A Memorable Three Day Wedding Experience // Loloma Lodge, Oregon
An intimate weekend wedding in the Oregon mountains — create a memorable multi-day experience celebrating with your closest friends and family!
you won’t want to miss seeing ALL the moments from this three day wedding event — it is one of the most memorable experiences that I’ve had the honor of witnessing. Not only did each day have the most extravagant and stunning set up by the amazing Mae&Co, but the weekend was filled with intentional moments that will be memories savored for a lifetime — from the rehearsal dinner amongst the forest, to the dreamiest of wedding days, to hiking into the mountains and exploring an epic waterfall, each day was incredible in its own way.
Scroll through to see each unique day and get inspiration for your own intimate weekend experience! I’ve written a bit more at the bottom and included the vendors that made this weekend magic. Reach out about creating your own extended experience to celebrate!
ps. don’t miss each of the AMAZING uniquely designed and styled meal set ups —
DAY 1 // A rehearsal dinner with wine tasting at golden hour and playing games with the forest views. The joy and laughter was shared as loved ones from far away gathered and reconnected. A chic 70s bohemian dinner space was set for the evening of dining and dancing!
DAY 2 // The wedding day. The magic of this day is hard to describe, the warmth and the calm of the day was unmatched! The stories from this day are endless — from the first look amongst the tall forest trees, to saying their vows under a flower canopy, to an incredibly unique modern dinner setting, to speeches that brought me to tears, and of course dancing into the night!
DAY 3 // A farewell brunch, with yet again another gorgeous table design and set up! After a final goodbye to friends and family, we set out to explore a stunning Oregon waterfall. A day after adventure is a great way to have a bit of quiet time after busy celebrations, and get some time in an epic location.
It’s hard to sum up how meaningful this weekend was, it reminded me how important setting a space and creating experiences are — to slow down in a celebration that most of the time moves so quickly, and create space to really BE with the people you love and experience the joy of the moment to its fullest. I cannot recommend a weekend wedding enough. Whether its a full venue space you use, or even just renting a big airbnb for a few days — invite your family and closest friends and take the time to truly revel in all the time together! You won’t regret it. It was an honor to join along in these days, and leave feeling like close friends is a gift I won’t ever take for granted.
The incredible team that brought this weekend to life —
DESIGN & PLANNING& STYLING // Mae&Co Creative
VENUE // Loloma Lodge, Oregon
FLORALS // Color Theory Design Co.
RENTALS // The Party Place, Lily & Cane, RPS Events, Nuage Designs
PHOTO // Corrie Mahr Photo
VIDEO // Films by Stanton
PAPER GOODS & SIGNAGE // Wildhouse Ink
BAR // Public Provisions & The Swig Rig
CATERING & FOOD // Tournant & White Pepper PDX & S’mores 1927
DJ // Prestige Sounds / NW
HAIR & MAKEUP // @makemeupcyn
REHEARSAL DINNER DRESS // Christian Siriano
CEREMONY DRESS // Zuhair Murad
RECEPTION DRESS // Galia Lahav
RECEPTION JACKET // Fabrics Tattoo
GROOM OUTFIT // Bespoke & Co.
Golden Hour on the Columbia Gorge // Delaney & Brenna
GOLDEN HOUR HANG OUTS AND CAPTURING PHOTOS ON THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE — PURE MAGIC.
THESE TWO. Joy joy joy.
Do you ever meet people and feel like you’ve been friends forever? Yep, that was Brenna and Delaney for me. 100%. They are pure joy and full of kindness, oh and also HILARIOUS. We all laughed… so. much. I’m grateful for people who meet me and trust me to see their true selves. It’s an honor to share in a piece of your stories.
Enjoy all the golden goodness that we got to experience on the Columbia River Gorge!
PS. Starting this blog with a little black and white series of images that, I feel like, gives the perfect glimpse into our whole evening together!
xx
Woodsy, Cabin Wedding // Wes Anderson Inspired
A magical cabin wedding in the Central Oregon Forest at Loloma Lodge WITH Wes Anderson Inspiration? Just A DREAM.
I hit it off with these two right from the start — their souls were so inviting and so open to the stories they’ve carried together; so when their woodsy wedding day arrived, documenting it all as each moment unfolded was effortless and magical.
I still feel the warmth and emotion through each and every photo, a joyous summer day with so much intention and love poured out into each and every minute!
You can also scroll to the bottom to check out all the vendors.
THE VENDOR TEAM //
The Florals // Color Theory
The Venue // Loloma Lodge
The Dress // Emmy Mae Bridal
The Suit // Indochino
The DJ // Higher Ground Entertainment
Baked Goods // sweet life patisserie
Catering // Taco Pedaler PDX
California Ranch Wedding // Modern & Dreamy
A dreamy, modern ranch wedding in the Northern California hills — the magic of this day speaks for itself!
When I Krysta and Anthony told me that their wedding was going to be on family property, one where childhood memories were made and the land felt like home, I could feel the the love beaming from them! Truly though, there is something special about wedding days being in a meaningful place, one that holds so many stories already.
Their special day was elegant, modern, and overall just felt like floating through a DREAM. The kindness, joy, laughter, and tears that were shared on this day are unmatched. I’ve never laughed SO hard with a group of people and felt so easily invited in and loved on!
I hope this day makes you feel something, as it does for me, and sparks some excitement for something you might even be planning for yourself!
Scroll to the bottom to meet the vendors who shared in putting together this wedding day!
VENDORS //
Venue // Family Ranch
Florals // Kimberly Gavett Fullers Flowers
Dress // Allure Bridals
Suit // Indochino
Bakery // Upper Crust Bakery
Caterer // Bacio Kitchen
A Guide to Traveling Italy // Itinerary & Tips
Sunrise at the Sand Dunes // San Luis Obispo, California
Exploring the San Luis Obispo Sand Dunes at sunrise to catch that golden light for this couples shoot!
How to Elope in Joshua Tree National Park // Planning your tiny California Wedding
PLANNING TIPS FOR YOUR DREAM ELOPEMENT OR TINY WEDDING IN THE BEAUTIFUL DESERT OF JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK— let’s do this!
If you’re dreaming and planning your elopement or tiny wedding in Joshua Tree National Park, then I’m SO glad you’re here!! I’ve put together some of the important “need to knows” on getting married in this magical desert location! You’ve probably seen a MILLION pictures on the ‘gram of the quirky Joshua Trees, the stacking boulder sculptures, and the golden and pink sunsets! It’s a popular location for a reason — it’s STUNNING and truly one of a kind! So, how do you elope there? I got you. Let’s dive in!
1. CHOOSING YOUR DATE
Picking your date is important to think about when choosing Joshua Tree — we want to try and pick the best time to avoid crowds, crazy weather, and try and choose the best time of day! Let’s start with Time of Year: summer in Josiah tree can be wildly hot, so it might be best to avoid those months. The nicest times of year in the park are typically March-May and September-November, however, everyone else is also eyeing those dates. So, if you want to pick a date in there, I recommend choosing a weekend to do your best at avoiding crowds. Another tip: make sure not to pick a holiday week and check what schools’ spring / fall breaks are and avoid those too! Certain ceremony locations will also be unavailable during peak season. I’ve spent time in Joshua Tree National Park in February and have always had nice weather with warm days, so if you’re open to an “off-season” date, you might want to consider that as an option. Now, for Time of Day: I am always drawn to a sunrise or sunset, not only is this stunning lighting in the park, but it tends to be a bit emptier from park goers. However, your timeline can be creatively and uniquely designed to piece together all the moments you want to have!
2. GETTING A PERMIT
This is the “not so fun” part, but equally important. We don’t want your ceremony to get interrupted by a park ranger, so let’s get you a permit! To hold an elopement or wedding ceremony in Joshua Tree National Park, you must acquire a Special Use Permit — this costs $120 and allows for 25 guests or less. A larger wedding has a few more restrictions on locations and has an additional $200 fee.
Two other park related fees —
Photography / Videography Permit: Costs $120 and you can apply HERE
Park Entrance Fee: You can either pay the $30 per vehicle fee for 7 days, for $80 for an annual National Park pass. Each is valid for one car.
3. CEREMONY LOCATION IDEAS
Since Joshua Tree is a National Park, there are a handful of selected locations that a ceremony can be held (and this will be connected with the permit you apply for). These spots are slightly different, so you may want to look up some detailed images of each one, but they are full of panoramic views, desert rock formations, and wide open Joshua Tree cacti fields:
CAP ROCK: Under a mile trail // super cool rock formations
HIDDEN VALLEY PICNIC AREA: 1 mile trail // lots of rocks, beautiful at sunset
SPLIT ROCK: 2 mile trail // a little bit higher views
PORCUPINE WASH: 8 mile trail // a bit further out, wildflowers
TURKEY FLATS: 2 mile trail // more wide open desert
LIVE OAK: 1.5 trail loop // more greenery and desert plants
INDIAN COVE AMPHITHEATER: For larger gatherings — 26-100 people
You can also check the NPS for more updated locations and info HERE.
IF you want to do a wedding ceremony elsewhere and then just go into the park for photos, here are a few other ideas (some of these are also locations you can stay) —
// Your Airbnb — make it a weekend with your people // Tumbleweed Sanctuary // Desert Sage House // Sacred Sands House // Rimrock Ranch // Joshua Tree Spanish Estate // Villa Kuro // Mid Century Modern Ranch // White Cactus House //
4. PLACES TO STAY
I highly recommend making a whole trip out of this special event — bring your family and friends or just yourselves and enjoy a weekend or more in the beauty of Joshua Tree! There are plenty of locations to camp within and around the National Park, but I recommend getting a house through Airbnb or something similar — this way you’ll have a “hub” to get ready in before your elopement, host a dinner or small reception in afterwards, and just have a place that you can celebrate for a day or two! Here are a few favorites you can check out:
// The Joshua Tree House - my personal fave // Mojave Desert Cabin // Joshua Tree Tiny House // Desert Air Casita // Nature Lover’s House // Little Jo Cabin // Desert Wild + pool & hot tub // High Desert Paradise //
These book up fast! So, I recommend reaching out to them and getting your date on the calendar sooner than later!
5. FINDING VENDORS
Starting the search for the dream team to make the magic of your day in the desert come to life? I know Joshua Tree tends to be a destination for weddings, so you may not know where to begin in looking for vendors. Well, I am MORE than happy to help you connect with creatives who can help with each aspect of your elopement. Scroll down and message me below and we can chat through ALL those details! 👇 Whether you’re looking for a florist, caterer, planner & stylist, hair & makeup artist, or rentals - I gotchu.
6. THINGS TO BRING & TIPS FOR THE PARK
Here are just a few other things to consider when prepping for your elopement in Joshua Tree National Park —
Marriage license: Be sure to either set up an appointment in CA locally or plan on having a ‘legal ceremony’ near you before traveling. This also determines IF you want an officiant or not.
Wedding attire: Wear what feels most YOU for your special day — just remember that there will be lots of walking around (and may climbing on rocks). Bring something like a jacket or shawl incase it gets a bit windy or chilly (especially at sunrise and sunset).
Visit the park before: I highly recommend spending a bit of time exploring the park the day before your elopement or wedding, this way you get to see it in a more relaxed state and also get a feeling for where you might want certain photos or backdrops to be.
Bring water and snacks: It’s a desert, so stay hydrated and keep you energy full with water and snacks! There isn’t much once you get in the park, so be sure to bring what you need!
No cell service: Prepare to have little to NO cell signal, aka download maps and know where you’re going and who you’re meeting up with where/when beforehand.
7. LEAVE NO TRACE
This is an important point, something we should all care about to take care of beautiful locations like Joshua Tree National Park. Let’s make sure that our celebrations are respectful to the land and keep it around for years and years to come and to enjoy. So, a few things to remember directly from the NPS website:
Items that ARE Permitted For a Wedding:
// Arch, must be free-standing // Small table for guest book // Cooler with water (it gets hot) // Live flowers // Battery-powered candles // Runner // Rug // Cake // Champagne //
Items NOT Permitted For a Wedding:
// Drones // Dried flowers // Non-battery powered candles // Bubbles // Any live animals, including doves, butterflies, etc // Confetti // Rice // Birdseed // Balloons // Smoke Bombs //
A FEW OTHER HELPFUL RESOURCES —
WHY I LOVE ELOPEMENTS & TINY WEDDINGS
TIPS FOR PLANNING A MICRO WEDDING DAY
JOSHUA TREE ELOPEMENT PACKAGES —
Hi, I’m Corrie! I’m a traveling wedding and elopement photographer, and I’ve spent a good amount of time exploring Joshua Tree National Park! So, I’m glad you’re here and can’t wait to hear about YOUR special day ideas and help guide you through all the info of eloping in this beautiful location!
A peak at what you’ll get —
- Customizable hours based on what you need (I’ve never been a believer in one size fits all), I even have whole weekend package options
- A guide full of tips and ideas to help you through each step of the process
- Unlimited time in planning, dreaming, discussing your ideas together — I’m here for you through the WHOLE journey!
- A gallery full of high resolution hand edited photos (with printing and sharing rights)
Tiny Airbnb Coastal Wedding // Neskowin, Oregon
The most beautiful small wedding on the Oregon coast — it was a sweet, intimate day for these two, with friends and family gathered they said their vows along the waves, frolicked up and down the beach, and made a feast together before dancing the evening away!
TIP: If you want a dreamy, memorable wedding day that’s intimate, find an Airbnb on the coast (or wherever else makes you happy) and invite your closest people to come celebrate. Spend the weekend exploring, drinking wine with the views, and making meals together. There is something SO special about these kinds of days.
Ellie and Scotty created an experience for their small wedding day, full of precious moments — they walked down to the coastline for their vows, where there were both tears and laughter (from the sweet words AND the waves sweeping up around their feet). The celebration moved up to the wrap around deck where they all made a homemade feast together and mixed cocktails. After dinner, we sprinted (literally) beside the waves to catch the golden sunset!
These are just a FEW of the images that make of the story of their special day! I hope these two can be an inspiration for your intimate day!
VENDORS //
FLORIST // Corvus Landing Farm
DRESS // BHLDN
SUIT // John Varvatos Suit
VENUE // Airbnb
TWO IDEAS FOR ALTERNATIVE WEDDING ‘VENUES’ —
Evening Surf Couple Photos // San Luis Obispo Beach, California
Catching that California golden sunset for this evening surf session in San Luis Obispo (plus the pups of course), and making all the magic happen for these adventurous couple photos!
San Luis Obispo didn’t disappoint — especially when we rolled up on the beach for this gorgeous sunset! These two rolled up with the coolest van, the sweetest dogs, and surfboards strapped in for some fun photos in the waves!
If you’re looking for a day to play in the sun, HIT ME UP — there are so many incredible places to go and explore in San Luis Obispo — so let’s go adventure in SLO together! ;)
So excited to share these fun photos with you, hope you enjoy and can feel the warmth and smell the ocean!
MAKE A DAY IN SAN LUIS OBISPO — a few of the bests:
COFFEE // Scout Coffee
DRINKS // SLO cider bar & Central Coast Brewing
FOOD // Bliss Cafe (delicious vegan food)
BEACH // Pismo State Beach - Grover Beach
CHECK OUT // Things to do around Pismo Beach
Palm Springs Windmill Couple Photos // Some Desert Gems in California
Hanging out in Palm Springs California? You don’t want to miss out seeing these views — desert plateau meets industrial windmills.
We met just before dusk to make this golden magic come true! After winding down some dirt roads, we walked out into otherworldly windmill field up against the desert mountains. I love finding the beauty in obscure places!
So, if you’re in the Palm Springs area, the windmills are a MUST see! And, here area few other gems to make the road trip complete —
I. COFFEE STOP // Ernest Coffee
II. SMOOTHIE BOWL // Fresh Juice Bar
III. BRUNCH // Farm & Cheeky’s
IV. GRAB A DRINK // The High Bar & Truss & Twine
V. COOL OFF // check out these ideas for some pool hopping!
Enjoy all these sweet moments, and then let’s plan your own adventure!! Scroll to the bottom to check out all the amazing people involved in creating this magic!
ALL THE CREATIVES INVOLVED —
DRESS // The Kindred Soul
MUA // Breezo
EARRINGS // Meesha Farzaneh
The Griffin House, In Home Cozy Session // Columbia River Gorge
A cozy in home couples photo session at the Griffin House overlooking the Columbia River Gorge — just about as dreamy as it gets!
WHAT. A. DREAMY. MORNING.
I was so grateful to finally get a chance to hang out with these two lovely humans — out time together was long overdue! After having to cancel their wedding due to COVID, we still wanted to get together and do a fun, cozy shoot! When Hana texted me pics of this beautiful home she found, I think I sent her more heart eye emojis than I can count! It was such a gorgeous house on the clifftops over looking the Columbia River Gorge! The whole house was basically a dream — a mix of boho modern decor, so many fun rugs, big windows, stunning natural light, and overall just the most perfect aesthetic.
ALSO… we found out it’s a WEDDING VENUE. What?!?! Check it out if you’re on the search for a cool Oregon wedding venue with indoor & outdoor options!
We had such a great morning together! We also probably spent the first 30 mins just running around the house exploring and gushing over all the fun rooms and spaces! Then, we had a blast getting creative (and eating cinnamon roles too, duh). Grateful for these two and the way they immediately felt like close friends!
Sunrise Elopement in the Columbia River Gorge // Portland, OR
A beautiful, sunrise elopement in the Columbia River Gorge just outside of Portland — and an amazing story to go with it!
Oh man — this story will go down in the books for adventurous and SPONTANEOUS elopements! These two lovely humans slid into my DMs around 11pm on a Friday night, asking “Hey what are you up to Sunday at sunrise?!” A few messages back and forth later, and they had tickets from MISSOURI to OREGON for the next day!! They sent me a selfie of them on the plane, IN THEIR WEDDING CLOTHES (can you say, hello free upgrades) and they were heading my way!
Even though they had a bigger wedding planned for the following weekend, they wanted to elope — their hearts needed this kind of space, to breathe and to recenter on what they were choosing together.
We met on a very chilly morning, just before the sun came over the mountains. It was calm and clear. It was so evident that their hearts were bursting for each other, and the joy on their faces from this decision was beaming! Elopements are so incredibly special, it’s a unique kind of space, and the sacredness is almost tangible in the air. I’m always grateful and in awe of the people who make the brave (and sometimes spontaneous) choice to speak their promises in this kind of way.
Lake Powell, UT // Couple Photos + Creating an Experience
CREATING AN EXPERIENCE TOGETHER — OUR TRIP TO LAKE POWELL & IDEAS ON HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE!
This story and collection of images is a little bit different than normal — it’s more personal, but also a space for you to begin dreaming up ideas for your own adventure!
Over the summer, we had the opportunity to go to Lake Powell with a group of our closest friends. We road-tripped through the night to Utah, rented a houseboat for 5 days, and floated out into the beautiful canyon arms of Lake Powell.
Living on a boat together — with no signal, just us and the lake — was a DREAM. It was a space of laughter, star gazing, late night conversations, kayaking explorations, living in swim suits, dancing to music, sleepovers every night on the top deck, and true connection with friends. It’s special. These are experiences we have to choose into. And, these kind of meaningful moments look different for everyone — they can be as big or as small as we want, we just have to be intentional about them.
These images are obviously personal to me — but they taught me a lot. They taught me that the feelings and memories an image carries comes with the authentic connection we create in the moment we snap them.
The experience.
THIS experience — it’s one I will never forget. We created it, we lived into it, and these images (along with hundreds of silly iPhone videos haha) will solidify the memories always.
Now, it’s your turn. What adventures can you start dreaming up? What experiences do you want to create?
TIPS & IDEAS —
LAKE POWELL HOUSEBOATS // Bullfrog Marina Houseboat Rentals
LAKE POWELL MUST SEE SPOTS // Points of Interest
BRING A STRAW HAT ;) // Billabong & Quicksilver & Patagonia
a few others…
bring sunscreen // bring books // bring lots of drinks to hydrate through the day // bring bug repellant // bring games to play // bring floaties for the water // bring lots of coolers & lots lots lots of ice (it gets HOT) // expect chill — this is a space to not rush — swim, read, swim, read again. Enjoy every second //
Want travel ideas? Check out my travel bucket list here →
Dunes on the Oregon Coast // Engagement Photos
Exploring the Oregon Coast sand dunes with these two was a DREAM!
I was over the moon excited to get a chance to hang out with these two before their wedding next year!! We each road tripped to meet on the Oregon dunes for an evening of exploring the sandy coastline!
Having not spent much time on the Southern coast of Oregon, it was so fun to experience the new scenery and landscapes. I’m always blown away by all the different types of terrain the Oregon Coast offers — it’s truly incredible!
We spent the evening running around and soaking up the golden sun as it set over the dunes. Grateful for these two lovely humans — and goofballs ;) — and for an evening with new friends! It’s gonna be a freakin’ party at their wedding next year!
Redwood Forest Intimate Wedding // Crescent City, CA
AN INTIMATE TINY WEDDING DAY AMONGST THE BEAUTIFUL CALIFORNIA REDWOOD FOREST.
Talk about the dreamiest backyard, intimate wedding — especially when the REDWOODS are your backyard! Alyssa and Santiago chose to have a sweet, meaningful wedding with their close friends and family. A while ago, Alyssa sent me an email describing what the evening would look like, and I just had to share her beautiful words —
“People will be munching on grilled cheese and tomato bisque in a mug. Dinner will be homemade quiche and a salad. There will be a couple of kegs and wine from local sources. A friend will be making a cider whiskey cocktail from the cider from the apple trees around the yard. There will be a cider press. Even the food ingredients will all be from the local dairy, herbs from the garden, things like that. Musical ambience will be sweet jazz and Motown during dinner. After first dances there will be more funky motown and salsa transitioning into Missy Elliot and Lizzo by the end of the night (the dances that Grandma will be long gone for haha). At the end of the night we will drive my mom's white mini cooper as our get away car and drive off to a airbnb tree house in the redwoods.”
Um, wow. I love that they made their day unique and fully structured to THEM and what they wanted. The true beauty of a tiny wedding. We explored the Redwood National Forest, ran across the empty fog-covered coastline, and danced the evening away surrounded by an apple orchard! My kind of night!
ps. my husband, Josiah, created a beautiful film of their day as well…
CHECK OUT THE FILM FROM THIS LOVELY DAY…
thinking you might want video too? Let me know!
How to Have a Beautiful Micro Wedding // Ideas for Alternative Weddings
There are so many reasons to choose an intimate tiny or “micro” wedding over a big wedding day — and I want to help break down what that might look like so that you can begin dreaming up your own special day!
Let's start here…
WHAT EVEN IS A MICRO WEDDING?
Well, if you’ve been planning a wedding leading into the year 2020, then you probably know this phrase! Micro weddings (or sometimes called Minimonies) bloomed out of this crazy COVID-19 season of weddings. These intimate days have been a lifesaver this year, and also a catalyst for something SO incredibly special. They’re essentially a wedding day that usually have no more than 30 or so guests, and are either somewhat reflective of a normal wedding day’s events — OR — they are designed fully and completely unique to you, casting aside any traditional norms that you feel don’t fit (my favorite kind of day)!
WHY A MICRO WEDDING?
There’s something so special about boiling down a day to the details that matter most to YOU. These tiny wedding days give room for your creativity to go wild — you can build this to be anything you want and need. Micro weddings are a dream for lovers of all things nontraditional, there are no expectations and the day is flexible in both timeline, events, location, and overall feeling.
These kind of days are truly about presence over perfect — they are about being laid back and soaking up all the precious moments with your partner, family, and close friends who surround you and celebrate you. These are the days that are about a walk through the forest as your ceremony, a champagne shot cheers to “seal the deal,” and about chasing each other with sparklers barefoot on the beach. No two days look alike, because no two couples are exactly the same. It’s about the forests, deserts, clifftops, oceans, or whatever space makes you feel most YOU.
ps. scroll to the end for a few examples
A FEW TIPS //
INVITE LIST - Spend some time thinking about WHO you want there. Then, maybe you can create a website with details to share with everyone who isn’t able to attend the intimate event. Perhaps that even means hiring a videographer to create a reel of your micro wedding to share with everyone who couldn’t be there.
DAY OF EVENTS - This is somewhat similar to an elopement, in that you get to structure what components make up the timeline of the day. That could look like nothing about your day has traditional aspects to it, or that could mean you pick and choose what pieces you want or don’t want from a “normal” wedding day. For example, for my sister in law’s micro wedding, they chose to to do their ceremony as a “journey” through the woods — they walked trails from one marked location to the next, each space was a piece of the ceremony where one of their friends or family would speak. This was a super unique exerpience, one that was so memorable and sacred. See below to check out the full day!
VENDOR LIST - Choose vendors who you feel like “complete” the vision of your day. Have a favorite sentimental restaurant? Order from there! Want a unique installation of florals? Hire a creative florist who can bring that to life! Bring in the people who will be there for you, guide you, and support you through the process.
MAKING IT MEANINGFUL - This is what matters. Make sure you are creating a day that is meaningful to you — from the biggest to tiniest details. Things like, do you want to share a meal together? Is there music that creates a special atmosphere? This is an excerpt from BRIDES editorial about creating a more personal environment for everyone there… “while you’re thinking about adding those meaningful touches, do so for your guests, too. ‘Write handwritten notes to every guest to place at their seat…’ ‘Or consider hand-painting each invitation instead of having them printed.’ It’s much easier to add those really special touches for 12 people than it is for 200! And since you’ve gone through the trouble of narrowing your guest list down so far, you’re guaranteed to have a super-close connection to every guest, making those little touches all the more meaningful.”
LOCATION IDEAS //
This is probably a great place to begin. The “where” for your special wedding day. Micro weddings are great in that they allow for a bit more flexibility as far as space and location. First, start by talking with each other, where do you envision yourselves getting married? What is the backdrop? What is the setting? Once you follow those trains of thought for a while, then it’s time to dive into the more practical side of things — finding the EXACT location. A few places to check out are…
Hipcamp — Great for finding large properties, awesome if you want to make a whole weekend event out of it! Typically they’ll have space to either set up tents, trailers, RVs, etc.
Airbnb — Similarly great for long weekend events! Make sure you always double check with the host about having small events on site. Airbnbs offer so much with property, a space to get ready, a kitchen, bathrooms… they are so great for small weddings!
Peerspace — This is a place to search for smaller, nontraditional venue type spaces. This might be a good spot to look too if you’re feeling more urban vibes.
Want more specifics or something off the grid with AMAZING views? Message me!! I have a whole list!
DECOR INSPIRATION //
This is where creativity gets really fun — you can go as much or as little as you want with this! One thing I’ve been sharing with my couples lately is — ETSY — get. on. that. There are so many amazing artists and designers on there that are running tiny businesses and making incredible things!! You can find things from invite paper goods to gorgeous wedding dresses and attire. You can even find super unique things like handmade velvet ties or customized wedding jewelry. It’s endlessly amazing. Not only are you finding special details, but you’re also supporting small businesses.
Here are also some Pinterest Boards I’ve put together with fun decoration ideas to get inspired —
Ok so… we’ve chatted about Micro Weddings.
DO YOU WANT TO SEE A FEW INTIMATE WEDDING DAYS?
click on the galleries below to experience the full story and get inspired!
PAIGE & BRENDEN
A-Frame Cabin Wedding at Mt. Rainier
KAYCI &
DALLIN
An intimate Oregon coast wedding
HILARY & THANI
Intimate, Whimsical Forest Wedding
MALLORY & ROBBIE
Urban, Portland Tiny Wedding
IAN & AMALIA
Tropical Maui, Hawaii Tiny Wedding
CARLEE & AARON
Rocky Beach Front Tiny Wedding
PAUL & AMANDA
Portland, Waterfront Intimate Wedding
ALYSSA & SANTI
Redwood National Forest Tiny Wedding
Call it what fits best — intimate, tiny, or micro wedding — this day is ALL YOURS and so incredibly special! Let’s piece your ideas together and make some magic!
I have so many resources to help you structure this day effortlessly, I’m here for the journey of it all — so feel free to reach out with ANY and ALL questions!
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Adventurous Crook Point Elopement // The Oregon Coast
An adventurous elopement on the Southern Oregon Coast at Crook Point.
Oregon showed up in its truest way on this elopement day — the hills and coast covered in low clouds, misty air, and rolling stormy waves. It was a beautiful fall day for an adventure elopement at Crook Point!
Dianne and Jeff are true champions at embracing every aspect of their day, even the weather! The drizzly skies didn’t steal their joy one single bit, and the excitement they both had was so contagious. Dianne told me, “he is the hum to my soul.” Jeff had a smile on his face every second of the day, and laughed with pure happiness the second they were announced as husband and wife. Their kindness and love is something I’ll always remember.
They rented an airbnb on a clifftop for the weekend (talk about a DREAMY getaway spot), and scouted out a bluff overlooking a private cove for their intimate ceremony.
It was just the two of them. Small, intimate, and so meaningful.
We hiked the trail in the rain out to a grove of trees where they said their vows to each other. Then, the rain stopped for 10 minutes for us to walk out to the point for photos and to soak up the view before returning to their airbnb for some bubbly and cake. They even hired a private chef to prepare them a romantic dinner to celebrate!
Every little piece of this day was beautiful.
DETAILS
DRESS // WILLOWBY WATTERS
SUIT // MACYS & NORDSTROM
LOCATION // AIRBNB & OREGON COAST
FOOD // BLACK MARKET GOURMET
FLORALS // ABUNDANT BLOOMS
CAKE // COASTAL MIST
Summer Anniversary Photos // Columbia River Gorge, OR
These two picked a summer evening on the Oregon Columbia River Gorge for their anniversary photo session!
Summer evenings in the gorge are magical — golden skies, illuminated clifftops, lush forests, and warm, windy nights. There are so many incredible locations along the river for photos, but this might just be one of my favorites. I was so excited when these two reached out wanting their anniversary photos in the gorge!
Grateful for peaceful spaces and gorgeous views, and wonderful people to adventure with!
Intimate A-Frame Cabin Wedding // Mt. Rainier, WA
An intimate wedding day at an A-frame cabin in the forest near Mt. Rainier National Park — a beautiful, tiny ceremony with close friends and family.
These two must have a thing for cabins (and I LOVE it) — we spent a morning at a cabin in the Oregon woods near Mt. Hood for their engagement photos, then they found this adorable a-frame cabin on a river near Mt. Rainier National Park. Dreams do come true!
Paige & Brenden chose to have an intimate day, a small micro wedding with their closest friends and family. With wild fires burning across the West Coast, there was a layer of smoke that hung in the sky, but it only added to the moody, soft vibe that these two had wanted!
They had the most beautiful ceremony on the deck of the cabin, ending with a collection group shot of champagne (my new favorite way to end a ceremony)! Then, they spent the evening laughing, sharing stories, snapping polaroids, and dancing under the trees. With a long table set for dinner along the river to share a meal together, it truly felt like “family” being a part of this day — every single detail was intentional.
Grateful to be a part of sacred moments like these, enjoy these snapshots of their day!
THE DETAILS
DRESS // a&bé bridal shop
FLORIST // Wild Fern Florals
VENUE // Airbnb near Mt. Rainier National Park