Micaela + Kyle
An Intimate wedding at Mount Pisgah Arboretum in Eugene, OR
For future reference, I need to remember that whenever I schedule a shoot with Micaela and Kyle to expect the weather to show up in a BIG way!
When we planned their engagement session at Hoyt Arboretum this past March, it was the one day all year that we got snow! They were epic troopers through the shoot however, and even though it was cold, cold, cold, their laughter and love kept the smiles on their face. Then, on the opposite of extremes, as I prepared for their wedding this last week I saw the forecast suddenly jump up into the high 90s for their Sunday ceremony!
Well, some people are just epic in more ways than one and I Micaela and Kyle’s extreme weather epicness is just one of those extra ways! Laughing and packing one of my lightest wedding day outfits, I jumped into the car and headed down to Mount Pisgah to celebrate their wedding day with them.
The last time I was on Mount Pisgah I was a junior attending Oregon University (GO DUCKS!) and we were trekking around as part of a navigation lab in an outdoor survival course I’d taken for one of my electives. I remember being terrified of poison ivy which supposedly dots the hillsides of the mount and having my shoes soaked all the way through from all the wet undergrowth. Driving up this past Sunday was a MUCH different experience! As I pulled toward the main parking area people in swimming clothes and carrying various inflatables were walking all over. Mount Pisgah has a few fantastic swimming holes, and a 90+ degree summer day is not a common occurrence here in the PNW so people were definitely taking advantage!
As I walked up to the ceremony location I got to meet Leisha, who is the event coordinator for Mount Pisgah Arboretum. She was especially excited as this was to be the first wedding she’d prepared for in months (a much different pace from her normal Friday, Saturday, Sunday fully booked weekends of weddings in summers past). Leisha was so kind and pointed out some of the more popular portrait locations for me to check out. After strolling among the giant oaks and tall grasses for a few minutes Kyle arrived with his brother and Micaela’s parents to put together the arch which would frame their ceremony.
It was to be a very intimate affair hosting no more than 10 people and as each one arrived the excitement in the air became palpable. Kyle dressed in a dashing grey summer suit and Micaela snuck into the changing area to don her intricate white gown, helped with the gorgeous lace-up backing by her mom, soon-to-be mother in law and sister.
As everyone took their places the music started and songs from Star Wars and Disney movies played over the air as each family member made their way up the aisle. As Micaela approached arm in arm with her father, Kyle fought back tears and I felt a lump in my own throat threaten to turn my eyes into a teary mess.
An uncle officiated and did a beautiful job intertwining bible verse and personal anecdotes to make the audience vacillate between tears and laughter. Micaela couldn’t contain her own tears of happiness as she read her sweet hand-written vows and I’ll never forget the look in Kyle’s eyes as he read out the most gorgeous poem of promises set to Micaela’s name. They shared their first kiss as husband and wife as the sun speckled light through the branches of the giant over-arching oak, and applause filled the air and the newlyweds made their way back down the pathway.
The rest of the afternoon was spent with sharing doughnuts amply supplied from a friend who works at the local pastry shop, touching speeches from the siblings of Micaela and Kyle, a first dance with a fancy twirl, a father/daughter dance which erupted into an adorable boogie, a mother/son dance filled with tears and love and a wonderful gift of a hand-woven blanket from Kyle’s grandfather and step-grandmother.
After everyone enjoyed a sampling of the cake and sweets and started to pack up, Micaela, her sister, Kyle and I spent a half hour together wandering around the fields of tall golden grasses, soaking up all the natural beauty of a summer evening on Mount Pisgah. Honestly, this was one of the most naturally beautiful locations for a wedding that I have ever seen and if you are looking for a wedding set in a location which showcases the beauty of our state, check it out.
I feel so honored to have been a part of this intimate and breathtaking wedding celebration. Kyle and Micaela are planning a much larger celebration next year which I will also have the pleasure of attending, but until then I wish them all the love and happiness in the world!
