Bride and groom eloping on a beach in washington state

How to Elope in Washington State in 2025: The Ultimate Elopement Guide

The ultimate 2025 guide on how to elope in Washington

Have you decided on an elopement and are wondering about the process of how to elope in Washington State? You have come to the right place. We’ve created an all inclusive Washington elopement guide that has everything you need – from the logistics to the legal stuff and the most beautiful places to elope in Washington.

Included in this Guide:

Hiking Wedding PIctures
Mount Rainier Elopement Wildflowers

How to legally get married in Washington

First, let’s get the legal stuff out of the way. Washington is a very easy place, legally speaking, to have an elopement. You do not need to be a citizen of Washington State to elope here. All you need is obtain a Washington marriage license at one of our courthouses. It doesn’t even need to be the same county you are having your elopement in! Then, after your ceremony, have an officiant and two witnesses (over 18) sign the license.

Applying for a Washington State marriage license

If you are eloping in Washington you will need to go in person to a county courthouse to apply for a marriage license (don’t forget your photo IDs!). The county you obtain your marriage license from does not need to be the same county you are eloping in.

Washington state has a 3 day waiting period between being issued a marriage license and getting married. (Officially your ceremony needs to be between 3 and 60 days after being issued a license). So, if you are traveling to Washington to elope, you should apply for your marriage license ASAP upon arrival.

Alternatively, you can choose to apply by mail in advance. You would download a copy of the application and have it notarized, then send it into your courthouse of choice. They will mail the necessary paperwork back to you. Be sure to leave enough time for this process, while remaining within the 60 day limit after the license is issued.

Picking up your marriage license

Since you can get your permit from any county, regardless of where your elopement will take place, you should choose the county courthouse that is most convenient to you. Pierce, King, and Clallam counties are popular choices. These courthouses are located on the way to Mount Rainier, in Seattle, and on the way to Olympic National Park, respectively.

Check out King County marriage license FAQs for more information.

P.S. Each courthouse has its own unique decorative marriage license (the one you get to keep). So if that matters to you, Pierce has a photo of Mount Rainier as the background, and Kitsap has a photo of a ferry headed towards the Olympic Mountains.

Artist Point Adventure Wedding Mt Baker
Artist Point Adventure Wedding Mt Baker
couple signs washington marriage license after eloping
couple signs washington marriage license after eloping

How to elope in Washington

Once you have your marriage license in hand and you have waited at least three days, it is time for your elopement!

You will need an officiant and two witnesses (over 18) to sign your marriage license. Anyone can be ordained to perform a marriage ceremony in Washington State. That means you can easily have a friend or family member perform your elopement ceremony! The Universal Life Church is the most popular place to get ordained, and costs less than $50.

You can also hire an elopement officiant to marry you. Most elopement officiants will gladly hike or drive to your chosen elopement location, no matter how remote. We have some great recommendations! For less wild locations, some judges will perform marriage ceremonies outside of a courthouse.

Finally, Darryl Ann is ordained and can say the magic words and sign your paperwork. Or, we can serve as your two witnesses (Darryl Ann just can’t do both at the same time).

Once the official paperwork is signed, someone – usually the officiant – turns it back into the courthouse for processing. After a few weeks, you can request official copies of your marriage license for things like changing your name.

Can I elope in Washington without a marriage license?

You won’t be legally married in the eyes of the law, but you CAN have a vow ceremony and the photos that go along with it! Actually, a lot of couples we work with do the official paperwork and ceremony at a different time or in their home state. Then, they come to celebrate with photos with us! It doesn’t make your elopement experience any less special to do the paperwork another time.

Bend Oregon Elopement Smith Rock
Bend Oregon Elopement Smith Rock
Mount Rainier Elopement Seattle Wedding Photographers
Mount Rainier Elopement Wildflowers

Do I need a permit to elope in Washington?

First and foremost, permits are a must when eloping in national parks or public lands. Each location has specific requirements, such as wedding permits for ceremonies and parking passes for access. A location may also have a guest limit enforced to protect fragile areas and ensure there is enough space for a ceremony without disturbing other visitors.

Mount Rainier National Park and Olympic National Park both require advance planning to secure wedding ceremony permits, so it’s important to research the guidelines early in your planning process. The permit application will ask for a location and number of guests. 

You will also need to purchase a National Park pass ($30 day/$60 year) for entrance and parking in any of Washington’s National Parks. (Note that if you are not having a wedding ceremony inside the national park, a permit is not needed. So, you can enter any park – even dressed in wedding attire – for just photos. You do still need a park pass.)

Additionally, in 2024 Mount Rainier National Park implemented a timed entry permit requirement for the Paradise and Sunrise corridors for entrances between 7am and 3pm. They have not announced yet if they plan to continue the program in 2025. We will update this blog post if new information is announced.

Washington State Parks usually require a permit, and many also require a permit and insurance to be acquired by your photographer as well. A Discover pass ($5 day/$30 year) is also required for each car entering a state park.

While most national forest areas don’t require a permit for a wedding ceremony, be aware that most parking lots and trailheads do require parking passes ($5-$10) per vehicle. 

A seasoned PNW elopement photographer – like us – will be able to help you with navigating permits and the appropriate timing to apply for them. Sometimes, the process can be tricky!

Rainy Olympic National Park Wedding
Rainy Olympic National Park Wedding

When is the best time to get married in Washington?

We love all our seasons in the PNW, and there are benefits and drawbacks to each one. Our mountains and ocean – the things that make eloping here so beautiful – create interesting micro-climates to be aware of. 

For example, you might think of July as the summer, but high elevation areas are often still covered in snow – and roads may be closed – until late in the month. Areas of Olympic National Park get the most rain of anywhere else in the US, which means a rainy or foggy day on the coast can happen almost anytime, even well into the summer.

What is the best season to get married in the PNW?

Our seasons differ between the lowlands (around the coast) and the mountains. Mount Rainier and the North Cascades – especially around Mount Baker – have the shortest summer seasons.

Washington seasons are divided roughly like this:
Spring: March through June
Summer: July through September
Fall: October and November
Winter: December through February (lowland rain and mountain snow)

High elevation areas are likely to have snow on the ground from early October through early July. Some lower elevation mountain areas, like around Snoqualmie Pass in the Cascades and Hurricane Ridge in the Olympics, melt out about a month earlier and accumulate snow about a month later (on average).

Seattle Adventure Elopement Photographers
Artist Point Adventure Wedding Mt Baker

Choosing a date for your Washington elopement

Generally, August and September are the best months for a high-elevation mountain elopement – like Mount Rainier National Park or North Cascades National Park. For a moody Olympic National Park elopement choose a date October through April. If you want a higher chance of a great beach sunset, May through August would be your best bet.

Beware of the chances of wildfire smoke in August and September, and early snowfall in the mountains in early to mid October. 

Alpine wildflower season is beautiful but elusive, usually happening the first couple weeks of August. Same goes for larches in the North Cascades, which typically peak the first couple weeks of October.

How does winter affect mountain elopements in the PNW?

During winter, many locations are not accessible due to road closures. Couples planning to elope in October, November, as well as April through June should pay particular attention to historic road closing and opening dates. Highway 410 near Mount Rainier and highway 20 through North Cascades National Park are the most notable. 

WSDOT has a great page dedicated to major mountain pass opening and closing dates.

Other roads are prone to closing due to weather conditions, like Hurricane Ridge road to Hurricane Ridge and Paradise Valley road between the Nisqually entrance and Paradise at Mount Rainier. Still other roads – like 542, which leads to Artist Point – close the last few miles in the winter, turning a summer drive-up location into a snowshoe trip. This road is usually the last to be cleared of snow and fully opened for the year. (One year, it wasn’t open until August!)

While planning a snowy mountain elopement in the winter may pose some challenges and require flexibility – it is absolutely beautiful!

In Summary:
For a summer mountain elopement, mid July, August and September are best.
If you are looking for dark and moody vibes choose October through April
A snowy elopement would be best November through February
Alpine wildflower season is generally the first couple weeks of August
Larches turn yellow around the first week of October
Beware of snow in the mountains as late as June and July, and as early as October
Winter road closures affect access to some locations, and may stay closed as late as Memorial Day weekend

Deer Park Elopement Olympic National Park Wedding Photographers
Deer Park Elopement Olympic National Park Wedding Photographers
Rainy Olympic National Park Wedding
Rainy Olympic National Park Wedding

Planning for PNW weather

Weather in the Pacific Northwest can be unpredictable, especially in higher elevations, on the coast, or during the shoulder seasons. Always check the forecast and prepare for varying conditions. In summer, bring sunscreen, and layers for cool mornings and evenings. Even sunny August days can cool off drastically in the mountains on on the coast. In fall, pack rain gear and sturdy shoes for muddy trails. 

Your elopement timeline should include buffer time as needed for weather-related adjustments to ensure a smooth experience. But, a little rain will never keep a PNW elopement photographer down!

What time of day should my elopement be?

If photography is a priority to you on your elopement day (especially beautiful ocean and mountain views) you should plan for your ceremony or portraits during golden hour. Golden hour is the hour around sunrise and sunset. 

Sunrise and sunset times vary widely in Washington between the summer and winter seasons. In the summer, sunrise is around 5am and sunset is around 9:30pm. In the winter, sunrise is around 8am and sunset is around 4:30pm. Sunset time is usually the first thing we check when planning an elopement.

Additionally, sunrise and sunset are often the least busy times on trails and in parks. We love the opportunity to avoid crowds as much as possible during an elopement. Especially during the summer, Washington’s natural areas are heavily visited. A weekday sunrise or sunset timeframe is your best bet for fewer crowds.

As Washington elopement photographers, we often have specific timing advice based on your preferred locations and will help you create a timeline for your elopement. We’ve also written a blog post about planning an elopement timeline.

Mount Rainier Elopement Wildflowers
Mount Rainier Elopement Wildflowers

The best Washington elopement locations

Take a look at our blog post all about choosing a location for your elopement in the PNW for more detailed information on how to choose your location. We also have elopement guides for Mount Rainier, Mount Baker/North Cascades, and Olympic National Park.

Likely you’ve traveled all the way to Washington state to elope because you think it’s pretty darn beautiful out here. We couldn’t agree more! We have been photographing elopements in Washington for 10 years and we still can’t get enough of all the incredible locations we have access to.

Washington is generally broken up into 5 areas that are popular to elope in. They are the Olympic Peninsula, Mount Rainier, the Central Cascades, the islands, and Mount Baker/North Cascades. Each area offers something special!

Top places to elope in Washington

Olympic National Park: for trees, ferns, waterfalls, lakes, beaches and mountains. (Seriously, it has it all)

Mount Rainier: for the iconic volcano, alpine lakes, expansive views, and wildflower season.

The Central Cascades: for alpine lakes, unique towns, mountains, and trails for all skill levels.

Mount Baker/North Cascades: for jagged peaks, glaciers, alpenglow, and fall colors. (It’s nicknamed the Washington Alps)

The islands: for rocky coasts, bluffs, forests, cute towns, and sometimes whales.

day after wedding photos at beach
day after wedding photos at beach

Do I need a venue to elope in Washington?

That’s the beauty of eloping in Washington – there is absolutely no need for a venue! You can elope outside for just the cost of your marriage license, entrance fee, and permit. Typically, for less than $200. 

On the other hand, Washington also has some incredible and unique venues that are perfect for an elopement. Sometimes, a venue just makes sense for your plans or your crowd. There are so many elopement venues in Washington that are in beautiful areas, serve unforgettable food, or provide unique lodging options.

Washington elopement venues:

  • TreeHouse Point, Fall City
  • The Corson Building, Seattle
  • Fern Acres, Forks
  • Wellspring Spa, Ashford
  • Agate Beach Lodge, Port Angeles
  • Salish Lodge, Snoqualmie
  • Christianson’s Nursery, Mount Vernon
  • Emerald Forest, Redmond
  • Crystal Mountain, Greenwater
  • Snoqualmie Falls Forest Theater, Snoqualmie
  • Lodges on Vashon, Vashon Island
  • Various rental houses or Airbnbs, Statewide
Mount Rainier Elopement Wildflowers
Mount Rainier Elopement Wildflowers
Christiansons Nursery Wedding Seattle Wedding Photographers
Christiansons Nursery Wedding Seattle Wedding Photographers

Checklist for eloping in Washington

  • Choose a location and time of year to elope
  • Book your elopement photographer (we’d love to be there!)
  • Book lodging, if desired
  • Hire any additional vendors
  • Apply for any necessary permits
  • Find an officiant or ask a friend to get ordained
  • Apply for your marriage license 3-60 days from your elopement date
  • Do the dang thing!
  • Receive once-in-a-lifetime memories and photos
epic photo of bride and groom spraying champagne on beach
epic photo of bride and groom spraying champagne on beach

Hiring a Washington elopement photographer

It is such an honor to be a part of a couple’s elopement. Your photographer(s) and photography experience should enhance your elopement experience, not distract from it. You’ll want an elopement photographer who is knowledgeable about trails, National parks, leave no trace, mountain passes, road closures, weather and all types of locations so they can use that expertise to provide timeline and planning guidance, especially if you are from out of state.

If you are searching for a Washington elopement photographer who will be with you every step of the way, photograph your elopement with intention, and deliver epic elopement photos – we think you’ll love working with us! We have 11 years of experience adventuring and photographing all around the Pacific North West, but especially in Washington.

For more information on eloping in Washington with us, check out our Elopements page. If you have specific questions or want to chat in more detail with us, don’t hesitate to reach out via our contact form.

We would be thrilled to invest our time and experience into the best elopement – and photos – possible for you!

Destination Wedding Photographer Seattle
Bend Oregon Elopement Smith Rock

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