required that you wait three days before using it
After your marriage license is issued it is good for 60 days
The application for your marriage license must be done in advance and can be done via mail or in person. The cost is $67 and both parties will need a current photo ID
Washington requires that you have an officiant at your ceremony and two witnesses to sign your marriage certificate
When to Elope in Washington
Another awesome thing that makes Washington a great place to elope is that you can get an entirely different experience for any location depending on the time of year. The seasons bring great diversity to each region of Washington. If you hope to have sunshine, or at least dry weather, on your day then summer is the best season to aim for when planning your elopement. Of course, one of the unique characteristics of the Pacific Northwest is the weather, so while you can never fully guarantee anything summer is your best bet. These range from June-September with July and August being the highest chance of dry weather.
Another thing to take into account while considering when to elope is the accessibility of locations at different times of the year. For example, many mountain locations may still have snow until late July or even August depending on the elevation. Mt. Rainier National Park is a good example of this. Each location is different and varies from year to year, but information can typically be found easily with just a few minutes of searching.
If you are planning to elope in any of Washington’s national parks (Mt. Rainier, North Cascades, Olympic) be sure you’re aware of how these places are during busy season, which is typically summer. The parks, especially Mt. Rainier, see high volumes of visitor traffic during these months. Whether during busy season or not, consider eloping on a weekday if possible. This will increase your chances of having more privacy, less traffic or parking, etc.
Choose Your Elopement Location
This can be a really fun stage of the process. If you don’t already have a specific place in mind for where you would like to elope, consider what type of scenery, activities, regions of Washington, etc. you’d like to incorporate in your elopement experience and take it from there. Do you envision having mountains, water, ocean beaches, etc.? Check out this post on the best places to elope in Washington for inspiration.
The cool thing about Washington again is that there is so much wild land and beautiful scenery. The logistics vary between national parks, national forests, BLM land, etc. so this is something to familiarize yourselves with before making a final decision. National parks have different permitting processes compared to state parks or national forests. They’re also more restrictive regarding pets.
For more of a step by step guide take a look at this full post on how to choose your elopement location.
Create Your Planning Process
Pick a location and date
One of these may precedence over the other depending on what you have in mind for your elopement. For example, if you have a chosen date upon which you’d like to elope then you can plan around that. Or, conversely, if you have location specific ideas then your date can revolve around the optimal time for a location.
Hire a photographer
There are a few key components to give thought to as you search for an elopement photographer. Naturally the first among these is simply, do you enjoy their aesthetic style? This includes the mood and vibe of their images, how the couples are portrayed, their editing style, etc. It’s important to select someone who’s work you not only enjoy, but that you feel confident in to help you have a good experience. This includes not only creating good photography but also who you enjoy spending time with. Your elopement experience will be one of your most treasured memories and you want to spend it with people you enjoy. It’s important that trust, confidence, understanding, and simply enjoying each other’s company is present between photographer and couple. Please feel free to contact me here if you’d like to chat about having me photograph your elopement.
Research additional vendors
If you plan to include other vendors such as a florist, hair and makeup, officiant, chef, etc. it’s never too early to begin researching vendors in your elopement area and reaching out.
Book accommodations
This includes everything from flights, lodging, and rental car to any activities you may want to include in your elopement day or trip.
Create task list with due dates
The entirety of planning an elopement from start to finish can seem daunting at times. Breaking things down into segments and taking it one at a time will help you not only be more efficient but mitigate any stress you may otherwise feel.
Create packing list
There can be a lot of things to keep track of when packing for an elopement. Rather than bearing the mental load of trying to remember everything, being unsure of what you’ve done or haven’t, and reducing the chance of forgetting things, creating a packing list once and then referencing it as you prepare is a great option. I have a custom checklist that I share with all my eloping couples to help prepare them for the best experience possible.
Enjoy Your Dream Elopement Come to Fruition
And there you have it! That’s all you need to get started planning an amazing Washington elopement. I hope you found value and inspiration here today. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out and I will do my best to be of service to you. Happy eloping!
Hey, I’m Warren and this is my why behind everything I do!
I believe this is where it all starts and is at the heart of everything, so let me tell you. I have a soft spot for sentimentality and I think love is awesome. I’m so grateful that I discovered photography early in life because I’ve been able to document my own journey in a creative fashion. For that reason, I have a strong passion for giving that same experience to others and take great pride in getting the responsibility of documenting their stories. Each picture has a story or feeling behind it and I love to capture that novelty. Arresting those moments in time allows us to remember and feel more intensely. I know how much I value that and enjoy passing that along to others through photography. I would love to be a part of telling your story.