Emily + Brian met in middle school + were together for almost eight years before they got engaged. Emily says, After living together for seven of those years, owning a house together for four, and raising our furry daughter together for the past two, we basically felt we were already married. The ceremony itself felt like a bit of a formality, but one that we certainly wanted to make sure we did with style and in a way that felt organic to us. We know lots of couples out there are in the same boat, so we hope E + B’s decision to celebrate + start their married life together with a beautiful seaside elopement can act as inspiration for anyone struggling with deciding what type of wedding would be right for them. Let’s hear why they chose to exchange their vows on the gorgeous, scenic San Juan Island in Washington:
We are both nature lovers and grew up by the ocean on the east coast in a small beach town that fits the quaint New England stereotype in all the best ways. We wanted to stay true to our roots, while at the same time making our special day a quintessential Pacific Northwest experience since we both love this area where we have built our life together so much.
Big thanks to O’Malley Photographers for sharing this gorgeous wedding with us + congrats to Emily + Brian on a truly beautiful day!
Emily sourced lavender from a local farm on the island + made her bouquet + Brian’s boutonniere herself. We love how they both turned out.
We’re majorly loving Emily’s Katie May dress, which she paired with a beautiful back necklace from HedgehogProject.
Cattle Point, where we held our ceremony, boasts some of the most incredible views in the Puget Sound region, of both the other islands and the Olympic mountains on a clear day. And the lighthouse! New England loves lighthouses. We were sold.
The ceremony, of course! Brian and I put our entire ceremony together ourselves, and we both wrote our own vows. As someone who is typically not overly emotionally expressive, Brian wrote the most amazing and romantic vows straight from the heart, and they completely melted mine. I reread them multiple times over the days following the ceremony and still pull them out to read occasionally when I need a pick me up or just because. I think we both feel that our ceremony was very romantic and personal, which was everything we could have hoped for!
Be true to yourselves and what feels right for you. I think one of the biggest deterrents for people who don’t elope even though they might want to is societal expectations. Brian and I decided to elope because we felt that something as sacred as a ceremony pledging our love and promising our lives to each other belonged to the two of us. Many of our friends and family were disappointed at first by our decision to do it this way, but we were committed to our plan and were able to explain the reasons for our choice in a way that folks understood. I wouldn’t change a thing about the way we did it. To be honest, everyone I share our experience with laments not doing the same themselves or vows to do it this way when it’s their turn!
photography: O'Malley Photographers // venue name: Cattle Point Lighthouse, Friday Harbor at San Juan Island, Washington // florals: Pelindaba Lavender Farm // bride's shoes: Chase & Chloe // groom attire: Suit Supply // wedding dress: Katie May from The Dress Theory // back necklace: HedgehogProject
Amazing pictures. I love these. Great work.
Congratulations on your elopement! It looks like such a special and intimate day!