Sandcut Beach Elopement on Vancouver Island

A Forest and Beach Elopement

Why Choose Sandcut Beach for Your Elopement?

Sandcut Beach brings together the two landscapes that Vancouver Island is so famous for: rainforest trails and a rugged beach. Plus it adds a small waterfall that cascades onto the shore into the mix! If you are looking for an elopement location that offers the beauty of being in the forest surrounded by towering cedars and douglas fir trees, a rugged shoreline with rolling surf and views across the Juan de Fuca Strait of the Olympic Mountains, all with minimal hiking, then Sandcut Beach might be the location you are looking for.

Sandcut Beach Practical Information

Sandcut Beach is within Jordan River Regional Park which is part of the Capital Regional District (CRD) Parks system. It is a 10 minute drive from the small community of Shirley and a 30 minute drive from the larger town of Sooke on the southern tip of Vancouver Island.

Sandcut Beach is accessed by a 400m hiking trail which is beautiful on its own with old growth trees and cedar walkways leading through the rainforest.  It is often muddy and crosses endless tree roots but is also very photogenic!  The trail is mostly downhill and takes about 10-15 min to walk. The final decent to the beach is down a network of stairs that open out onto a a rolling pebbly beach backed by evergreens.

Once at  the beach, it is about a 10 min walk to the small waterfall that cascades over limestone cliffs onto the shore.  The waterfall is undercut so you can walk in behind. In the summer and early fall, you can also walk along the top across the flat and eroded limestone pools when the water levels are low.

Just past the waterfall, the beach is backed by a small rock cliff face that eventually leads to a rocky headland that is great for viewing tidepools and sea life clinging to the rocks.

Tips for Getting Married at Sandcut Beach

• Plan for a mid-low tide to be able to access the falls and the far side of the beach. High tide combined with a heavy flow from the waterfall can make the far end of the beach difficult to access.
• Be aware that the falls will vary by season and the amount of rainfall. You can expect the water levels to be highest in late fall, winter and early spring. The months of July and August will have the lowest water levels, but will also allow for exploring the small pools that have eroded on the smooth rocks above the falls.
• Sandcut Beach is near the communities of Shirley (10 min), Sooke (30 min) and Port Renfrew (45 min). You can choose to stay in any of these communities and still have easy access to the park, but keep in mind that Sooke will have the most choice for accommodation and restaurants.
• As with all parks that are part of the CRD, you will need to apply for a park use permit for your ceremony. At the time of writing, the cost of the permit is $145 and allows you to bring a photographer and an officiant to your ceremony. You need to apply for the permit at least 6 weeks before your elopement. You can find the permit application here.

How Aimee and Brody Brought their Sandcut Beach Elopement Day to Life

Aimee and Brody wanted an elopement ceremony deep in the forest nestled under the evergreens. Sandcut Beach was a favourite place for them to visit together and so they chose to say their vows in the place they knew they could return to again and again.

Aimee wanted her wedding aisle to be along the trail surrounded by ferns and moss with the cello music of 'Le Cygne' playing. So, with a speaker in my backpack and a playlist dowloaded, we walked the trail as their wedding aisle and tucked under the boughs of the evergreens for their intimate ceremony.

After their ceremony, they walked along the shore as newlyweds with the surf rolling the rocks up and down the beach until we reached the waterfalls. They sat in the rain and snuggled while the mist from the falls coated their hair and eyelashes. Eventually, they embraced the weather and waded out in the sea together.

As the last of the grey light faded they walked back to the trailhead to finish their elopement day with wood fired pizza from Stoked and headed to nearby Point No Point Resort where they based themselves for the weekend. A simple, beautiful, and authentic west coast elopement!

Hair - Ashley Kerr, @ashleyattangerine

Lashes - Milk and Honey Beauty Bar

For photos of their elopement day, see below.

CONSIDERING ELOPING ON VANCOUVER ISLAND?

You can check out my full How to Elope on Vancouver Island Guide that will give you all the info on what to consider when eloping on this beautiful island. And, if you want to read about other fabulous beach elopement options on Vancouver Island, you can read my Top 5 Beach Elopement Locations of Vancouver Island blog post.