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A couple smiles at each other in the rain in front of Marymere Falls, Olympic National Park, both wearing wet dark jackets with moss-covered rock walls and lush green ferns in the background.

A Very Rainy Olympic National Park Engagement Shoot

April 13, 2026

A couple laughs and embraces against the base of a massive moss-covered old-growth tree in the Hoh Rainforest, Olympic National Park. She is wearing a cream knit sweater and jeans, he is in a dark jacket and olive trousers, both in sturdy boots. The shot is framed through soft out-of-focus ferns and foliage in the foreground.

Spoiler: you get wet. Also, your photos turn out incredible.

In all my years documenting eloping couples across Washington State, the number one question I get is some variation of “but what if it rains?” And listen, I get it. You’ve been picturing this session for months. You have a vision board. You’ve been checking the weather app compulsively since Tuesday. I see you.

But here’s the thing: my answer is always the same. Be prepared, embrace it, and trust the process. I say that, and I also always hold out hope that it’ll magically clear up by the time we reach the next location. On this particular shoot, it absolutely did not. The rain had zero interest in my optimism. Wishful thinking can only get you so far out here.

Good news though: we came prepared, the photos are stunning, and nobody cried (about the rain, anyway).

A couple embraces and smiles at the camera in the Hall of Mosses, Hoh Rainforest, Olympic National Park, their hair damp from the rain. He is wearing a brown corduroy jacket and she is in a cream patterned knit sweater, both holding each other close. Behind them, moss-draped maple branches stretch across an overcast sky.
A woman smiles down at her hands as her partner leads her through the old-growth forest of the Hoh Rainforest, Olympic National Park. She is wearing a cream patterned knit cardigan over a white lace top, with moss-covered tree trunks and lush green forest visible behind her. Her partner is softly blurred in the foreground, creating depth and a sense of movement through the trees.

What to Pack for a Rainy Engagement Session

Waterproof Boots

Non-negotiable, full stop. The Hoh is full of gloriously muddy puddles and one of the quiet joys of this shoot is walking straight through them while watching other visitors tiptoe around in their white sneakers. Wear the boots. Be the chaos.

Clear Umbrellas

These are genuinely a genius invention and I will not hear otherwise. You stay dry, you look adorable, and because they’re clear, the light comes through beautifully. No weird shadows, no blocked faces. Cute and practical. A rare combo.

Rain Jackets

You won’t need these during the actual shooting since the umbrellas have you covered. But between locations you’re going to want one, unless you enjoy arriving to each spot already completely soaked. No judgment, but also: bring the jacket.

Neutral, Breathable Outfits

Let the forest be the star and dress to complement it, not compete with it. Earthy tones, soft neutrals, comfortable fabrics. Fair warning: it gets incredibly humid in the rainforest even when it’s cold, so layers you can peel off are your friend.

Two people stand on a rain-soaked trail looking up at a towering old-growth Sitka spruce draped in hanging moss in the Hoh Rainforest, Olympic National Park. One carries a yellow backpack and a clear umbrella, the other wears a rust-colored beanie and dark jacket. The tree dwarfs them completely, with sword ferns carpeting its base and the misty forest stretching out behind it.

Where We Actually Ended Up

The original plan was Lake Crescent first, then the Hoh Rainforest, then Second Beach. Ambitious, beautiful, very optimistic of us. Here is how that played out.

Stop 1: Hoh Rainforest, Hall of Mosses, Spruce Nature Trail

We scrapped the Lake Crescent opener when the rain showed no signs of letting up mid-morning and headed straight to the Hoh instead. My logic: at least the forest canopy gives you something resembling shelter. We walked the Hall of Mosses Loop Trail, about 1.1 miles, which is exactly as magical as it sounds. Weeping moss everywhere, trees that look like they belong in a fantasy novel, the whole thing.

A woman laughs with her hair damp from the rain as she gets a piggyback ride through the Hoh Rainforest, Olympic National Park. She is wearing a cream knit sweater and holding on tight as her partner, in a dark brown corduroy jacket, grins with his head down. Moss-covered trees blur behind them, giving the image a joyful, candid energy.
A couple holds hands and faces each other at the base of a towering old-growth Sitka spruce in the Hoh Rainforest, Olympic National Park, the massive moss-covered trunk rising far above them and making them look wonderfully small. He is in a dark jacket and khaki trousers, she is in a cream patterned knit sweater and jeans. The forest floor is carpeted in clover and moss, with more ancient trees and soft mist fading into the background.
A woman gets a piggyback ride through the Hoh Rainforest, Olympic National Park, both of them laughing as she wraps her arms around her partner's shoulders. She is wearing a cream knit sweater and tan leather boots, he is in a dark jacket and olive trousers. Behind them, a sweeping canopy of moss-draped branches fills the entire frame in shades of grey-green.
A couple holds hands and spins through a mossy clearing in the Hoh Rainforest, Olympic National Park, she laughing with her hair swinging and her cream patterned cardigan catching the light. The shot is framed through soft out-of-focus foliage, giving it a dreamy, stolen-moment quality, with towering moss-draped spruce trees and sword ferns filling the background.

From the Hall of Mosses, we looped onto the Spruce Nature Trail, another 1.2 miles of genuinely stunning old growth, with a little detour down to the Hoh River for some variety. The whole thing circles back to the parking lot, so it’s an easy walkabout with absolutely no excuses not to do it.

A couple embraces on the grey rocky riverbank of the Hoh River, Olympic National Park, her dark curly hair and cream knit sweater catching the damp air as he pulls her close. Shot from above at a diagonal, the wet stone riverbed stretches behind them alongside a vivid strip of bright green riverside willows and dark conifers in the distance.
A couple smiles at the camera standing in front of the massive exposed root system of a fallen old-growth tree in Olympic National Park, the gnarled reddish-brown roots towering above them and dwarfing them completely. She is holding a clear umbrella and wearing a black rain jacket, he is in a navy rain jacket, khaki trousers, and a rust beanie. Sword ferns and moss-covered conifers frame the scene on either side.
A couple holds each other close in the rain on the rocky banks of the Hoh River, Olympic National Park, her dark hair soaked and wind-swept as she smiles into his shoulder. Both are in cream and dark knit layers, and the grey-blue river, driftwood, and a wall of bright green riverside willows stretch out behind them. The film-like grain of the image adds to its intimate, romantic quality.
A couple balances on a large driftwood log along the rocky banks of the Hoh River, holding hands as one leads the other across. They are tiny against an expansive moody landscape of grey pebble riverbank, bright green riverside willows, a dense wall of mist-shrouded old-growth conifers, and a flat overcast sky that takes up nearly half the frame.

Stop 2 (the pivot): Marymere Falls at Lake Crescent

When we left the Hoh, it was clear the rain was not going anywhere. Our original plan to hike out to Second Beach quietly died. Second Beach is stunning but it is also brutally exposed and extremely windy on a good day. Rain plus wind plus beach equals miserable, and miserable is not the vibe we’re going for. So we made the call, let it go, and headed to Lake Crescent instead. The Marymere Falls trail is about a mile through gorgeous tree cover, not unlike the Hoh, and it deposits you at a legitimately beautiful waterfall. Honestly? It might have been better than Second Beach. Key word: might.

A couple embraces on a rain-soaked wooden viewing platform at Marymere Falls, Lake Crescent, Olympic National Park, she smiling contentedly with her eyes closed as he holds her from behind. Both are in dark rain jackets and waterproof boots, standing in a muddy puddle without a care. Marymere Falls cascades down a moss-covered cliff face through dense sword ferns in the background.
A couple smiles at each other in the rain in front of Marymere Falls, Olympic National Park, both wearing wet dark jackets with moss-covered rock walls and lush green ferns in the background.

The big takeaway from a day like this is not to plan on the weather. Go in with zero expectations, a solid backup plan, and the willingness to scrap the whole itinerary if you need to. Do that, and you will genuinely never leave disappointed. The rain didn’t ruin this session. It made it exactly what it was supposed to be.

Ready for your possible rainy adventure? Engagement sessions are included in two of my elopement packages!

A couple smiles at each other in the rain in front of Marymere Falls, Olympic National Park, both wearing wet dark jackets with moss-covered rock walls and lush green ferns in the background.

Reach out to start planning your Olympic National Park elopement today.