How to Add a Beach Session to Your Redwood Elopement (Northern California + Southern Oregon Coast)

Couple standing on a coastal overlook above a secluded Oregon beach with sea stacks and Pacific Ocean views

Some places hold you in stillness.
Some places open you up.

The Redwoods do both.

And the coastline does too, just in a different way.

One of our favorite ways to build an elopement day for our couples in Northern California is to pair a Redwoods ceremony with a coastal portrait session, often along the Southern Oregon Coast. Forest first. Ocean later. Or ocean at sunrise, forest after.

It creates a day that feels slow, spacious, and layered, without feeling overpacked, and leaves room for travel time, changing light, and presence in each place.

If you’re already dreaming of a Redwood elopement, adding a beach session is one of the simplest ways to expand the experience without complicating it.

Why Redwoods + Coast Work So Well Together

Couple embracing between towering sea stacks during a southern Oregon coast beach session

Redwood ceremonies almost always photograph best earlier in the day.

The forest is dense. Light filters in from above and from the sides. When the sun gets too low, the forest floor can go very dark very fast.

Beaches are the opposite.

They shine at golden hour.
They glow at sunset.
They soften at sunrise.

When you combine the two:

You get soft, even light in the forest
You get open sky and horizon light at the coast
You avoid rushing
You experience two completely different environments in one day

It feels intentional, not busy.

A simple flow looks like:

Option A
Morning or early afternoon ceremony in the Redwoods
Break + travel
Sunset portraits at the beach

Option B
Sunrise beach session
Coffee + slow morning
Late morning or early afternoon ceremony in the Redwoods

Both work beautifully.

Gold Bluffs Beach (Bonus: Fern Canyon)

Bride walking through grassy sand dunes on the southern Oregon coast

Gold Bluffs Beach sits right along the edge of the Prairie Creek Redwoods area, which makes it one of the easiest ways to combine forest and coast in the same part of the day.

What we love about this pairing:

Wide, open beach
Dark sand
Dramatic weather shifts
Easy to stack with Prairie Creek or Fern Canyon

You can exchange vows among towering trees, then drive a short distance and end your day with the Pacific in front of you.

On clear evenings, the sun drops straight into the ocean. On foggy days, the mist wraps everything in softness. On overcast days, the light is even and quiet.

There isn’t a wrong version.

Fern Canyon is a great optional add-on if you want a short walk through lush, mossy walls and trickling streams before or after portraits.

This combo works especially well in October and April, when light is low and moody and the crowds are thinner.

You can see an example of how we approach a forest ceremony with Gold Bluff Beach in this Prairie Creek Redwoods elopement.

College Cove (Trinidad State Beach)

Bride and groom kissing at sunset on College Cove Beach in Trinidad California

Couple walking along the shoreline toward sea stacks at College Cove in Trinidad California

College Cove is one of our favorite sunset beaches on the southern end of the Redwoods region.

It’s tucked into a rocky cove with:

Sea stacks
Large boulders
Soft sand
Filtered light that moves in pockets

As the sun lowers, light slips between the rocks and reflects off the wet sand, creating natural beams and glow without needing anything staged.

It pairs especially well with:

Prairie Creek Redwoods
Redwood National and State Parks ceremony spots
Intimate gatherings with a handful of people

Forest first.
Beach last.

It feels like an exhale.

This Prairie Creek Redwoods and College Cove wedding day is a great example of how forest and coast can live together in one experience.

Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor in Southern Oregon (Near Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park)

Couple embracing in shallow water along the Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor

Couple running through ocean waves on the southern Oregon coast

Couple laughing and splashing in the surf along the Samuel H. Boardman coastline

If you’re eloping in Jedediah Smith Redwoods, one of the best-kept secrets is how close you are to the Southern Oregon Coast.

Less than an hour north, the coastline changes.

Bigger cliffs. Wilder rock formations. Hidden coves.

The Samuel H. Boardman corridor is full of small pull-offs and tucked-away beaches, including areas near Secret Beach and other lesser-known stretches of coast. We’ve spent time exploring the scenic corridor and its many trails and viewpoints, and can help recommend locations that fit the pace, privacy, and feel you’re drawn to.

This pairing creates a day that feels incredibly diverse:

Ancient forest → rugged coastline

It’s a favorite for couples who want their elopement to feel like an experience, not just a ceremony.

A Little Further North: Gold Beach

Moody coastal landscape at Gold Beach Oregon with sea stacks and drifting mist

Sunlight streaming through sea stacks at Gold Beach Oregon during sunset

Gold Beach is farther, but worth mentioning if you’re open to a slightly longer drive or splitting your elopement across two days.

The coastline here feels wide and raw, with long stretches of sand and dramatic headlands.

We’ve spent personal time photographing here, and it’s consistently beautiful in:

April
October
Windy days
Foggy mornings
Overcast afternoons

Sometimes it’s sunny.
Sometimes it’s misty.
Sometimes the weather shifts three times in an hour.

It all photographs beautifully.

Sunrise vs. Sunset: Both Are Worth Considering

Soft pastel sunrise over the southern Oregon coastline

Person walking through grassy dunes at dusk on the southern Oregon coast

Sunset on the Coast

Sun drops over the Pacific
Warmer tones
Sea stacks create natural framing
Great after a Redwoods ceremony

Sunrise on the Coast

Fog often lingers
Fewer people
Soft, diffused light
Easy to move into the forest afterward

We help couples choose based on:

Time of year
Ceremony location
Desired pace
Whether they want a slow morning or a slow evening

There isn’t a right answer. Just different rhythms.

What This Kind of Day Actually Feels Like

Flatlay of instant film photos from a redwoods elopement and beach session arranged on moss and forest floor

Not rushed.
Not overly structured.
Not built around a checklist.

More like:

Coffee together
Getting dressed slowly
Standing under trees
Driving with the windows down
Watching the light change
Ending with your feet in the sand

It feels like spending a day in a beautiful place with the person you love.

Which is kind of the whole point.

Can You Combine a Redwood Elopement and Beach Session in One Day?

Sea stacks and rugged coastline along the Southern Oregon Coast near the redwoods

Couple walking along the beach at sunset after their redwoods elopement

Yes. And in many cases, it’s one of the best ways to experience both environments without feeling rushed.

Redwoods are at their best earlier in the day. The light filters softly through the canopy, the forest feels quiet, and the atmosphere stays cool and even. Beaches, on the other hand, come alive toward sunset. Open horizons, low sun over the Pacific, mist in the air, and sea stacks catching light in pockets and beams.

Because many of the Redwoods locations pair naturally with Northern California and Southern Oregon coastlines, the drive between forest and coast often becomes a gentle transition rather than a hard shift. You move from shaded greens to open sky. From stillness to salt air.

A typical flow might look like:

Morning or early afternoon ceremony in the Redwoods
Portraits in the forest afterward
Drive toward the coast
Sunset beach session or coastal portraits
Optional casual gathering or dinner afterward

This structure creates space for both presence and variety. You’re not cramming locations into a tight window. You’re letting the day unfold.

It also works beautifully in lower-light months like October and April, when the forest stays soft and beaches often bring fog, clouds, or glowing overcast skies. Sometimes it’s windy. Sometimes it’s misty. Sometimes the sun breaks through. It’s always different, and always worth leaning into.

If you’re drawn to both towering trees and open coastline, you don’t have to choose between them. You can build a day that holds both, in a way that feels unforced and true to how you want to experience your wedding.

Bride walking along the Southern Oregon Coast beach in her wedding dress

Couple holding their dog during an intimate beach elopement on the Southern Oregon Coast

A Few Pairings We Love

These combinations work well because the drive times are reasonable, the light patterns complement each other, and each place offers a very different feeling without feeling disjointed.

Prairie Creek Redwoods + Gold Bluffs Beach
A classic pairing. Quiet forest ceremony, then open sand, waves, and wide sky. Gold Bluffs often has mist hanging low near sunset, which creates soft contrast and beautiful depth.
Prairie Creek Redwoods + College Cove (Trinidad)
Ceremony among the trees, then a drive south toward the coast for a more rugged, cinematic shoreline. College Cove’s sea stacks and rocky edges create pockets of light as the sun drops.
Jedediah Smith Redwoods + Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor (Southern Oregon Coast)
One of our favorite ways to create a diverse-feeling day. Lush, mossy forest in the morning, then dramatic cliffs, coves, and hidden beaches along the Oregon coast for sunset.
Jedediah Smith Redwoods + Gold Beach, Oregon
A little farther, but incredibly worth it if you want expansive shoreline, foggy headlands, and fewer people. It pairs beautifully with Jedediah’s dense, intimate forest feel.

All of these allow you to experience two completely different landscapes in one day, without forcing the timeline or sacrificing the quality of light.