Five years ago today, the skies briefly parted as we shared our vows to each other, barefoot in the sand, at Gleneden Beach on the Oregon Coast.  As photographers who have photographed hundreds of weddings, we decided to keep things fairly non-traditional. Everyone else was also barefoot at the ceremony, which included 20 of our close family and friends gathered around us in a circle.  Before the vows & rings to make it “official”, we silently enjoyed the sounds of the waves and ocean breeze swirling around us as one-by-one each person in attendance shared a little about what was on their hearts that moment. Oh, there were tears… Joelle was a comparative rock as Ryan blubbered his way through his vows leaving everyone else choked up when he finally finished!

Stella, our pup, ran free on the beach decked out in a pink Dupioni ribbon that just so happened to match Joelle’s dress from local Portland designer Lena Medoyeff. We love weddings of all shapes & sizes, but this small group on the beach was very “us”. The next day we hosted a proper celebration on an oak-strewn hillside above Carlton in the Yamhill Valley. That part is a bit more of a blur… in the best way possible.  Lots of smiling faces and great conversation over delicious local food, tasty beer, good wine, and an assortment of fruit pies from a bakery in McMinnville with Tillamook ice cream! In retrospect, we probably should have followed tradition a bit more and kept one of those pies in the freezer like a traditional cake top. So good.

Five years can go by in a flash. As we slow down today to enjoy each other and reflect back, we are struck with the intense certainty of our love as we proclaimed it that day, and the true blessing that we found one another in the first place.

We hope you enjoy a few of our favorite Holga photos from 5 years ago today!