an emotional + joyful courthouse elopement

This is the week that should have been Laura + Garrison’s wedding week (it’s been rescheduled for July thanks to COVID-19), and they’re on my mind so often that I thought it was a perfect time to finally share these photos with you! In fact, it’s couples like them that remind me how many layers there are to what’s happening in the world right now. They make me so grateful for all of the support, kindness, warmth and grace that I’ve been lucky to experience in our industry along with so many other small business owners.

Laura + Garrison’s wedding was the first of many that will be rescheduled and postponed to occur later this year. It was (like all of the weddings we’re a part of) one that I had been looking forward to for so long for so many reasons, not the least of which was that it was going to be at the Accelerator Space with an incredible vendor team!

Throughout all of the ups and downs they’ve experienced in recent months, this single photo from their elopement says it all. They are a constant ray of sunshine, a perfect team and a couple that bring joy to so many friends and family!

Despite growing up in the same zip code, and having a ton of mutual friends, Laura + Garrison had never met before matching on Tinder in May 2016. Their first date was during happy hour in Federal Hill. They have such a natural chemistry together that was so much fun to document in and around the Baltimore Country Courthouse as they eloped on a mid-November day - which happened to also be the same date as Laura’s dad’s birthday!

Garrison planned such an incredibly sweet proposal, I’ll let Laura tell you how that all happened:

“Garrison said he would plan something nice for our 3 year anniversary a few months back. He never gave any details except that he had booked an overnight getaway at an undisclosed location. On our way to the surprise spot, Garrison drove north, south, east, and west to throw me off so I couldn't guess where we were going. 20 minutes later, we arrive at the most BEAUTIFUL house surrounded by gardens, which turns out to be about 7 minutes from our apartment in Austin. Inside, there were framed pictures of us, candles, and a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Gare also got a nice bottle of champagne and a fancy charcuterie board (our favorite). He told me we had dinner reservations, so I made sure to dress up. He suggested we walk through the gardens, and as we were walking, Garrison tells me how amazing the last 3 years have been and says all of the sweetest things. As we walk down from the balcony and turn the corner, he gets down on one knee and asks me to marry him. I said Yes! (obviously) and a photographer comes out from behind a bush, and we proceed to do a 1 hour engagement photoshoot that Garrison planned!! It was absolutely perfect! After the pictures, Garrison made me dinner, played a love song playlist he had prepared, and we had the most perfect night celebrating together.”

Not only are they both so at ease when together, but when asked what they love about each other, it brought tears to my eyes…

“I love the way she makes me feel, I love how driven she is, and I love the way she laughs…”

“My favorite thing about Garrison is his thoughtfulness and how genuinely good of a person he is; not just to me, but to everyone…”

In Laura’s words, the reason behind the elopement…

“Shortly after we got engaged last Fall, we received some serious news about my dad’s health. To ensure he’d be able to be there to see us get married, we decided to have a small ceremony at the courthouse with our families. We got married on November 18, 2019- my dad’s birthday. Not only did I get to marry the love of my life on an already celebratory day, but I was able to have the experience of my dad walking me down the ‘aisle’ on a day when he was feeling healthy, which is a true blessing.”

This was my first Baltimore County courthouse elopement and I loved how intimate and special it was to stand alongside Laura + Garrison’s immediate family and witness their vows. Beaming smiles and radiant joy were a theme throughout their courthouse elopement from the moment they arrived to the moment they were married and twirling in front of the historic courthouse in those vibrant blue heels and elegant tulle skirt…

I hope more couples embrace this idea, especially in light of COVID-19. Why not elope now with a really short and sweet civil ceremony and then plan a meaningful party for more friends and family later? HINT: if you do go this route, I’m happy to swap your ‘engagement session’ for photos of your elopement!

Cheers, lovebirds! We CAN NOT WAIT for July - it’s going to be better than you can imagine!

xo,
Naomi

planning: The Otherside Creatives
florals: Thurman & Fig