Shore Acres State Park Elopement
Dee + Kevin
Shore Acres State Park
Coos Bay, Oregon
Dee + Kevin eloped in a secluded cove on the southern Oregon coast with their closest friends and family. Shore Acres State Park was a stunning backdrop and the ever-changing November weather kept us on our toes with rolling clouds, rain, and sunshine. We absolutely loved it!
Dee + Kevin had been dreaming of having a Pacific Northwest elopement since their engagement in 2020 but with all of their family being out of state they wanted to wait until they could safely travel to Oregon and be a part if their intimate celebration. As traveling nurses, they’ve been able to explore many of the jaw-dropping landscapes around the PNW, but after recently being posted up in Coos Bay and discovering the scenery of the Southern Oregon coast they knew that was the place.
We began the day at a rustic lakeside cabin where everyone was enjoying a chill morning, slowly getting ready and soaking in the time together. It was such a quintessential, fall PNW day, which was exactly what they were hoping for. The air was calm and the clouds were lingering in the foothills, it was so beautiful that when we set out for Shore Acres we had to pull over on the side of the road and snap a few frames because it was just too good! When we arrived the sun was rolling in and out and you could smell the rain that was about to come in off the ocean. A huge benefit to having a November elopement in Oregon is that the parks are much less crowded. This definitely worked in our favor as we had the entire park to ourselves! After their cliffside first look, we popped open our umbrellas and took the short trail down to Simpson Beach for their ceremony. By the time we our feet hit the sand, the rain had stopped and the sun began to peak out, creating a beautiful glow just in time for them to read their vows. We strolled around the sandstone cove and back up into the woods just in time for a burst of golden hour light to illuminate the trees and make Dee + Kevin’s Pacific Northwest elopement dreams come true! We had the absolute best time capturing this southern Oregon coast elopement and are so thankful that we got to be part of such a fun, loving celebration with these incredible humans!
About Shore Acres State Park on the Southern Oregon Coast
We haven’t spent a ton of time on the southern Oregon coast but after this experience that is definitely going to change! We were blown away by the beauty of this Oregon state park and fascinated by it’s history.
Located on Cape Arago Highway, 13 miles West of Coos Bay, Oregon, Shore Acres State Park is perched on craggy sandstone cliffs high above the ocean, offering spectacular views of the rugged seascape from the scenic bluff at the top of the park, a secluded ocean cove at Simpson beach below, and a formal garden with plants and flowers from all over the world. It was originally the private estate of lumberman and ship-builder, Louis J. Simpson, where he built a luxurious mansion for himself and his wife in 1906. After a fire in 1921, Simpson began to build an even bigger mansion but due to financial losses from the Great Depression, it fell into disrepair and was purchased by the state of Oregon in 1942 to be restored and used as a public park.
The variety of backdrops, accessibility of getting to and walking around the park, as well as its proximity to all of the amenities in town and other camping and hiking areas make Shore Acres the perfect spot for an intimate PNW elopement.
Enjoy taking a look through this Shore Acres State Park elopement and reach out to start planning your adventurous Oregon elopement!