A Wahclella falls wedding or Wahclella waterfall wedding: a beautiful alliteration but also a heart-stopping location. We first scouted out Wahclella falls in one of our many explorations of this beautiful state of Oregon and were immediately enamored. Fast forward a few months and finalizing a waterfall elopement location for a couple, I shared some photos with them from our escapades and they said yes to letting Wahclella waterfall be their elopement wedding ceremony location.
How to have Wahclella falls wedding?
Imagine standing before the whisking water dropping from 350 feet into a pool of turquoise blue so rich your eyes feel like they are devouring a feast. The rushing sound filling your ears and trees swaying to the breeze created by such forces of movement through the air. With climbing rocks fallen logs to scale, this area is a natural obstacle course for those who dare to head off-trail into the playgrounds of Wahclella Falls. This, my dear new friends, could be the setting for your Wahclella falls wedding or elopement. So, how to have your wedding here?
Simply, you’ll say yes to skipping the church or courthouse and hire a guide (wink wink: find out more about what we do in our Oregon Wahclella falls elopement packages) who can help navigate all the details, making sure to check on the current permit statutes with Oregon forest service parks. As of 2021, no permits are needed for groups under 20. It’s a small number, but this lovely waterfall cannot host more than 10 cars anyway. There is a $5 parking pass fee which you can purchase ahead of time at recreation.gov. You can find more details about all the rules and regulations on this US forest service website.
What do you need to have a Wahclella Waterfall Wedding or Elopement?
- Make sure you have an officiant (or send a close friend to get ordained with the universal church in just a few minutes).
- Plan a few weeks or days ahead to go to a local county and clerk’s office to grab a marriage license.
- You’ll also want your attire picked out, maybe an elopement wedding dress, flowers if you’d like.
- An Oregon elopement photographer who may also be your guide 😉 (Check out our Oregon elopement packages and learn more how we can help you!)
- Two witnesses, maybe a few close friends.
- Consider any other adventures or ways to make your elopement special
- A elopement wedding timeline so you and your guests know when to be where.
Want more info to plan your Wahclella waterfall elopement? Check out our guide on How to elope in Oregon.
Hand in hand, come to say I do. Remember, it’s your wedding day, so feel free to add in anything else, but make sure it won’t disturb the beautiful sacred place you’re already in and especially make sure it’ll Leave No Trace so others can enjoy this marvelous scene.
How To Get to Wahclella Falls?
You may also be wondering how you get to a Wahclella Falls wedding? You’ll find it nestled in the Columbia River Gorge just east of Portland only about 40 minutes from PDX. Hop on I-84 and head east until exit 40 toward Bonneville Dam, turn right onto Yeon State Park, and there you’ll find a very small parking lot. Make sure to bring your Oregon State Park parking pass or your phone to buy a $5 day pass.
When to have a Wahclella falls wedding
Pro tip: Did you know cloud cover actually makes Oregon prettier. Over the years I’ve discovered cloudy days actually help the color green pop more in photographs which is part of the enchantment of the Pacific Northwest.
Keep in mind summer doesn’t really hit Oregon until late June into August and Spring lasts until early June.
Check out our Oregon Wahclella Wedding packages to learn how we can help you navigate all the details!
If you’re looking or a place to stay, check out our Oregon Airbnb Wedding Venues as we have some great gems for crews of all sizes and this can be a great back up plan for your Wahclella falls wedding!
This story of this Wahclella Falls Wedding
Katie & Jason’s wedding day began at sunrise along the Columbia river gorge among one of the gorgeous cliff sides that were peppered with wildflowers leftover from the springs like fireworks that left kisses of purple and pink for them to dance in. They brought a morning picnic to enjoy some time of peace and exchanged private vows with a moment to dance under the rising sky. They explored around the cliffs and then headed to meet friends for their Wahclella Falls wedding ceremony.
With it being a Saturday at mid-day, the Wahclella waterfall parking lot was full, but thankfully everyone found their spot, and Katie and Jason along with their eclectic crew of friends who had just mostly met for the first time that day joined us on a short hike to the base of the gorgeous Wahclella falls. We found a spot just for them where the crowds weren’t bad and the sound of the rushing water drowned out the number of people scattered around the base and river of this beautiful spot. They exchanged their vows and some beautiful words with all their guests present and then meandered in the river to splash around before heading back down to the cars.
Their evening ended at a park with their two dogs and enjoying sunset by the city riverfront park. To say their day was magical was an understatement. Thank you again Katie & Jason for allowing us to help guide you through an amazing day in planning it all together and documenting it.
If you’d like to see more waterfall wedding ideas check out this waterfall wedding venues blog post!
Want more Oregon Elopement Locations? Check out our guide on the Best Places to Elope in Oregon or this Samuel H. Boardman State Park elopement for more inspo!
Let's Hang Out, Seriously!
Schedule a call with us to get this party started! We’re here to be your elopement day BFF’s and share our expertise through the entire planning process.
We believe in intention over tradition and that your wedding day should feel like you!
Let’s craft a wedding day experience that lets you run wild.
Learn more about hiring us as your Oregon elopement photographers.
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Feeling like you want some extra support right now? We gotcha bb. Check out some of our fave elopement guides we’ve made just for you:
- 🧐Should I Elope Quiz
- Elopement VS Wedding deciding which is right for you
- How to Get Married Without a Wedding for couples that want a different kind of day
- ✨How To Make Your Elopement Special
- ⌚️Elopement Timeline
- 👗Elopement Wedding Dress For Your Outdoor Wedding
- ☑️Elopement Checklist
- 🏠Eloping with Family
- 🧳Elopement Packing List
- 💦Waterfall Wedding Venues
- 🏞Best Places to Elope
Washington Resources
- How to Elope in Washington State
- The Pros and Cons of a Mount Rainier Elopement
- Your guide to planning your Olympic National Park Wedding
- Get to know your Washington Elopement Photographers
Want to see more of the best places to elope in Oregon check out these other Oregon elopement weddings and resources:
- Cannon Beach Elopement Wedding
- Ecola State Park Elopement Wedding
- Samuel H. Boardman State Park Elopement
- Wahclella Falls Elopement
- Airbnb Wedding Venues Oregon
- Tolovana Park Elopement Wedding
- Chill Surfer Wedding
- The Perfect Coastal Elopement
Don’t miss out on How to Elope in Oregon, you’re insider’s guide!
And check out this guide on planning your Oregon Coast Elopement from our sister company.
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