Why are we waiting!?
This couple had their wedding postponed (Like many couples of recent past) as well as, moved their wedding from state to state to add to it. So, when the bride contacted me and said "Guess what! We're gunna elope!" I figured, a month or so. Oh no.... I had 10 days to get there and make it happen.
Love these two though, and I wanted the best for them! So I contacted my regular photo session clients and sweet talked them with additional images for free to move their photo session by a week! And they all agreed. So thankful for amazing clients on both ends of my spectrum. The ones that understood this couples situation, and were willing to move their session for me to be able to make this happen for them! And the couple who wanted me to there to capture their incredibly intimate and special moment in their life together.
I flew out mid week from Boise to Portland. Got picked up and headed straight to Washington Park. It was a bit of a hike for this photographer! Especially with 50lbs of luggage and gear! .27 miles in to the platform and .22 miles to the top where they were going to cut the cake and have a first dance as husband and wife! But every huff and puff and inhaler suck was worth it to be able to capture this couples love!
Big weddings are great, don't get me wrong! But, their is just something special about a elopement. It's them, it's immediate people who are actively in their lives and, lets face it, less stress.
As a couple you're able to fully focus on one another. Every second is absorbed, because it's just you two. Their isn't the distraction of 100 plus people staring at you, as you say your vows. Your anxiety is less. Your emotions aren't all over the place, typically. It's also a moment to make the ceremony even more personal!
This couple chose to have the parents say a blessing and prayer over their rings before they put them on. What an important moment! A marriage needs to have the additional foundational force of your loved ones. A misconception is that marriage is just two people. That's only part of it. It's your loved ones that helped you build your love. It's your loved ones that have loved you, and molded you into the human that you are, that this other person fell in love with. You're not only loving this one human being, you're loving those who helped create them.
They did an amazing way of honoring that with the blessing and praying over the rings and their relationship as they step into the life of marriage with one another.
It definitely left this photographer a little teary. I literally couple feel their love! I hope you can see it through these images as well.
Congratulations to the beautiful couple! Looking forward to your bash next summer! Extended friends and family will help them celebrate! See, you can have your cake and eat it too!
