“It’s All for Us” —— It is finally here. The wedding of Sydney and Spencer.
Tender.
Emotional.
Unposed.
Personal.
Artistic.
Textured.
Intimate.
They were looking for a people oriented, unposed, genuine, and textured wedding film that focused on all the real, transitional moments and landscapes to capture their intimate wedding day in Escalante, Utah. A recurring theme in this film is the word “connection”. It was repeatedly brought up in speeches & I truly feel that this film reflects the importance of their people coming together for them.
One of my favorite things that both Sydney and Spencer mentioned about my work prior to booking was that they could “feel the exact texture of the surroundings”. My hope for their film was to create a space that allowed for slow moments to breathe & to really be present. To feel the desert breeze, hear the cheers, feel the hugs, the wipe of tears, grandpas singing, or feel as though they were sitting in their car driving down the 12 again.
This film is a great reminder when planning your wedding timeline to allow for moments to breathe. Allow time to have an extra few moments with your mom. Allow time for sweet hugs & tender conversations. Allow time to have a moment alone during your first look. Allotting time for nothing welcomes waves of emotion and meaningful moments that will make the day & film more impactful.
I don’t want to say too much because this film really does deeply share the heart & mission behind their day. Everything they did & everything that happened held so much meaning & intention. Down to a double rainbow the night before their ring ceremony. Truly remarkable.
Over the course of their relationship, they’ve traveled all over the world together- including a proposal in a hot air balloon in Cappadocia- what?! Miné is a flight attendant with Delta & has traveled to countless beautiful places, so for their wedding, they wanted to travel from their home in Georgia to share their vows to each other in a new and adventurous place. Yosemite was a bucket list place for them, so we ventured out to the epic Yosemite Valley and got to spend a few days together.
As many probably know by now, this was a record year of snow melt off in the valley and was so neat to see the falls so powerful. This place is such a treasure & I'm so thankful I get to be a part of sharing their love story with you guys, as well as Miné’s family in Japan for their August reception.
“We cannot believe how this video truly made us relive our day. You captured it in such a beautiful way”. This was one of my favorite portions of the email i received from C & C after delivering their film yesterday. I want each one to feel true and honest to who the two of you are, never cookie cutter. Hearing feedback like this makes my heart burst because that is truly what i value and try to emulate in each of my films. Honesty. Authenticity. Intimacy.
One of my favorite parts of Carrie and Colton’s elopement in Seward were their letters, vows, and message in a bottle. Not only are they both naturally poetic and sentimental people, but they had so many parallels in what they were sharing with each other. As you watch the video there are nearly identical repeated lines of their excitement of their life ahead of them & commitment to one another. Along with a handful of taylor swift references sprinkled in there too. Talk about twin flames! 🔥
Cheyan and Aaron got legally married exactly a year before their intimate celebration in Mt. Rainier. Their celebration was centered around slowing down and spending time with those they love. We woke up around 4am to beat the crowds to hike to the most beautiful waterfall, got breakfast at a local diner in Snowqualime, Cheyan and Aaron spent the morning getting ready with their friends, and we got to adventure around with the colorful wildflowers at Lake Tipsoo. There were no expectations, no people pleasing, no strict timeline. It was all about them and celebrating their relationship. I want to document more days like this. Allowing time to breathe, frolic in the mountains, snuggle your baby, eat chips ahoy in the parking lot, and spend intentional time with the family and friends who love you and are there support you. Enjoy this peaceful little film.
Back in September I had the honor and privilege of documenting my dear friend and beloved vendor in the Alaskas wedding industry autumn wedding. This day didn’t even feel like work to me because I was surrounded by many of my best friends and family & am just so inspired by the love these two have for each other and Christ.
CARLI AND AARON
To be honest, I can’t even begin to find words for how beautiful and sacred this day was. Carli and Aaron decided to have a destination wedding in their favorite getaway in Trinidad, California nestled among the redwoods & Northern California coast. Just from my initial call with Carli and Aaron I could tell this was going to be a Christ centered and honoring wedding, which was proven true over and over. It was filled sacred moments of prayer, promises to love God over one another till their dying day, and scripture. It was full of intention. Intention to glorify God through their gathering and coming together in marriage.
One of my favorite parts about editing is the little surprises and golden treasures I find along the way. The first minute of this film was a snip of a prayer Aaron prayed alone just before their first look. A prayer full of gratitude and humility.
I’m so thankful i have clients that are willing to be so vulnerable with me on their wedding days, sharing the most intimate parts of their lives, and allowing me to create something for them to hold onto closely forever. I truly do believe my best work comes from my clients that are willing to let down all walls and welcome me into who they are at their core, so I can share their most raw and authentic selves.
This was my last big wedding of 2022, and as I was driving back through Oregon along the coast, I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude and peace. Driving back, I found myself praying a prayer similar to Aaron’s. My windows were rolled down, I could feel the windy and salty air, i could seagulls hear squaking in the distance. Driving windy roads through the redwoods with blackberry stains on my hands, all I could think of was reflecting Aaron’s prayer of gratitude onto my own life & found myself singing the doxology over and over.
Taylor and Mason’s Intimate Wedding at The Gathering Place.
Oh to be nostalgic for the feeling. not a person or a moment, but for the way it felt. The way it felt like to hold your love against your body. to love so much like you just might burst. The feeling of the warm embraces and echos of voices of loved ones. To be homesick for the feeling, almost. Nostalgic for reminders in the breath of spring or the whisper of the wind, the smile of the moon.
“They will build a wonderful life together, because at the core of it all, is love”. What an astounding day with so many beautiful souls. My heart is bursting with love for these kind hearts.
Kat and Josh’s Backyard Wedding in Arizona.
5/1/22
They talked about their future. They exchanged words describing how much they love one another. They spent their reception in the house Kat grew up in with her closest family and friends. They embraced, shared loving kisses from loved ones, drank, and danced the night away with their best friends under the warm Arizona sky. The mariachi band was playing in the background, there were loads of chatter, birds chirping, plates clinking. While filming this wedding I couldn’t help but feel overwhelming gratefulness, happinesss, and peace. I’m so grateful for this life I’ve been given. Documenting the beautiful, the intimate, the messy, and everything in between. It’s days like these, when the palm trees are swaying under the vibrant sky and I am surrounded by souls of fire and love, that I realize what life and my job is all about.
Khristin and Nai’s Sedona Wedding.
Emily and Tyler Waltemeye'r’s Girdwood, Alaska Elopement
“In marriage the little things are the big things. It is never being too old to hold hands. It is always remembering to say I love you at least once a day. It is never going to sleep angry. It is standing together and facing the world. It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways. It is having the capacity to forgive and forget. It is giving an atmosphere in which each can grow. It is a common search for the good and the beautiful. It is not marrying the right person, but being the right partner”.
Wowowow did I love that part of the ceremony. Such profound, meaningful words to reflect on. Emily & Tyler did long distance (and still are) for years and have overcome so many hurdles together & I just loved these words Erin shared during their ceremony, because it is so perfect.
I had the opportunity to meet up with Emily and Tyler for some coffee before their wedding day, all business talk aside and it was so sweet to get to know them on a deeper level and have them become more like friends than clients. It really allowed me to take a deeper dive into their day & allowed for more intimate moments in their film. People are such an incredible blessing and it’s so beautiful to see how two different souls can come together and create so much love, goodness, and beauty. I am forever so thankful that people allow me into the most vulnerable & intimate aspects of their lives to create something truly priceless to last them forever.
The Wedding of Erica and Gabe Thompson at The Gathering Place
“You’re a million prayers of a little girl come true and I could not be more sure about spending the rest of my life with you” - a snip from Erica’s vows.
When I was looking over their footage, I felt this nostalgic, romantic pull. I honestly got some inspiration from a couple of my favorite movies- The Notebook & Wizard of Oz. Weird combo huh? When Erica played the piano as she was getting ready and it reminded me of The Notebook with its nostalgic, timeless, dream like, reflection on the past. Originally the entire first sequence was in color but it just didn’t fit. I changed it to black and white and love how once the piano ends, the scene fades out and opens up to the mountains in color, which reminded me of Wizard of Oz when she’s “not in Kansas anymore”. I felt like that was symbolic to this edit as well, because it went from this dream like reflection to the ceremony where it’s no longer something they’re thinking of, but they’re standing up in front of everyone about to get married- and it’s *actually* happening. After all the build up and tension, I love how the last 30 seconds of this film ties that back in. It slows back down, and is a slow and calm reminiscence, with Erica still playing the piano. However this time, instead of looking forward with anticipation, it is peace & joy remembering people they love, their relationship, their future, and what their day was all about.
This was such a beautiful and perfect day with such a dream team of vendors, and I continually feel so honored and blessed to be asked to work alongside so much talent and serve such incredible people.
Quinsey & Hugo’s Wedding at Raven Glacier Lodge in Girdwood, Alaska
Quinsey and Hugo’s story is similar to a lot of couples through 2020. They were planning on a large wedding but once Covid hit they scratched everything and eloped. This summer they had a more traditional celebration with their friends and family! The love everyone in this video shares for each other is astounding and I feel so honored to be a part of sharing their sweet love story. Enjoy this romantic rager!
Lexi & Jake’s Millers Landing Elopement
Lexi and Jake are from Minnesota and immediately fell in love with Alaska when they visited a few years back before deciding to get married. They rented the cutest little Airbnb cabin just minutes away from Millers Landing’s black sand beach. They spent the morning together talking about their future, what this day meant to them, and I genuinely think more couples need to do this. Such a beautiful time of reflection. They helped each other get ready, they wrote letters to open on their one year anniversary, they called family. It was truly the most peaceful joyous day. Lexi’s brother flew up to Alaska with them and agreed to officiate their wedding, which was so special. This day is a great reflection of what your wedding and marriage is all about- each other and the relationship shared with one another. There were no distractions- just them. Completely present and ready to kick start their adventure of a life time in the most beautiful place on earth.
Kate & Braden's Wedding at AK Diamond J Ranch in Homer, Alaska
If you want to know what pure love and overflowing joy feels like then you have to watch this video. Kate and Braden practically grew up together and by the time they were 17 years old they knew they were going to get married. Fast forward 3 years and here they are! These people are the real deal and have the most incredible support system as seen through this video.
April & Mark’s Elopement in Girdwood, Alaska
April and Mark began their new journey together moving up to Alaska together. They had an intimate wedding with their immediate family in Girdwood. April’s dad delivered the most beautiful message during the ceremony and it perfectly complemented the dynamic of their day. Their love is so natural and free. It was such a beautiful thing to be a part of sharing their love story.
Collin & Andrea’s Wedding at Bear Paw Adventure in Homer, Alaska
When planning your wedding location is one of the most important factors to consider. Where is a place important to you as a couple? Where did your partner propose? Where do you spend a lot of time or have many happy memories? For Collin and Andrea, Homer has always been a special place to them. All through growing up their families would go to Homer, spend time beach coming, fishing, hiking, walking along the spit. It’s their favorite place in Alaska. So, what better place to be proposed to and get married than a place so special to you and your family?! Although their venue wasn’t right on the ocean, I spent some time going down to the beach to capture some clips of the ocean waves and massive flocks of seagulls as an ode to the place they love so much to tie in all those little significances.
Annie & Pat’s Wedding at Arctic Valley
I think my favorite line from Annie’s vows has got to be “Before I met you I thought I knew what I wanted, but now I know what I can’t live without”. Don’t mind me crying my eyes out! I think that’s such a beautiful depiction of love and how it can come about in the most unexpected ways. This film is the perfection depiction of these two- many people have told me it feels like a sitcom, which is exactly the feeling I wanted to capture. They’re carefree, funny, adventurous, and are surrounded by so many fun loving people.
Steve & Kelsi’s Wedding in Millers Landing
Steve and Kelsi are big adventurers. They’re always out hiking, running marathons, skiing, kayaking, camping. Location was really important to them that allowed them to be out in Alaska’s beauty. Not to mention Steve proposed on the very beach where they got married! Talk about an amazing location to get married! They took a bit of an untraditional approach before their wedding ceremony started and decided to grab a few packs of Coors Light, blast some party music, cruised Seward’s ocean waters, and wandered around remote beaches. Honestly, nothing could be more fitting for this adventurous couple.