Lauren and Tyler both grew up in Alaska, and even went to prom together in high school, before reconnecting and falling in love in Portland. They wanted to capture the essence of what they love about Alaska and the Pacific Northwest that they now call home - the ocean, trees, a wild landscape, and of course, oysters! Their ceremony took place on the balcony of a beach rental overlooking the Hood Canal. We took portraits in the stormy rain, which they embraced like true weathered northwesterners.
For the ceremony, we drove a few miles down the winding, maple and madrona-lined HWY 101 to a midcentury modern club house in Holiday Beach, with floor to ceiling windows facing the water. Lauren decorated the interiors with a playful palette of colorful pastels; candlesticks, gold silverware, handmade floral napkins and lace tablecloths, wild bunches of flowers, and hand stamped packets of flower seeds for guests to take home. It took all my will power to only share a few photos of her excellent design.
Dinner was an eclectic mix of Philly cheese steaks from Monk’s Deli food truck, and shucked to order oysters from Hamma Hamma, farmed right up the road. The glow of candlelight backdropped by the moody dark blue sky and water created the perfect mood for deep conversation, romantic dancing, and tearful toasts.
This wedding was one of those celebrations that reminded me why people do this - the stress, the planning, the money. It all pays off when you get to be with your loved ones, having the party of your life. This wedding was extra fun for me as my partner served as the bartender, slinging up cocktails adorned with fresh herbs. We used this Hood Canal wedding as an excuse to launch off on a long-fantasized road trip around the Olympic Peninsula. What a perfect way to start a trip we will never forget!