MYNORTHWEST NEWS

VIDEO: Oregon wedding gets unexpected antlered guest

Sep 29, 2026, 12:39 PM | Updated: 12:51 pm

oregon wedding elk...

Chairs are set up for a wedding ceremony. (Photo: wollwerth via Envato)

(Photo: wollwerth via Envato)

A wedding at Cannon Beach in Oregon was crashed by an unexpected guest.

A fully grown male elk, called a bull elk, hopped the fence into the venue before the ceremony began.

The video was captured by wedding photographer Dan Rice and shared by The Oregonian.

The elk moseyed across the lawn before heading toward the area where the reception would be held.

“I was just like, wow, this is hilarious,” Rice told The Oregonian. “And like, hopefully nobody gets too close.”

Rice took the video from behind the venue’s deck. He said none of the guests were impacted by the animal.

“It was kind of funny, like, ‘Hey, do you guys got any treats for me in there?'” Rice told The Oregonian.

He said after prancing through the wedding lawn, the elk wandered out of the venue and up the street.

What to know about elk on the Oregon coast

Adult bull elk weigh around 800 pounds, about 300 pounds more than females, called cows, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s website. They typically reach around 5 feet high, with thick bodies and short tails.

Bull elk have large, spreading antlers that grow during the spring and summer under a skin covering known as velvet. In late summer, elk lose the velvet, revealing their antlers.

Roosevelt elk are commonly seen grazing around Cannon Beach, according to Cannon Beach’s website. They are most active at dawn and dusk.

Elk also enjoy grazing in the meadows of Ecola State Park, along the edge of Ecola Creek, the athletic fields of City Park, and along Highway 101 at the Sunset Boulevard exit.

Cannon Beach officials reminded elk viewers to be respectful of the animals and observe them from a distance. They noted elk can be aggressive if they feel threatened or if someone comes between them and their herd or young.

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