Table of Contents:
- 10 Unique Elopement Ideas for a One-of-a-Kind Celebration
- More Washington Elopement Tips + Inspiration
Who says your elopement has to take place either at the top of an epic mountain or in a tiny Las Vegas chapel? I wanted to break free of the stereotypical elopement options and give you 9 unique places to elope, from haunted houses to old mansions to historical buildings and MORE. Trust me – you won’t want to sleep on these fun ideas to help make your day totally, completely, 100% unique.
When you hear the word “elopement,” what do you think of?
Maybe your mind automatically goes to running off to a tiny Vegas chapel to get drunkenly married or you think of “adventure elopements” that you’re always seeing in the Pacific Northwest, where couples hike 10 miles to say their vows.
Now neither of those are bad or wrong – in fact, no form of elopement is right or wrong, in general! Elopements are all about celebrating in a way that feels most authentic to you and your love. They allow you to celebrate your truest selves in a way that you’ll remember for the rest of your lives. Who says elopements have to be limited to either epic adventure elopements or spontaneous elopements when you’ve had a little too much to drink?
In this blog post, I want to open your mind a little bit to all of the possibilities that are out there. Truly, they are endless! If you love the idea of eloping but don’t necessarily want to hike a bunch or you’re not a fan of walking through the mountains in your elopement attire, that’s okay! This is your permission to celebrate how YOU want to. To release any pressure to conform to some sort of trend or way of eloping that other couples chose.
Haunted hotels? Check. Mansions? Check. Weird af Airbnb’s? Check.
We’re getting spooky and eccentric today with our elopement location options, and I am so here for it. I hope you are, too.
Unique + Fun Elopement Location Ideas
Real quick, let’s just start off by brainstorming a list of unique elopement location ideas that you could use for your elopement day. Whether that be your getting ready location, where you hold your ceremony, or where you simply take some portraits of the two of you looking fire in your elopement outfits.
The possibilities are endless – these are just a few to get your ideas flowing!
Here are some unique places you could elope:
- Old, historical buildings
- Haunted houses/hotels
- Airbnb’s/VRBO’s
- Cabins
- Glamping sites/airstreams/campers
- Ferries/boats
- Breweries
- Lighthouses
- Castles
I cannot even put into words how incredible it would be to hold your elopement at a castle. Or at a spooky haunted hotel with ghost friends peeking around the corner as you say your vows 😉
Eccentric Elopement Locations on the Olympic Peninsula
Now, let’s go through some specific places along the Olympic Peninsula that I’d love to see couples choose for their elopements! There are quite a few haunted hotels in Port Townsend that I’ve included below that would be so fun to explore and take spooky photos in. Especially in the fall around Halloween!
1. Fort Worden Historical State Park | Port Townsend
We’ll start off with a historical state park located in Port Townsend that was used 100 years ago to train troops and officers defending the Puget Sound from invaders. Built between 1898 and 1917, Fort Worden features beautiful beachfront views and over 400 acres of land along the northeastern side of the Olympic Peninsula. There’s LOTS of history and culture within this park, from the 1914 Point Wilson Lighthouse to the restored Victorian-era Officers’ homes. Who doesn’t love photos in front of a good old lighthouse?
The buildings in the park are beautiful, reminiscent of old Victorian homes surrounded by lush fields and coastal trees. Views of the water are obviously stunning, with some sandy areas you can explore, as well as
You’ll need a Discover Pass to park at Fort Worden’s beaches, trailheads, and view areas since it’s a state park, which you can get either at a pay station or online in advance. You can either get a day-use pass for $10 or an annual pass for $30, with a small additional fee if you buy online using a debit or credit card. If you park in the upper campus, you won’t need a pass!
2. Manresa Castle Hotel | Port Townsend
The Manresa Castle Hotel in Port Townsend is an absolutely magnificent castle that was completed all the way back in 1892, and was a home to a prominent local businessman and his wife. It was built to be the largest private residence in the town, with design inspiration taken from Prussia! The spookiest part of this beautiful structure is that after the husband died & his wife remarried, the castle was left empty for nearly 20 years besides one caretaker! (Who knows what happened in those 20 years?)
There have been multiple different owners since then, and new fixtures have been added to the castle as time passed. Yet the Victorian elegance is still ever present and a beautiful sight to see. Included in those classic old time-y Victorian features are some ghost stories, of course. It’s said that rooms 302, 304, and 306 are haunted by two resident ghosts. One monk who died in the attic of the castle and one woman who had been waiting for her love to return from the war. Legend goes that once she found out that he died in the war, she jumped out of the window and died, only to come back and haunt the room she stayed in.
Those stories along with the spooky happenings of the castle such as glasses turning upside down & things exploding make for the perfect haunted stay for your elopement. Yes, that’s right, you can book a stay for yourselves at the castle hotel! Who wouldn’t want to stay here over a traditional hotel or Airbnb without some lovely little ghosts to keep you company?
3. The Cellar Door | Port Townsend
The Cellar Door is a wonderful speakeasy venue in Port Townsend, featuring live music, craft cocktails, delicious food, and plenty of Port Townsend history. Sip on cocktails such as the “Witch Doctor,” which features rye, Strega (an Italian herbal liqueur), maraschino, lime, and a brandished cherry. Plus a fair share of mystic healing and spells of old, of course. Talk about my kind of cocktails!
Complete with a full menu of unique mixed drinks, mouthwatering dishes, and classic speakeasy vibes under dim lights. The Cellar Door would be a phenomenal place to hold an intimate evening with your loved ones after you say your vows.
4. The Palace Hotel | Port Townsend
If you follow me on Instagram, you probably saw me post a ton of ghost photos last year around Halloween. These photos of the lovely Danielle were taken at the Palace Hotel, a magnificent, restored Victorian hotel in Port Townsend! We had THE most fucking fun time shooting spooky photos in rooms at the hotel, playing around in the bathtub, with old curtains, gold mirrors, even in a little library. This was absolutely one of my favorite shoots of all time – we got to explore, have fun
Side note: make sure you give Danielle a follow on IG. She and her partner Donovan are the most badass tattoo artists in town!
5. Naval Elks Lodge | Port Angeles
The Naval Elks Lodge is a historical building located right here in Port Angeles. Dreamed up all the way back in 1896 and built in 1927. The vintage vibes are aplenty. You can even hold your larger wedding here as it has space that can be used for weddings! But truly this building is just a fun spot for some old-time-y elopement portraits right in downtown Port Angeles. Whether you head into the ballroom, the g room, the boardroom, or just like to see it from the outside.
6. Ezra Meeker Mansion | Puyallup
The Meeker Mansion is a historic house in Puyallup. Built by a pioneer and his wife, that’s now been restored and preserved, offering all sorts of tours + fun mansion adventures. You will love this Italian-style Victorian home and its beautiful tiling, fireplace, mantles, ceiling paintings, stained glass windows, and even functioning speaking tubes and mouthpieces! Whether you’d like to take a self-guided tour or book one with your friends and family, learning about the history of this mansion is fascinating and so is admiring its old beauty.
7. Thornewood Castle | Lakewood
This one you might have heard of – Thornewood Castle is a popular site to visit in Lakewood, WA. It was built over 500 years ago and offers all the Tudor Gothic architecture you could dream of. This private castle is absolutely enchanting, located right on the shore of American Lake. It features romantic English gardens, 16th-century stained glass windows, and so much history. You’re able to host your wedding or event here, as well as stay overnight or rent the space for a vacation. Truly what could be better than holding your wedding in a castle and getting to enjoy this stunning architecture + history with your loved ones?
8. WA State Ferries
Yes, you can absolutely get married on a ferry! Why not invite your loved ones to travel to/from one of Washington’s beautiful islands and tie the knot on the ferry journey over? Maybe you want to head to Orcas Island for a weekend elopement with your best friends, or you’re taking a trip to Whidbey Island with all of your loved ones. Say your vows as you cross the water for a super unique and let’s face it, romantic af elopement ceremony. Doesn’t it sound like something out of a Nicholas Sparks novel?
9. Vintage + Funky Airbnb’s | Port Angeles
Finally, I can’t recommend enough finding a unique Airbnb to stay in for your elopement. If you find one that you love and has enough room to relax, you can even hold your ceremony in it and invite your loved ones over to celebrate with you! Port Angeles is packed with funky vintage Airbnb’s & unique homes. I wrote a whole blog post dedicated to sharing them with you. Check out my favorite 30 Vintage + Funky Airbnb’s in Port Angeles that are perfect for your elopement, or even just to rent for a weekend when you need a little escape!
10 Unique Elopement Ideas for a One-of-a-Kind Celebration
Now that you’ve got plenty of unique Washington elopement locations up your sleeve. You might be looking for more one-of-a-kind ideas to help you celebrate in your truest, most authentic form. Head over to my blog post where I go through 10 Unique Elopement Ideas for a One-of-a-Kind Celebration for my favorite ways to make your special day just that: yours!
More Washington Elopement Tips + Inspiration
Need even more elopement tips, resources, and real-life inspiration? I’ve got plenty – take a look at some of my favorites below:
