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Minam River Lodge Elopement: Eight Miles Into Oregon's Eagle Cap Wilderness
Minam feels like a secret you're supposed to keep. Part of us wants to shout about it from the mountaintops, and part of us never wants another soul to find it.
That's partly because you don't just stumble upon Minam River Lodge. You have to make the journey there. And that's exactly why Megan + Austin chose it for their elopement.
A Minam River Lodge elopement for two adventurers
Megan and Austin came to us from Florida, and they love to adventure. They had once hiked through the Italian mountains to a lodge, and they wanted their elopement to feel the way that trip did. So we found them a place you can only reach on foot, on horseback, or by private plane.
How to get to Minam River Lodge
There is no road to Minam River Lodge. The only ways in are hiking eight miles each way, riding in on horseback, or flying in with a private pilot.
We hiked in with Megan and Austin, and everything came on our backs: wedding clothes, camera gear, food, and packs close to 70 pounds. Megan's dress rode in its bag, tied shut with a red phone charging cord, because none of us had a rope. It held. Then we carried it all eight miles back out.
Three days off the grid
No cell service. No Wi-Fi. Mile by mile, the outside world fell away until it was just the mountains, the river, and the people beside us. We spent three days at the lodge, with long meals around a shared table, quiet mornings, and a lot of laughing.
A sunrise elopement by the Minam River
Megan and Austin said their vows at sunrise, just the two of them, barefoot in the river. There were tears, and there was plenty of laughing.
There was no production and no rushing from one thing to the next. Just their vows, the mountains, the river, and the morning light, with enough quiet to feel the weight of what was happening.
Breakfast and a game of cards
After the ceremony, they sat down to breakfast on the lodge deck, still in the dress, and played cards. It was relaxed and unhurried, and exactly the kind of day they wanted.
What we'll remember most
Somewhere between the miles, the meals, the river, and being trusted with something so personal, the line between photographers and clients quietly disappeared. By the time we hiked out, Megan + Austin felt like friends we'd known our whole lives.
This is one of the galleries we're proudest of. Megan + Austin, thank you for trusting us enough to carry a ridiculous amount of gear eight miles to tell your story. Thank you for the miles, the meals, the laughs, and the sore legs.
Planning an adventure elopement in Oregon?
We photograph adventure elopements across Eastern Oregon. If you're looking for a Minam River Lodge elopement photographer who will happily carry a ridiculous amount of gear eight miles, that's us. Send us a message and tell us what you're dreaming up.
Katie + Dustin
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