BEND OREGON ELOPeMENT + small wedding LOCATIONS
I would love to help you plan your elopement here in Oregon, so if you have any questions please feel free to reach out.
Summer Locations
White Aspen Creative
White Aspen Creative is a small wedding ceremony and reception venue located in Bend, Oregon. This could be the perfect location for your ceremony or post-ceremony reception.
South Sister
Summer (mid-July-September) is your only option for hiking South Sister. The South Sister Trailhead is located at Devils Lake and costs $5 to park for the day. It’s mostly recommended to leave early in the am. You will want to bring a lunch and plenty of water. The hike is 6 miles each way (12 miles round trip) and a 4820-foot (1469 Meter) elevation gain. In 2021 you will most likely have to obtain a permit to hike to the summit, so be sure to plan ahead. Feel free to contact me for more details on where to get a permit.
Little Fawn Campground
From portraits on the top of a mountain to a campground ceremony, and a nice Airbnb Ranch reception.
Round Lake
Round Lake is just over 1 hour from Bend. You will be on dirt roads for about 15-20 minutes, depending on how you drive. Once you’ve reached the lake you can park just off the road then you will be within 100 yards of the shore. You can find the Google Maps location HERE. The best time of day for photos is closer to sunset. I recommend hitting up good old Google to check the sunset times in Sisters, Oregon to get a better idea of when to have your ceremony. You should be able to access Round Lake from April till November. Of course, that always depends on the amount of snowfall that year. I recommend taking photos or setting up your ceremony site on the east side of the lake. This will give you the lake and Three Finger Jack in the background. Also the most beautiful white trees.
Winter locations
Black Butte Ranch
They have one of the best views of the Oregon Cascades.
Dutchman Flat
Dutchman Flat is located 3o minutes west of Bend in the Deschutes National Forrest and is an amazing elopement location. The Flat is a beautiful setting with the Cascade mountains as an epic backdrop. It is also accessible year-round. I recommend that you buy $5 per day parking permit which can be purchased in these locations in the winter, or at this Ranger Station in the summer. If you’re looking to elope in the snow, then you are pretty much guaranteed to find the show here from December to as late as May.
Smith Rock
Smith Rock State Park is one of Bend Oregon’s most popular Elopement Wedding Location. Probably because the views are so stunning. One you pull into the parking lot you will instantly be in awe of this natural landscape. You feel like you left Oregon and ended up somewhere in Arizona or Utah. Smith Rock is open to the public (for a $5 parking fee) so if you’re wedding is small enough it’s the perfect backdrop for any elopement or small wedding. Things to know. Smith Rock is a State Park so if you have over 20 guests attending your elopement or wedding you will need to contact State Park Manager Scott Brown to obtain a permit. The permits are very reasonable and good to have so your ceremony isn’t interrupted. Permits max out at 75 guests. There is also an amphitheater available if you are wanting to reserve some space of your own, where you will not be bothered.
Elk Lake
Brasada Ranch
Brasada is one of Bend, Oregon’s premier wedding venues and they also offer elopement packages.
WELCHES A-FRAME CABIN NEAR MT. HOOD, OREGON
They rented out Welches A-frame Cabin near Mt. Hood, Oregon, and then planned out a ceremony on the shore of Lake Trillium. The following are the photos from their beautiful day. Welches A-frame is a super cozy Airbnb just down the hill from Mt. Hood. I can’t wait to book my own stay here. Every corner of this cabin is amazing and you can book your stay by CLICKING HERE.
Year round locations
Multnomah Falls + Latourell Falls Falls
Multnomah Falls is open year-round and is always stunning. It's a great place for a ceremony then head to Latourell Falls falls for portraits. Latourell Falls Falls is a bit different than Multmoah, since you can walk right up to the falls. This allows for some really fun portraits. You just have to be a bit careful in the winter when the water is really flowing making quite a mist.
The House on Metolius
House on Metolius is a private ranch 1 hour from downtown Bend. The house overlooks the Metolius River and has a perfect view of Three Fingered Jack. There are also several rooms available for guest to stay during a wedding weekend. You can also pick from a few locations to hold your ceremony and receptions. The roads are also cleared in the winter so you can access the venue year round.
SHEVLIN PARK
Shevlin Park is one of Bend’s most beautiful parks. It is full of Aspen and Pine trees and has a wonderful little river flowing through it. Throughout the year Shevlin goes through many changes, Fall being my favorite season. No matter the season or time of day, you can always get some great portraits. For this reason, it’s a very popular location for small weddings and elopements.
SPARKS LAKE
Sparks Lake is located 40 minutes from Bend, Oregon, and is surrounded by South Sister, Mt Bachelor, and Broken top. You can drive there from the end of May until as late as mid-November. The key to getting an amazing wedding or elopement photos at Sparks Lake is timing. The best time of day for photos (on a clear day) is just before sunset and just after sunset. If you know it is going to be a cloudy day, the light can be good at any time. Sparks Lake can be beautiful year-round, but some months can be better than others. June is the first month that you can most likely guarantee that Cascade Lakes Highway will be open. Also, in June you will probably still have snow on the mountains. July and August can run a risk of being smoky, due to forest fires. A little bit of smoke can create some beautiful light. Too much smoke can be hazardous. In my opinion, the best months are from September to November. October can be especially moody with the weather changing and you may see some snowflakes. In November you can almost guarantee to see some snow in the mountains. There are two main Locations to park at Sparks Lake. The most common parking area is the Day Use Boat launch and the second being the Green Lakes Trailhead. Both locations will require a $5 per day-use parking permit, which you can pay for with cash only on-site. After parking, at Green Lakes Trailhead you will need to carefully walk south across the highway to an amazing meadow. This location has the best view of Mount Bachelor. You can also see South Sister and Broken Top. If you decide to go to the Day Use Area you will find several amazing places along the lakeshore. The lake is very shallow so you will see some breathtaking reflections on a calm evening.
BROKEN TOP MOUNTAIN/CRATER
Broken Top Mountain is one of the best places to Elope in Bend. The hike to the top is relatively easy and the trailhead is only one hour from downtown Bend. The small glacial lake that sits in the crater at an altitude of around 8000 feet. In the summer months, you can drive to the Broken Top Crater Trailhead, and from there the hike takes most hikers around one hour. From the months of November to the end of May the road is usually closed and you will have to park at Todd Lake. Hiking from Todd lake adds quite a bit of time and would probably require an overnight stay. Wake up way before the sun rises (4AM) and hike 1 hour to the top of Broken Top Crater or No Name Lake for a beautiful sunrise. The best time of day for pictures is late in the afternoon, just before the sun hits the peaks and just after. You can also hike up in the dark before sunrise if you are an early riser. Taking photos in the afternoon will give you a longer window for portraits. During the winter months, you can guarantee that the mountains and crater will be covered in snow. Broken Top Crater is wilderness, so it is off-limits to snowmobiles, so you would have to snowshoe from the trailhead. The months of July and August you are pretty much guaranteed to have access to the trailhead. You may still have to travel over a few large patches of snow, but the trail should be very visible. You can also jump in the lake for a short cold swim in July and August. August is also fire season, so there is a strong chance that your hike maybe a little smokey. From mid-September to the end of October, you should plan for some cold or freezing weather after the sun goes down. And by mid-November, the road usually closes. *You will have to fill out a registration card at the trailhead, and your party may not exceed 12.
TUMALO MOUNTAIN
To access the Tumalo Mountain trailhead it is best to park at the Dutchman Flat Snow Park. From the Dutchman parking lot, the hike is less than one hour to the top. The best time of day for photos (on a clear day) is just before Sunrise or at Sunset. You can hike Tumalo Mountain year-round. From late fall to the beginning of June you will most likely be walking through snow.
Let's start planning the rest together! Book your photo and video team with me and I'll share all my favorite vendors to support you on your day from officiants, florists, makeup artists, and hair stylists to everything else you need to plan your Wedding day.
