Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love, what is unique about you and your relationship:
When we first met, our first conversation was about purpose driven businesses and storytelling to create change, which pretty much sets the stage for how we desire to live life: intentionally and inclusively.
Lauren currently works in Marketing at a large outdoor retailer where she’s passionate about amplifying the voices of advocates that are change-makers in their communities. She gets really excited about promoting sustainability and inclusivity through her work.
Andrew toggles between projects in commercial-documentary filmmaking and real estate. Over the past decade Andrew has worked on various film projects that have taken him to remote places around the world to capture people’s stories. More recently, Andrew has taken interest in hospitality and the common thread of connection in stories and physical spaces.
Together, we love to host and have a lot of fun getting creative doing so! In the everyday moments, we enjoy looking for ways to make them special – whether it’s always having candles at dinner or having frequent picnics by the water.
Tell us about your special day, was there a specific theme or style? Tell us a little about the setting, the styling and some of your favourite details:
We’re all about togetherness with our people, so we wanted our day to be more than just about us coming together. We wanted our wedding to honor our family and for the entire weekend to be filled with intentionality that would show love to each of our family members. This intention grounded each of our decisions along the planning process. From having Andrew’s bother officiate, our sister-in-law playing piano as Lauren walked down the aisle, providing welcome notes to each of Lauren’s family members, to Andrew’s mother baking the galettes for dessert, our hope was to have everyone feel included and seen. One of the most important and special aspects of our day was having Andrew’s grandfather as his best man as a way to honor him and their relationship.
We had a lot of fun bringing together the elements of the day that would be thoughtful details and make for sweet memories. Lauren’s best friend arranged the flowers from the local market for the table and arrangements throughout the house. One of the special touches for the weekend included hand-embossed invites and menus. We had recently acquired Andrew’s grandparents old embossing press, so naturally we decided to emboss each of the invitations and menus, line by line. It was quite a task but so worth it for us to pour love into those details.
The setting of the weekend provided the perfect backdrop to our intentions for togetherness. We rented a private home on the water in Indianola, Washington. It was inviting and comfortable, which made it easy to create the welcoming environment we wanted.
Tell us about your main outfits:
Since we were planning our intimate family wedding with the plan for a bigger celebration in the future, we wanted our outfits to allow us the flexibility to wear them again, be comfortable and budget friendly. We wanted to look elevated and timeless, and feel very much ourselves with our personal styles popping through.
Lauren: I loved the idea of being able to have a two-piece outfit that I could mix and match for our future celebration. I found the skirt at a sample sale in Seattle and then discovered De la Rosa Bridal for the silk organza top of my dreams. After our dinner, I changed out of my skirt and into a pair of white Rime Arodaky pants from The Real Real for a jumpsuit look. The pants allowed my Cult Gaia heels to shine with their fun orb heel. The primary elements of my outfit felt fun, a bit flirty, and I remember feeling like I was exactly who I wanted to be. I’m looking forward to dressing up again in my cherished pieces mixed with some new pieces! Andrew: Similar to Lauren, I wanted a suit and shoes combo that could be worn again in different ways. We picked out a dark navy suit from Suit Supply and pair them with the R.M Williams Chelsea Boots.
What were some of the most memorable/unique moments from the day:
Andrew shared a moment of Wisdom and Whiskey with the men from both Lauren’s and Andrews family. They gathered round and shared advise for our marriage while sipping on some whiskey before the first look.
We met up in the morning for a walk on the beach. Holding hands we let the significance of the day and the beautiful setting sink in. It was a special moment for us to affirm each other, just us two, before the buzz of the day picked up.
Photos in the storm: Right as we were getting ready for our first look, the weather turned stormy. After the ceremony and family portraits, Andrew had the spontaneous idea for us to get some quick pics outside in the rain and wind, just us two. Our photographer was our hero – they fully embraced the idea. Braving the weather and championing the fun of having our own “About Time” moment, not too far off from the movie scene.
The whole weekend was a family affair: we stayed in the same house with Lauren’s parents, her brother and best friend & her husband the night before the wedding and partied together late into the night of the wedding. The next morning, Andrews parents and a few friends re-joined us for a brunch. The weather had cleared and while it was still brisk and windy, it was sunny so we bundled up and enjoyed brunch outside. It was a lovely way to end the weekend together.
Any advice for other couples planning to spend the rest of their lives together:
Take intentional time to enjoy the season and cherish those who’ve supported you and are standing by your side as you enter into the rest of your lives together.
Photography: @madisonolling | Ceremony and Reception location: Private Home in Indianola, Washington | Celebrant: Groom’s brother, Matt Thompson | Bride’s Top: @delarosa_bride | Bride’s skirt: @thedresstheoryseattle | Groom’s attire: Suit Supply | Bride’s rings: @victoriayoungjewelry | Groom’s rings: @manna.shop | Bride’s shoes: @cultgaia | Groom’s shoes: @r.m.williams_official | Jewellery: @mejuri | Hair: @hairbycarson | Fragrance: @maisonlouismarie | Bride and Groom’s florals: @bouquet_seattle | Reception florals: @lc_installs | Catering and Beverages: Molly McDonald
