Maine Elopements: Where to Elope and Why
The most asked question when planning to elope— whether it’s the two of you or your eloping with family and friends is:
Where on earth do we go? Where should we elope?
Maine is one of the most fantastic and beautiful places to elope on the East coast. Maine, the Vacationland, has an abundance of woods, coastal views, rustic farms, even desert to top this state off. Anyone can elope in Maine and anyone can make thier elopement feel like their own.
Why Elope in Maine
The key to a successful elopement is to find a place where you feel the most at home.
You want to feel comfortable, confident, and truly in love with the place that you elope. You can love the views and where the sun sets in the summer evening. But, you want meaning behind why you chose this place to have these moments. Although, that does not mean you have to have been there before. Many of my previous couples have chosen places like Acadia National Park because they have never been there before and that gave them a sense of adventure — something they both valued.
Some couples find that they want to go back to a place where they first met or had memories together in this place. Using this sense of place makes your Maine elopement hold value and, therefore, memories and purpose.
The Maine Coast
But, wait…where do we elope in Maine?
Luckily, Maine is full of breath taking places no matter what you are looking for. I will tell you all of the most promising locations that I have photographed and why you should elope there.
York Harbor Beach, Maine — Riley and Evan’s Elopement just the two of them!
ACADIA NATIONAL PARK
Acadia National Park is one of the most popular Maine locations to elope in the state and for a reason! A little over half way up Maine’s coastline, Acadia has some of the most outstanding views for your elopement day. Acadia’s Beehive Trail is one of my favorite hikes and has one of the best views of Maine’s Northern coastline. From that view, you can also see Sand Beach where you can hike to Otter Point and Cliffs. This is a beautiful location for you to plan a picnic and portraits afterwards. While there are endless combinations of how you could arrange your elopement day, I find that the 2-day elopement works best when exploring Acadia National Park. This way, you are able to take your time, relax, have those momentous moments on top of mountains, or strolling into Bar Harbor to get “something blue”.
CAMDEN HILLS STATE PARK
Camden Hills is one of the most charming coastal towns in Maine. From skiing to hiking to sailing, Camden really has it all when it comes to finding a perfect place to Elope in Maine. A sunrise elopement is a perfect for Camden’s Mount Battie. Spending the early hours of the morning hiking with your headlights to guide you (and trail heads of course) and making it to the top for sunrise and hot coffee before your vows— that sounds like a dream to me. Afterwards, there are plenty of cozy and classy Restaurants, Inns, even Schooner Rides to book for your family and friends to join you (listed below).
Restaurants: Long Grain, Fresh & Co, 40 Paper, River Ducks Ice Cream, and so many more!
Inns: The Country Inn, Glen Cove Inn & Suites, 16 Bay View, Grand Harbor Inn, and even more than restaurants!
Schooner Rides: Schooner Surprise, Schooner Olad & Cutter Owl, Schooner Lazy Jack Camden
KITTERY POINT
Not only is Kittery the town I live in and home for me, eloping here with your family, will make you feel at home too. Kittery is full of numberous places to have your Maine Elopement. While Kittery is the most South you can go in Maine— Yes! There still is lobster!
Elopement Locations in Kittery: Fort Foster, Seapoint Beach, Fort McClary, and more!
Reception Locations in Kittery: Pepperrell Cove, Airbnb's
Kittery is also very close to both York, Maine and Portsmouth, New Hampshire where they both have many beautiful locations for receptions and elopement ceremonies.
WESTPORT ISLAND
Awe…Home Sweet Home! I grew up on Westport Island on the coast of Maine. Westport is beautiful because of the space you have from town, where it is quiet and tranquil place to elope. There are many locations to hold a ceremony on Westport, but overall, the Squire Tarbox Inn is a wonderful place to hold a reception, small ceremony, or even dinner as well.
What’s Close By: Boothbay Harbor, Wiscasset
The Maine Mountains
From the ocean to the mountains— you can really Elope anywhere in Maine.
Luckily, Maine is full of breath taking places no matter what you are looking for. I will tell you all of the most promising locations that I have photographed and why you should elope there.
Elopement with guests on Westport Island, Maine
MOUNT KATAHDIN
The infamous Mount Katahdin is known for Chimney Pond and its Cathedral Ledge! Located in Baxter State Park, Mount Katahdin is built for those who are looking for an epic elopement in Maine. Everyone should experience the athletic and stunning trails and views of this mountain in Maine. The cool part about this mountain is that there a many ways to get up. I would highly recommend a early morning start and a lot of PB&J sandwiches!
Plan your timeline with me for your day on Mount Katahdin, today!
SUGARLOAF MOUNTAIN
Sugarloaf holds a lot of fond memories of mine. Since I went to the University of Maine at Farmington, I spent my weekends away at Sugarloaf skiing with friends. Going up the chairlift, I always imagined how beautiful it would be to get married on the top of Sugarloaf…ahhh…stunning! Sugarloaf is located in the Carrabasset Valley which is home to Mainers who enjoy their chilly winters, but also beautiful summers. When we would head back to school in August, Sugarloaf was littered with wild flowers along the ski trails packed with snow in the winter.
Sugarloaf, also, makes your elopement really easy because you can hold a reception right at the bottom after your ceremony. They allow you to take the lift up (the Superquad) to the top of your ceremony, as well as the rest of your guests. If your looking for mountain views, sunrises, and wild flowers, Sugarloaf is your mountain in Maine.
CADILLAC MOUNTAIN
Cadillac Mountain is very unique in that, not only is it in Acadia National Park, but it is also the first place the sun rises in the North Eastern Hemisphere. It even overlooks the ocean across all of Acadia NP coastal views with a mountain-esque feel. If you are not feeling the early hike up, it is accessible by car for you and even if you have guests. Cadillac Mountain is one of the most popular mountains to visit during the summer in Maine, so I would recommend visiting in May, September, or October to skip some of the craziness of navigating through tourists. October is beautiful on Cadillac Mountain because you can catch peak foliage for your fall elopement.
Thank you for reading!
I hope this helps you narrow down your search for a location to hold your Maine Elopement. As I have visited, or even lived in a some of these places, Maine is a stunning place to get married no matter where you are from.
It is important to feel connected to the place that you get married at, so that you can feel at home when I am telling your story.
Feel free to reach out at snphotohs@gmail.com!