These were part of the vows I wrote for a special elopement, an elopement that I would be officiating and photographing. I spent days writing and rewriting what I would say to bind these two together, but finally found inspiration after a conversation with one of the brides.
"We consider ourselves spiritual, we refer to one another as being soulmates"
Two paragraphs later I had written my first speech/vows, ones I would be saying while also navigating how to photograph at the same time.
Originally we planned on a mountain setting, but being in the PNW means there is always a chance of rain- and the October rain did indeed come. So we shifted to a beautiful nursery in Mount Vernon, Wa called Christensen's Nursery- which offers the areas oldest schoolhouse and beautiful greenhouses filled with plant life. They wanted a very intimate ceremony, so it was just the three of us. The nursery was not yet open to the public, so we had the area to ourselves and it was so peaceful. I distinctly remember the bird songs and mist that morning as we walked up to the schoolhouse.
I had the two of them stand on the steps of the schoolhouse facing each other and started by reading the first two paragraphs of my speech. I then asked them to exchange their personal vows they had written, while I stepped back and photographed them(and cried a little). Once they had finished those I handed them the rings, read my line, and once again stepped back to photograph. I had worried it would be awkward, that I wouldn't know where to stand, or that I would miss important shots. But it wasn't awkward at all- it was perfect in every way.
After declaring them bride & bride, and capturing the most important shot- the kiss- we went on to sign their marriage license on the staff kitchen table and then on to bridal portraits all over the property. They embraced, they skipped hand in hand, and they danced.
My takeaway- emotional damage for the two weeks after while editing. My eyes would well up every time I worked on their gallery. Super rewarding, challenging, and an overall wonderful experience.
10/10 would officiate and photograph again, and highly recommend the combo for couples looking to keep their elopement intimate.
Keep scrolling to see photos from this elopement, and if you are interested in eloping reach out!
Cheers,
Kymber
