VyVy and Kelly came all the way from Austin, Texas to elope in a place they absolutely fell in love with-Brookings. If you have ever been to visit the gorgeous Samuel H Boardman corridor, then you can understand why.
Personally, this was a bucket list location for me. The week prior to their inquiry Bryan and I were driving along the scenic highway and I told him I was going to manifest shooting an elopement here. Well, the universe heard me because the very next week I connected with Vyvy and Kelly. Not only was it a dream of mine, but these two were the absolute perfect fit for who I want to experience it with.
They rented a cute Airbnb to stay in on their trip about 15 minutes from their ceremony location. Brookings is a tiny town, but there are some really cute places to stay. We spend time easing into the day by getting ready at the cabin. This is one of the things about elopements I love the most — the slow nature of things. No rushing, no timeline to follow, it’s completely your day to do as you please.
We took Kelly down to the ceremony site first so we could get him set up for his first look. He was so nervous, but the right kind. You could tell this was the most exciting moment of his life and he was about to marry his dream girl. I love getting to see this in person. There really is nothing like it. Once we got to the natural bridges, we made the steep and tough hike back to get Vyvy. It was time for the fist look!
Vyvy was out of this world gorgeous, even after the hike. Just like her soon to be husband Kelly, you could tell she was absolutely over the moon. This was about to be the best day of both of their lives and I was about to get to witness it. We ignored the dangerous conditions sign and kept going to meet up with Kelly who was anxiously waiting for their first look.
This first look was without a doubt one of the most emotional I have gotten to witness. Vyvy had to take a moment to cry before Kelly could turn around. This is what it is all about. Even in the hot sun, she was radiant. They were both so ready to start forever together.
When Kelly turned around and saw Vyvy, he was brought to his knees. And honestly folks, this is the reaction we should all be having! That is your partner, the person you have waited your whole life for. I want to be a fly on the wall while you feel all of the feels! With the gorgeous landscape of natural bridges in the background, they twirled and giggled around with every butterfly in them.
Now, it was time to get married! Not only was this the most incredible location, I was thrilled to find out that I was working with my great industry friend, Officiant Jimmie. If you have been planning an elopement or a wedding anywhere in the PNW (or west coast for that matter) you have absolutely seen this icon of a human pop up. As far as officiants go, there is no better one out there. Truly he is the best of the best and this was the most incredible, fun, down to earth ceremony that perfectly matched the energy of Vyvy and Kelly.
We laughed, we cried, we laughed some more and finally it was time for these two to call each other husband and wife. There may or may not (definitely was) been a few butt jokes and that is always welcome behavior for us. Now it was my favorite time of the day, the blissful “we just did the damn thing” bridal portraits.
Before anything could happen though, it was time to seal it with a shot. Thanks Jimmie, the whiskey was exactly what we all needed.
Next up, we hiked over to the Redwoods. Nothing says “I am on the west Coast” like walking through a forest of incredibly large trees. One of the best parts about the Oregon Coast for elopements is that you get such diverse landscapes. You can have huge rock formations, ancient rainforests and giant redwood trees all in the same spot. Also, the most stunning blue water you have ever seen. If you’re lucky, you might also catch a whale or sea lions. They make the best wedding guests.
After the redwoods, we stopped for the best lunch ever: PB&J and some jerky. Look, I know, that isn’t “stopping for lunch” but that’s what we had and it was so delicious after all of the hiking we had done. After fueling up, it was time for our last stop: the not so secret Secret Beach.
As the day came to a close, Vyvy and Kelly were feeling overjoyed with everything that had happened throughout the day. As were Bryan and I. So, there was really only one thing left to do: pop some champagne and relax.
There isn’t really a better way to end the day than this. It was so fun, so relaxed and it really felt like we had all known each other for decades by the end of the day. There is no better feeling in the world for an elopement photographer than this. Everything was truly perfect. For us, for the couple, for everyone. Vyvy and Kelly told us on our way out that it felt like having their family members here with them. And for Bryan, Jimme and I, it felt like we were part of their family too.
Now, Vyvy and Kelly welcomed a beautiful daughter into the world and have settled into married life as Mom and Dad at their home in Austin. I will forever carry this day in my heart.
If you are planning to elope on the Oregon coast, whether it is in Brookings or elsewhere, we would love to be a part of your day. All of our photo and video packages come with planning assistance and we would love to create a day as perfect as this for you! We work closely with officiant Jimmie to have an all inclusive elopement photo, video and officiant experience to do the work for you. Just show up and enjoy 🙂
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