WE DID IT!

WE GOT MARRIED!

Despite being in the height of the pandemic, with our state in quarantine, we still tied the knot in June!

What didn’t go as planned?

Pretty much everything else.

The friends, the family, the wedding dress I designed, Josh’s custom-made suit, the bridal showers, my wedding ring, etc.

None of the above got a chance to happen.

What went better than could have been planned?

• This allowed us to have the intimate elopement we originally wanted. AND we’ll still get to have our bigger wedding celebration with friends and family in 2021.

• We were able to have the ceremony in the same location. AND because there were a total of 5 people it was free!

• My florist still made me a wedding bouquet! She wanted to do this as a commemoration of the would-have-been special day. This was out of pure kindness and thoughtfulness. She had no idea we were still going through with tying the knot.

• We have professional photos and video to cherish this day. Brace yourself: We originally had no intention of hiring a photographer for the big day. But with COVID19 pushing us towards an elopement where no guests would be there to capture it, our sweet friends Skylar and Jimmy Coonan stepped in to make sure we had something that we could look back on and cherish. We are so grateful for these friends.

• There was no shortage of love being sent our way. Despite the fact that we didn’t tell everyone our plan of eloping, we still received texts, emails, cards and surprise gifts. Loved ones around the country and world made sure we knew they were thinking of us.

• A few sweet friends insisted on being with me the morning of so that I didn’t have to be alone on the big day. My little entourage made breakfast, kept me company as I got ready, and sent me off to get hitched! This was not part of the plan and it moved my heart in an unexplainable way.

• Josh’s brother surprised him at midnight. He drove 6 hours after work just so he could be there for his big day and had to drive the 6 hours back immediately afterwards.

• The weather cleared just for the ceremony. It was pouring rain all weekend and morning. But once I started walking down the aisle the raindrops came to a halt. And as I approached the “altar,” the clouds even parted and the sun shone through the trees and onto us. The weather stayed like this just long enough to finish the ceremony and take the last of the photos before the rain came pouring down again. It couldn’t have been more perfect.

Despite having to postpone our wedding twice, thanks to COVID19 we instead were able to have an unforgettable wedding elopement. One full of love, adventure, surprise and delight. Just the way we like it. 😉

Photos by Skylar Coonan Photography in Forest Park, Portland, Oregon.