Studio Ostendo operates in multiple creative fields including photography, design, and education.
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It’s hard to go wrong with an elopement in the Pacific Northwest. With amazing locations almost everywhere you go, elopements in Oregon and Idaho are some of my favorites! This spring I worked with my friend over at Wayward Greens Floral to plan a styled editorial elopement in Oregon.
As a photographer in the Pacific Northwest, I love using the natural landscape as inspiration. Driving around the PNW is simply amazing, with so many hidden gems and jaw dropping locations. Sometimes in the midst of working on real weddings with clients, it’s a fun reset to plan an editorial shoot to stretch my creative muscles. I had been itching to visit Leslie Gulch in eastern Oregon, and knew it would be an amazing location for the editorial.
After brainstorming with Samantha from Wayward Greens Floral, we decided to pull wardrobe inspiration with modern lines and a little casual flare to echo the rugged location. Samantha put together some stunning, bold floral arrangements to play off of the red rock canyon walls of the gulch.
Leslie Gulch is truly a hidden gem. A remote location, the dirt road into the canyon brings you right into the towering rock formations. With striking desert hues, rare plant species, beautiful hiking trails, and stunning views, Leslie Gulch is an impressive destination in eastern Oregon. The end of Leslie Gulch road takes visitors to Owyhee Lake.
For the elopement editorial, we used a variety of locations along Leslie Gulch road, and hiked a little ways on Juniper Gulch Trail. As always when visiting amazing locations like Leslie Gulch, it’s important to leave no trace and pack out what you bring in.
If you’re planning to elope in a place like Leslie Gulch or in the Pacific Northwest, consider the following tips:
Unless you’re hoping for snow or more extreme weather conditions, late spring to early fall is a great time to elope in the Pacific Northwest! If you’re visiting Leslie Gulch specifically, watch the weather as flash floods are common and dangerous during wetter parts of the year.
With many amazing natural locations attracting other visitors on the weekends, you have the best chance for a more intimate elopement experience by choosing a weekday (Monday through Thursday). Planning your elopement ceremony within 2-3 hours of sunrise or sunset will usually provide beautiful light. In mountainous areas or locations like Leslie Gulch, the sun will fall behind rock formations much earlier than in wide open areas.
Many of the area’s most beautiful locations are extremely remote. It’s possible you will not have cell phone service (we didn’t at Leslie Gulch), so plan accordingly. Bring water, food, a first aid kit, and any other emergency items you may want along! Some locations, Leslie Gulch included, are best accessed using a four wheel drive vehicle.
The beautiful thing about eloping is that it gives you the freedom to spend the day doing something you love with the person you love—it gives you a wedding experience that’s incredibly personal to you. Incorporate significant locations and details into your elopement. If you have close family or friends, invite them along! While the old connotation of an elopement involved running away to get married in secret, modern elopements are non-traditional, intimate weddings (10 people or less) where couples choose a wedding format and destination focused on experiences and their personal story.
Wondering if an elopement in the Pacific Northwest is for you? Read five reasons to elope here. And if you’re looking for a photographer to capture your elopement in Oregon, Idaho, or another amazing location, I’d love to connect!
Leslie Gulch was a stunning location for this elopement editorial shoot, but here are some other locations in Oregon and Idaho to consider for your elopement. The most important thing is to choose a location that fits your story and desires for your wedding!
Wedding photography is my heartbeat. For me, it holds the perfect tension between creativity and authenticity, observation and connection. In front of my camera clients transform to friends, and behind it you'll usually find me tearing up, cheering you on, or holding my breath because of the raw goodness of the moment at hand.
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