Real Couple Intimate Wedding: Brooke + Josh in the Olympic Peninsula

Earlier in 2020, we were able to be part of a fairytale celebration. Brooke and Josh hosted a gorgeous wedding in the great outdoors, basking in all the Pacific Northwest has to offer. Their photos are full of such joy that it’s easy to forget that it was an adapted event. When Washington State shut down in the first wave of pandemic, Brooke and Josh reached out to us to plan an intimate celebration in 2020 while they pushed their larger wedding to 2021. While their original nuptials were planned for Orcas Island, they wanted to use their intimate wedding to cozy up in a different climate in the PNW and celebrate with their closest friends and family. We were so honored that they reached out to us to co-create their minimony.

OUR TAPESTRY COUPLE.

Brooke and Josh met at a crossfit gym in New Orleans. Josh was a trainer, and Brooke asked around about him. She kept showing up to his 5:30am classes and one thing led to another. They fell in love during the first five months of their relationship when Brooke was recovering from an ACL injury and had limited mobility. They grew closer and eventually had to admit their falling in love.

In reflecting on their journey to their wedding day, Josh said he appreciates Brooke’s drive and commitment to her plans. He feels like his “life has been so amazing since we joined forces all those years ago.” Brooke loves how grounded Josh is and how open he is to new ideas. After moving in together, adopting a puppy, moving across the country, and taking many wonderful road trips and vacations, Josh proposed to Brooke in Crater Lake with a uniquely designed ring featuring an heirloom diamond from Brooke’s family.

Brooke and Josh love spending time together, vacationing to Orcas Island, hanging out with their dog, and enjoying bluegrass music.

PLANNING THEIR COVID-19 INTIMATE WEDDING.

Brooke and Josh’s original plan was to host a big wedding at Doe Bay.Tapestry was brought on board to capture the outdoor, organic, casual vibes of their original venue selection with a smaller scope of people and a new space. Planning their wedding in the early stages of the COVID outbreak was difficult because the information and regulations were constantly changing.

Brooke and Josh were committed to being as safe as possible and maintaining all safety protocols, which made for a grounded partnership when it came to adapting to the times and communicating new expectations. We want to give our props to Brooke. She was an AWESOME planning partner. She knew what she wanted and was able to communicate it effectively. Her communication skills combined with Josh’s enthusiasm made for a complete planning journey on a tighter-than-usual timeline.

The new iteration of their wedding moved to Port Angeles so that their family and friends could be comfortably housed in vacation rentals. For their ceremony, they decided to make the journey up to Hurricane Ridge, one of our favorite spots in the Olympic Mountains [link to top elopement locations]. We made sure their event was safe by keeping family and friends already quarantining together in pods. These pods drove up to the ceremony together, stayed in houses together, ate together, and sat together around the fire pit. We provided plated meals, markers for glassware, and chairs and blankets for each individual. Brooke and Josh wanted everyone to feel as comfortable as possible with clear and thoughtful safety precautions.

HOW THEIR AWESOME + INTENTIONAL DAY CAME TOGETHER.

On their way up to Hurricane Ridge, the wedding party caravan was stopped. A line led out of the park gates and up the road! Luckily, Kate and Kristen were about ten minutes ahead of the group, talked to a Park Ranger, and were able to give the bride and groom updates on how the line was moving. After waiting in line for ten minutes, Brooke and Josh drove the forty minutes up the mountain. This is when they started to worry. From the bottom of the mountain, for the next thirty minutes, the couple was driving through a cloud. They couldn’t see for more than fifteen feet in front of them and the rain was starting to sprinkle. Kate knew something they didn’t, though. About three minutes from the top, the whole caravan would emerge from the cloud and hit bright blue and clear skies. They hopped out of their car joyfully, the shock of the skies giving them a burst of enthusiasm.

While different pods of guests began to assemble, Kate and Kristen prepared the field for Brooke and Josh’s ceremony. Josh’s dad played guitar as Brooke walked down the grassy aisle. Each guest brought a rock cairn Infused with good energy from their closest friends and family. A rock cairn is often used on hiking trails to indicate where a trail continues over a change in terrain. Previous hikers use cairns to help out future travelers on their journey. That same spirit was brought to the ceremony for Brooke and Josh when their families stacked up a rock cairn with a rock representing their supporting community. The couple asked for their guests to do this as a symbolic gesture of how their family would always carry them and guide them in the time to come. The ceremony was filled with lots of laughs and joy.

After the ceremony was over and the couple took some breathtaking portraits frolicking in the mountains, Brooke and Josh drove back down to Port Angeles. They had a reception on the lawn of their Airbnb. The guests ate plated dinners and then gathered at a distance around the fire pit for bourbon and music. During this time, every single guest stood up, took their turn, and gave a toast to the couple. Brooke and Josh were absolutely overwhelmed and charmed by the warmth their closest friends and family shared.

We are so thankful to have worked with such a grounded and in-synch couple for this intimate wedding. Together, we created COVID-19 procedures and policies that have helped us shape celebrations that came after theirs. Brooke, who shared her reflections on being a COVID bride with her photographer Kami Olivarria, was open about her emotional journey throughout the planning process. This helped us navigate her and Josh’s wedding with grace and tenderness to create a beautiful and soulful celebration for them.

— Kelleen, Tapestry Content Manager

THE VENDOR TEAM.

Designer, Planner, + Coordinator: Kate, Bri, + Kaska // Tapestry Event Co. // @tapestryeventco // Seattle, WA + Beyond

Photographer: Kami // Kami Olavarria Photography // @kamiolavarria // San Diego, CA + Beyond

Officiant: Emily // Rooted & Wild // @rootedandwildpdx // Portland, OR + Beyond

Florist: Carlee // Rusted Vase Floral Co. // @rustedvaseco // Seattle, WA

Caterer: Kokopelli Grill // Port Angeles, WA

Baker: Amber Markland // Sift & Gather // @siftandgather // Olympia, WA

Rental Provider: Bouncing Balloons // @balancingballoons // Woodinville, WA

Rental Provider: Olympic Farm Style Events // Olympic Peninsula

Hair + Makeup Artist: Anne // Anne Timss // @mstimmssmakeupandhair // Seattle, WA + Beyond