Anne and Ryan
Backyard wedding in Eugene, OR
From the moment I met Anne I loved her: arriving a few minutes late to our meeting spot, Anne came rushing across the road from her father’s car, jumped into the passenger side of my Jeep Cherokee all done up in her full wedding garb and a bit breathless, and brightly announced “Hi! I'm Anne, it’s so great to meet you! Sorry I was late, my sister and I lost track of time while doing burpees this morning!” Ah! My kind of girl! (for those of you that may not know, for my wedding day I too ended up late to my hair appointment because me and my maid of honor decided to start an impromptu squat work out session!)
We sped off together to the first look location I’d scouted out that morning. As we drove despite this being HER wedding day, Anne spent the whole trip asking me questions about myself, my husband and our lives. This, I came to find out is just who Anne is. Someone who is selfless and interested in all of life, an instant and fast friend upon first meeting. Pair her with Ryan and BAM, you have one amazing couple!
Ryan is one of those rare grooms that is just as involved in the wedding process as his gorgeous bride. He had found me on-line and we’d spoken a few times back and forth but I hadn’t gotten the chance to meet them until their intimate backyard wedding. Walking into his parent’s gorgeous Eugene home he was there to greet me and walk me around the beautiful space they had created for their vows and promises to be made.
Like many couples planning a wedding for Spring of 2020, some re-planning and adjustments were made. While a large-scale celebration with all of their friends and family needed to be postponed, Ryan and Anne decided to have a small wedding with family and friends to start off their lives as husband and wife. I feel so honored to not only be present at ceremonies like this, but also trusted to be the one to document such a pivotal moment in the lives of this couple.
Sometimes as a wedding photographer we can get wrapped up in the perfect placement of the shoes on a bit of lace and how pretty that looks on an instagram feed, and there is nothing wrong with honing one’s craft to a fine art down to even the smallest details. But somehow, in the heart of this crazy 2020 wedding season,
…standing in the back yard of a woman whose son is about to marry the love of his life…
…seeing a tiny fraction of the family members who wished they could be there to celebrate and love on Ryan and Anne at this moment…
…briefly speaking to one of Anne’s longest friends about her struggle with coming to be there to stand by Anne on this day….
all of this just brings me back to why it is I make this my career. To be able to be here in this moment, knowing that these photos will be circulated among all those who couldn’t be there with them, allowing them to feel as if they were there, and take part in this beautiful start to this next season of life for Anne and Ryan, THIS is what it is truly about. Family, love and spanning the divide of space that may separate them.
So, I hope you all enjoy this little taste of this gorgeous backyard ceremony. Anne and Ryan, love you and I am so proud of you on your recent graduation from medical school- go rock the world together and I can’t wait for your big celebration next year!
