Sara is an interior designer who moved from Miami to Seattle to follow her dreams. Jay is a born and raised Seattleite who like his grandfather, father, and brother is a lawyer. The two met with the magical swipe of a finger - yes Tinder, five years ago - one month after Sara landed on the West Coast. The rest is history!
The couple had a micro wedding with thirty of their nearest and dearest. They had their ceremony and celebration on San Juan Island off Washington - close to where Sara and Jay got engaged and their day was captured beautifully by Malorie Kerouac.
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
Have you seen the place? It’s like a fairytale! When we were searching for venues it was really overwhelming, so we went to a wedding show to see what was out there in an efficient way. Saltwater Farms was one of the booths there and we decided to check it out. We were hoping to find somewhere on the islands of Washington, as it’s a special place for us and where we got engaged. When we visited the farm it was still in construction but we fell in love with Andrew and Merriss’s passion and dream. Best leap of faith we ever made and boy they did not disappoint. What’s even better is they have cabins we can stay at to celebrate our anniversaries or just have a getaway.
The couple decided to keep things fuss free for their wedding attire. Jay wore a suit he wears to court, despite Sara’s protests. "In actuality though that made it special - because now when he wears it it’s like a good luck charm!" Sara wanted to hold on to her dress for the big celebration, so had to find an outfit in a month. It was a little last minute however, it all came together beautifully. She found a timeless jumpsuit from Jay Godfrey and borrowed jewellery from her friends to complete the look with a touch sentiment.
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
Trying not to forget what we were doing it all for! Planning a wedding during covid was one of the most stressful moments of our lives and we both had to experience a lot of disappointment to make our event work within fluctuating covid parameters. Because the circumstances made it a little more complicated than usual, it was really important to remember that the reason we were doing this wasn’t for all of the flashy aspects of a wedding (although we definitely feel that’s an important part of the celebration), we were doing this because we love each other and want to make a commitment to spend forever together. When it all comes down to it, that’s what was most important for us to hold on to.
Were there any traditional elements that were important for you to incorporate on your wedding day?
We plan to have a larger celebration at a later date when it’s safe, so we actually tried to take out a lot of traditional elements and make it more like a civil ceremony. We are hoping to save the vows, dress, bridal party, walk down the aisle, and first dance for a later date so we have a few special moments with all of our loved ones."
Any tips for couples getting married, particularly during Covid?
Be flexible and know that even though it might not be what you “dreamed” of, you will still be getting married to the love of your life - and will have a day you will never forget!
Ceremony location : Saltwater Farms @saltwaterfarmsji | Photographer : Malorie Kerouac @maloriekerouac | Celebrant : Andrew Peterson, co-owner of Saltwater Farms @saltwaterfarmsji | Styling + Planning : by the bride | Flora : sister of the groom | Catering + Beverages : Spring Street Deli | Cake : Rebecca Gutierrez @rebeccagcakes | Stationery : Feel Good Invites | Bride’s Jumpsuit : Jay Godfrey @jaygodfreynyc | Rings : Vintage from the Groom’s grandmother | Shoes : Nordstrom @nordstrom | Other Jewellery : Borrowed from friends of the bride | Hair : Rebecca Gutierrez