After meeting at Podiatry school and realising they were ééòsole mates’ (pun intended!) Paris & Matt decided to return to her home town of Seaview on the coast of southern Washington to get married at the bride’s family home. With the demands of school and residency schedules, a lot of the planning was left to her Mother who having previously planned her sister’s wedding, knew the challenges faced when organising a wedding in a remote location. It became a labour of love with merged families, friends and community all coming together to create the magical event you see here. I think the church in the image below may just be the sweetest one I’ve seen! What a beautiful setting! Thanks to Jake and Anna from SWEETLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY for sharing this lovely wedding with us.
ééòTrue to Washington State weather, rain continued into the start of the wedding week. Early arriving family and friends stood by with umbrellas and worried that preparations would never get done, but by mid-week the clouds gave way to sunshine. Family, friends and neighbors joined in to paint, clean, iron, prepare food, arrange flowers and landscape the property. A large tent was assembled on the grounds of the historic home next to the carriage house. My hand painted signs were placed at the oyster grill, s’mores fire pit, cigar bar, and on an old beach surrey used for our get-away vehicle.
Matt’s contingent of family and friends from Ohio stayed at neighboring beach homes, vacation rentals and the local landmark B&B, just a short walk from the reception in Seaview.
On Midsummer’s Eve, our guests garbed in Gatsby style clothing arrived to the ‘Seaview Speakeasy’ Welcome Party held in my family home. Cocktails included the ‘Matt-hattan’ and ‘Paris 75’, local craft beer and Oregon Pinot Noir. The evening was topped off with my favorite Tiramisu dessert, a gift from my brother.ééò
ééòThe First Day of Summer started with brilliant sunshine (a rarity in Southwest Washington). The girls and I dressed in my family home and the men at the groom’s compound, while the mayor of nearby Long Beach delivered the large tiered wedding cake from his bakery.
By mid afternoon, guests started filling the pews at St. Mary’s McGowan, an old wooden church overlooking the mouth of the Columbia River and Pacific Ocean. Now a National Park, it was the site of an old Chinook Nation Trading Village and a Lewis & Clark expedition camp in 1805.
The reception back in Seaview continued the assimilation of Midwest guests to seafood, with oysters and salmon among the menu. Dinner and dancing continued until sun set on the longest day of the year, and into the night. Dashing through a sparkler send-off, Matt and I enjoyed a quiet wedding night before catching flights back to our hospital duties in Cleveland. We are looking forward to a honeymoon in the future, but know it won’t match the beauty of the quaint little beach village of Seaview or the love of our family and friends who gave us such a wonderful wedding weekend.ééò
Photography SWEETLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY / Florist FIFTY FLOWERS / Gown JUSTIN ALEXANDER from CHARLOTTE’S WEDDINGS & MORE / Shoes ADRIANNA PAPELL / Bridesmaids’ dresses JENNY YOO COLLECTION from BHLDN / Menswear CALVIN KLEIN from MEN’S WAREHOUSE / Ceremony Venue ST. MARY’S MCGOWAN CHURCH / Reception venue
BRIDE’S FAMILY HOME / Cake COTTAGE BAKERY / Paper goods CARDS & POCKETS / Rentals THE PARTY PROS / Rings ELI ANTYPAS JEWELERS / Officiant DEACON DICK WALLACE, ST MARY’S MCGOWAN
