FOLLOW JAY:
jay eads label logo

Tag Archives: elopement

BRITTANY + SCOTT | GLACIER NATIONAL PARK ELOPEMENT

The internet has created a strangely connected world. Not only are products and information readily available, so are new people and potential relationships. There are countless friends I would never have met without three little, sequential w’s, and I am really grateful for that. The internet has opened doors to business opportunities, photographic inspiration, and a wealth of resources. Plus, Netflix.  😉

Brittany found me on Green Wedding Shoes because of another elopement which featured a couple referred to me by another photographer I have never met, although I “facebook know her.” The elopement was in Glacier National Park, which is definitely a location that was on my bucket list, and elopements also make my heart so happy. I love connecting those kinds of dots. From the moment Brittany, Scott, and I scouted locations for the next day, I was positive that this was going to be my kind of wedding… and my kind of couple. The whole weekend did not disappoint. A dress modeled after Grace Kelly’s wedding gown, a couple with such a visible connection, bison burgers, snow (kind of, I guess), and views that just do something to you, at a soul level. This is a couple I want to remember, and a place I know I probably won’t soon forget.
glacier national park elopementSTONE_085glacier national park elopementjay eads photographyjay eads elopementjay eadswhitefish montana elopement

Tags: , , , ,
1 comment
Comment

Your email is never published or shared. Required fields are marked *

  • FongGoody goody goodness, Jay! You did awesome!!! Every. Single. Shot!

JILLIAN + COLIN | PDX CATHEDRAL PARK ELOPEMENT

Live on the East Coast, elope in the Northwest… makes perfect sense to someone who is fiercely devoted to the PNW. For the couple who wants to make an adventure out of life, making an adventure out of the wedding is a natural choice. Custom rings, Saks dress (I mean, hello, look at her dress), a wide open park under the bridge, a tour of the best food in Portland, and a Tesla to drive you around. Not too shabby.

I know this is another intimate wedding slash elopement, and I have posted a good handful of them lately. It’s not that I dislike big weddings. I don’t. I’ve just found these small weddings incredibly inspiring, and they have been a bit of a safe harbor in the midst of busy months. If you were able to strip everything away at any given wedding, you would end up with two people who love each other and are committing their lives to one another for the long haul. These small weddings do just that to varying degrees, and it’s really beautiful to watch. This particular wedding consisted of five people and a park. Bride, groom, photographer/witness, officiant, and a second witness we found on a park bench. No joke. A wonderful girl who also happened to be on an adventure, just having gotten off the Amtrak to a new city… sitting on a bench because she had nowhere else to be. They wanted the wedding to reflect Portland, to be special, just for them. Color me jealous.

Is it the Wolfs? Wolves? All I know is that Wolf may be just about the coolest last name. Maybe they just need to move to PDX and start an indie band called, The Wolves. No matter what they decide, this is couple to remember. If you are having a giant wedding at a lavish venue, enjoy it for everything it’s worth… savor the community . Don’t let this post make you feel like your plan is anything less than the perfect way to get married. If you are considering an elopement, but you worry that it’s not fancy enough to be meaningful… remember that diamonds come from simple earth, if you squeeze it hard enough. An elopement may not be for everyone, however, that shouldn’t make you feel that it can’t be for you.

It’s an honor to be asked into people’s lives. Thank you, Colin and Jillian.

“Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing. ” – Camille Pissarro

mr and mrs spoon and forkrose hotel weddingpdx waterfront elopementpdx elopement

MORE AFTER THE JUMP  (more…)

Tags: , , ,
7 comments
Comment

Your email is never published or shared. Required fields are marked *

  • Elayna Giordano-MurphyA modern day fairytale. Beautiful in every way!

  • Danielle FiorentinoJillian, the pictures are amazing. I love everything about all of this- it’s so uniquely you and your fairy tale.. Beautiful and real 🙂

  • Donna Burchnall CocciolilloAbsolutely beautiful,

  • Lindsay KorwinWoW! What a beautiful day!

  • Michelle Gies BrownEverything I LOVE about LOVE is in these photos…thanks for sharing your lovely day.

  • Eleanor Gwyn-JonesJust beautiful. And unexpected. And totally elegantly quirky.

  • Bethany Joy GilbertsonYour elopement photos always make me cry.

ASHLEY + AARON | COLUMBIA GORGE ELOPEMENT

Although I crossed the bridge 15 years ago, a 6 person wedding in the middle of gorgeous Northwest nature is probably what I would do if I were getting married right now. The simplicity just hung over me, much like the wind in the gorge. A dad and his kids, a bride, her self-described “soul-sister” as officiant, and open sky. The modern elopement, for lack of a better term, has brought into sharp focus the clarity of why I love weddings. People, commitment, love. A movable, human home. That’s why I love weddings. And seeing as how the bride, groom, officiant, and I also all happen to be photographers and friends… this truly was a rare honor.

Dad trying to listen to whispered secrets with the officiant, a rock throwing contest, the vows as paper airplane sent into the gorge, wedding pie, the instant images, the tears and laughter, and that first dance at sunset as the kids looked on. I’ll will definitely remember them all with the greatest of fondness. Damn, I’m a lucky guy to do what I do.

 

A friend of mine wrote a song that was going through my head all through the ceremony, and I thought I would share it:

“Yes I’ll build a house inside your heart…”

 

Words of Advice from the Bride: 

Our wedding was all about the 4 of us becoming a family. Having the privacy of an imitate wedding let us focus on each other, and that was really meaningful and special. Jay asked for my advice for other brides… The only thing I can say is celebrate what is most important to you. Have a wedding that feels right for you. Enjoy it, be present, and have a really awesome photographer so you can relive it over and over.

I did not pay her to say that last part 😉

COLUMBIA GORGE ELOPEMENTCOLUMBIA GORGE ELOPEMENTOREGON ELOPEMENTOREGON ELOPEMENTOREGON INTIMATE WEDDINGOREGON FAMILY PORTRAITSOREGON COLUMBIA GORGE ELOPEMENTPOLAROID WEDDING

Polaroids, iPhone, and digital are all mixed in, in case anyone wonders why some images look different.

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
6 comments
Comment

Your email is never published or shared. Required fields are marked *

  • FongPerfection, as always! Awesome set, Jay!

  • Craig FloodWOW! So good. I agree with Jay I would do a wedding like this as well.

  • Scott HillsonI think, that this might just be, the best wedding album I’ve ever seen. and I’ve seen a lot of your wedding albums.

  • EvanWow, what a beautiful way to get married! So intimate and peaceful I’m sure. Beautiful photos! 🙂

  • KateI was just wondering where this spot is in the gorge? Is it a state park or private property. Any info would be super helpful. 🙂 thanks!

    Kate

  • jayeadshey kate! hmmm, it was somewhere near cascade locks, i think? i’m not sure if it has a name or not, but it’s right off the freeway.

 

Go do something kind for someone who doesn't expect it.