Leap Day Elopement - John + Paulina at the County Courthouse and Fitton Green Natural Area
Perhaps the highest compliment you could possibly pay me is contacting me to photograph your wedding before you even have a date for your wedding. That’s what John and Paulina did - I got an email from them back in 2018 when they were in the very early stages of their wedding planning and we’ve been in touch ever since. We had a beautiful engagement session last summer at Cape Kiwanda (one of my favorite spots on the Oregon Coast), but plans for the big day remained in flux. And then, as if by providence, the plan for this lovely intimate elopement came flying together at the end of February - they wanted to get married on Leap Day.
Leap Day in Oregon was a bit cold and rainy (it even hailed a little), but luckily we managed to avoid all the sprinkles. We met at the courthouse with just the couples’ brothers and maid of honor, and had a beautifully intimate ceremony. Wedding plans came together so quickly in the end that John and Paulina didn’t have time to get wedding bands, so they tied pieces of string on each other’s ring fingers as placeholders. After a little cake and some photos we ventured down to Fitton Green Natural Area to catch a gorgeous sunset. I knew from our last outing that these two were intrepid, so they braved the chill like campions. I always prefer a little too cold to a little too hot, anyway, so I can encourage my couples to cuddle up for warmth.
All in all a fantastic elopement that I was so pleased to be a part of. Congratulations, you two, and thanks for all the lovely photos! (And don’t forget your first wedding anniversary in 2024 - if you only get to celebrate every four years, you should make it a big one!)
