Okay, so you decided you want to elope in Washington, but there’s still so much more to plan like where to stay and how long to book your trip for. But hey, I got your back!

I’m Cherlyn, local Washington elopement photographer who has a knack for planning trips. I’m that friend who plans everything to a T and gets hustling on where to stay, what places to book and everything in-between. Allow me to be your guide to Washington!

In order to figure out where you should stay, let me frame the situation:

1. Find out where you want to elope
2. Find the nearest mountain town or city you want to stay at

Other considerations: travel to/from the airport, other stops you might want to make along the way before or after your elopement, the vibe you want, budget and experience.

Let’s dive in.

Where to elope in Washington

I’ll point you straight to my other blogs if you haven’t decided yet on where to elope in Washington. The quick run down is this: we have 3 national parks in Washington and much of the quieter spots are actually on National Forest land (aka probably no permits required for you).

Mount Rainier National Park has a plethora of easy-access locations to elope at with stunning views of the mountain itself. There’s a variety of lengths of hikes to get you to vistas, waterfalls, lakes, forests, and rivers. Even a few fire lookouts that you can hike to.

If you want to elope in the North Cascades, you’re probably thinking Mount Baker area. Most of the hikes within the North Cascades National Park are actually quite strenuous hikes — it’s not called the American Alps for nothing. But it’s one of my favorite areas.

The Olympic National Park encompasses most of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington and has everything from ocean beaches to mountain landscapes and even alpine lakes and waterfalls. It’s super lush, think green mossy rainforest vibes.

But outside of our national parks, we also have plenty of incredible areas to elope at, primarily in the Cascade Mountains. You could close to the iconic Mount Saint Helens during wildflower season or ski tour to the summit in the winter. The Alpine Lakes Wilderness is a series of incredible lakes near Seattle. My favorite quiet area is the Mountain Loop Highway where a good distance hike gets you to some of the best North Cascade views. There’s so much to explore and choose from!

That’s why I help all my couples narrow down and pick their ideal elopement location. Sometimes you don’t know before you book your photographer and I’m someone who’s had real experience hiking all the trails in Washington so I’m always so stoked to give my personal recommendations to my couples.

Ready to start planning your elopement and pick out your dream location?

 

Where to stay for your Washington elopement

But once you’ve picked an elopement location, how does that factor into where to stay?

Choosing your elopement town

Let’s make this easy. Here’s where you should stay for the different locations you might elope at

North Cascades

• Mount Baker/Artist Point: Ideally Glacier to be the closest with lots of cute Airbnbs but you can also consider as far out as Deming/Maple Falls or even Bellingham, the largest town nearby
• Diablo Lake: There’s not a lot nearby, but consider staying in Concrete for proximity or Sedro-Woolley/Mount Vernon for more amenities
• Washington Pass: Mazama/Winthrop are super cute towns out east and makes for a great getaway
• Mountain Loop: Granite Falls is the best area to stay since Darrington is limited in everything

Central Cascades

• Glacier Peak Wilderness: The best area is likely Leavenworth/Plain
• Alpine Lakes Wilderness: Depending on actual location, you might consider Skykomish or Leavenworth up north or Snoqualmie Pass/Cle Elum/North Bend to the south
• Snoqualmie Valley: Definitely North Bend for proximity, but you could consider Snoqualmie Pass or Seattle

Mount Rainier

• North Access (Sunrise/Carbon River): Enumclaw/Buckley has some options
• Southwest Access (Paradise): Ashford has a lot of cute Airbnbs and is closer to Seattle
• Southeast Access (Naches/East Paradise): Packwood is quiet but a further drive. It does have lots of A-frame cabins

South Cascades

• Mount Saint Helens South: Yale has a few options, but you’ll want to consider Vancouver or Battleground, both easy access from the Portland Airport
• Mount Saint Helens North: Choose Castle Rock for the nearby option. Easy to get to from both Seattle and Portland
• Goat Rocks Wilderness: Packwood is a great town to stay in
• Columbia River Gorge: Depending on where you go, there’s plenty of options from Hood River to Carson to Washougal

Olympic Peninsula

• Lake Crescent: There’s fun cabins by Maple Grove, or you can stay in the bigger town of Port Angeles
• North Coast/Hoh Rainforest: Forks has the most options for the NW corner of the Olympics
• South Coast/Lake Quinault: You can still consider Forks, but Seabrook will have great beach vacation vibes
• Lake Cushman: The community of Lake Cushman is a great place to stay or for a more town-based location, choose Hoodsport
• East Olympic Peninsula: Consider Quilcene or Brinnon

Puget Sound

• San Juan Islands: Stay on the island you’re eloping at!
• Whidbey Island: I recommend staying in Oak Harbor or Anacortes
• Bainbridge Island: Anywhere on the island is great, perfect for a honeymoon destination too

 

What type of lodging should you pick?

I always recommend Airbnb styled because you can have the place all to yourself and not worry about neighbors. It feels more homey and private. That’s why I always give a list of recommended Airbnb options for my couples to choose from based on their elopement ceremony location.

Pick a place that is cute (obviously all my recs are always cute!!) and within your budget, but don’t be afraid to splurge a little. You want to feel at home and relaxed.

If you’re bringing guests, decide if you want to host them in a large airbnb or if you want to be separate with them. For some couples, it’s fun to get ready together in a larger place. For others they want a gals cabin and a guys cabin. For other couples, they want the privacy all to themselves. Anything is okay, there’s no wrong choice.

You can also consider staying in a hotel. But consider also staying at more luxury-style. The whole look good, feel good mentality goes a long ways even for where you stay to set the mood. It is your wedding after all!

How long should you stay for?

No shorter than 2 nights. Period. This is because you want to bookend your elopement day with the same place to stay before and after. This also allows us to have the most flexibility if we are going for a sunrise or sunset hike. The last thing you want to do is check out at 4am or check in at 11pm tired and exhausted and ready to fall into bed.

I recommend booking more nights to allow yourself time to settle before and relax after your elopement, but that is entirely up to you. Many couples like to book extra nights so you have a couple days to explore the area as well. And I concur! Washington is so beautiful and if you’re traveling here, it is worth your while to spend a few more days checking out nearby hikes. I love recommending post-elopement hikes to my couples too!

When booking your trip, you might also want to plan for staying a night in Seattle for your travel days. Some destinations take up 3-4 hours from SeaTac to drive without traffic and you don’t want to feel rushed. I’ve had couples who like to run a few errands in Seattle before arriving to their elopement location. This is a great idea if you want more DIY items for your elopement. Make sure you budget more time than you think so you can still feel relaxed!

Ultimately, where you stay is up to you, but there’s plenty to consider. If you have a hard time deciding, go with your gut and vibes. If you like the city and food, consider staying closer to a bigger town. If you love the forest, definitely stay closer to the trailhead. And above all, prioritize your peace and comfort when picking a place to stay for your elopement.

I hope this helps you plan your elopement! And if you’re already in this stage, you are far ahead of everyone! Have you booked a photographer yet? If not, I’d love to be your photographer and elopement planning friend!

Want to learn more about eloping in Washington? Check out my packages!