A local’s insight into the Oregon Coast climate and tourist crowds so you can have the best experience for your elopement or wedding day.
The date you chose to get married can make a big difference in your experience. There’s a lot of factors and it will come down to whatever pieces are going to help you have the best day.
If you come visit in the winter, you’ll find empty beaches but probably a lot of rain. If you come on a summer weekend, the beach will be packed but the weather will likely be fantastic. It’s all about balancing your priorities to get the best of both worlds.
If you want the simple answer, the best time to elope or get married on the Oregon Coast is September and October.
This is the window of time where most of the tourists are gone because school has started but the weather is still nice. September is especially perfect where October starts to see a bit of rain but nothing like the winter months to come.
These months are far from the only good time to get married on the Oregon Coast. If you’re looking to dive into all your date options, this blog is going to cover ALL the things that can affect your experience based on what anniversary date you choose. You can get married any time of year here so long as you either make backup plans for rain or schedule your day in a way that helps you avoid crowds.
Weather and climate on the Oregon Coast
How location affects weather
Tourist season
Weekdays vs. weekends
Tide cycles
Oregon Coast Seasonal Weather
The Pacific Northwest is known for its rainy conditions. The same rain showers, that aren’t always our favorite, are the same reason the forests here are so stunning. You’ll also find we spend far from all our time in the rain and there’s lots of ways to ensure you get great weather for your day.
November-March are our peak rain months. June-September tend to be the driest part of the year. The change in rainfall is gradual through the year. It will progressively get rainier through the fall, peak in the winter, and slowly become less rainy as we approach summer. That leaves us with a shoulder season that’s not nearly as stormy while still having sporadic showers. Also keep this in mind when you pick the edges of each rainy/sunny season. Your odds of rain will directly correlate how close you are to either of the peak seasons.
Even when rain feels inevitable, it doesn’t rains all day often. It takes a pretty serious storm to keep a constant, dense rain all day. Rain isn’t something that should scare you off. There’s plenty of ways to prep and plan for it. If you’re eloping, you especially have flexibility and can adjust the events of your day to avoid rainy sections of the day.
A serious perk of the Oregon Coast climate: there’s a very low chance you’ll deal with forest fire issues.
There’s not a zero percent chance but in all my years of living here, I’ve only had a handful of smoky days on the Oregon Coast. Our wind comes off the ocean and there’s, obviously, no forest fires out there. The wet conditions and coastal climate also make it difficult for fires to start near the beach. Unfortunately, forest fires are becoming more common and fire season is getting longer and longer. If fire is a stress for you, the Oregon Coast will be able to alleviate those fears.
How Location Affects the Weather
If you think about Washington State versus Southern California, you know they have wildly different climates. The same concept impacts the Oregon Coast. The further south you go, the nicer the weather is.
This makes Brookings (the last town on the Oregon Coast before California) the “banana belt” of the Oregon Coast. The further north you go, the longer the rainy season and a higher chance of inclement weather in the off season. I’ve lived in both Brookings and Tillamook (much further north than Brookings) so I’ve seen it live. In Brookings, October is often entirely rain free. In Tillamook/North Oregon Coast area, the rain starts to pick up in the last half of October. The difference isn’t as significant as WA vs. CA but it is a noticeable difference.
If you want an anniversary during the rainy season or that’s the window of time you have, I’d recommend going to the Southern Oregon Coast for your wedding. It still rains plenty on the Southern Oregon Coast but you’re more likely to luck out with a nice weather day there than further north in places like Cannon Beach.
Tourist Season
Peak tourist season on the Oregon Coast is May through August. During these months, beaches are busier, vacation rentals are more booked out, and local businesses are busier. This also translates into other folks getting married. Vendors’ calendars are more full, venues are busier, and you’re more likely to run into folks getting their wedding photos at the same locations as you.
Coming during the slow season will give you less crowds but a higher chance of inclement weather. While it’s great to have the beach to yourself, there’s other ways you can avoid crowd that won’t involve fighting the elements.
Potentially even more important than the month is the day of the week. There will be significantly more people on the beach on weekends compared to weekdays regardless of the month you’re here. I like to recommend Tuesday through Thursday to avoid the handful of long weekend folks as well. It’s also good to avoid holidays like Memorial Day weekend and Fourth of July.
Time of day will also impact crowds. Many people wrap up their day around dinner time when on vacation. Sunrise and sunset are great times to be at the beach for both lighting and crowds. If it’s an especially popular location, sunrise will work wonders on how many folks will be there.
Consider hiring a local photographer who can give you all the hidden gem locations so you can avoid crowds even more effectively. If you found the place on Pinterest, so have many, many other couples. Some places will always be busier than others and a local with experience in the area can guide you to the best locations.
How Tides Affect Your Wedding
One of the most forgotten pieces when picking an elopement or wedding date for the Oregon Coast are the tides.
Some of the popular Oregon Coast beaches you find on Pinterest are not accessible for days at a time because of the tides.
If you have a specific location in mind, you’re going to want to make sure to pick a date that will allow you to safely visit. For this, I’d recommend leaning into whoever you hire as your photographer. I’d recommend hiring someone with experience in the Oregon Coast so they can guide you on what the tide heights mean and how it affects the locations you’re interested in. Some places you can visit at any tide and others are only safe about 50% of the time.
If you’re checking out the tides on your own, the best thing to do is visit your location the day before at the same tide as when you’ll be there (the tides are slightly different every day). You can find apps and websites with tide charts that show the tide throughout the day instead of just the highs and lows. This will show you the beach at a similar tide height and also similar weather (waves are much more active in the winter which affects how high the water goes). Remember that all high and low tides are NOT created equal. Each low and high tide is a different height and takes place at a different time every day.
To learn more about tides, check out this blog about tide pooling which features a section on tides!
Feeling a bit overwhelmed by deciding your wedding date? I’m an elopement and micro wedding photographer specializing in the Oregon Coast and this is something I help my couples with often. Finding a local professional can make a huge difference in helping you make these decisions. It can be overwhelming to figure this all out yourself. Free up this stress so you can plan all the other details of your day instead.
Check out my home page for more information on my elopement packages or contact me here to start planning your day!
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