Carly and Leo’s Meaningful Backyard Portland Wedding

Why did you have an intimate wedding?

When we started planning, we were originally looking at a guest list of 150+ people. After several months of grinding out budgets, juggling logistics, and consistently having stress dreams, I realized I had lost sight of what I wanted our day to feel like – joyous, fun-loving, and being present in the moment. We considered eloping, but felt the day would be incomplete without our loved ones. After a visit with some close friends, we realized that we could have a small ceremony with immediate family and our best friends. In retrospect, it seemed obvious for two people who have close interpersonal relationships, but are bad in the spotlight. With an intimate wedding, we were surrounded by the people who have had the most impact on our lives, people we could not imagine getting married without.

What are some of the challenges that you faced planning an intimate wedding?

Finding a venue was more difficult than I originally expected. I wanted to rent a large house for our families to stay in for the weekend in order to cut down on their travel costs. I also wanted a house with a yard that could double as the ceremony site. Many owners with large houses were not willing to book for less than five days or did not want events on their property. I spent close to a year researching online until I found our location, which truly could not have been more perfect. Be patient and continue to ask, it’ll all come together.

Was it difficult to pare down the guest list?

Yes! We decided to have a clear definition of who we would invite: immediate family and those in our wedding party. However, we realized that left out some very important people to us. We also struggled with whether or not to invite our best friends’ significant others. In the end, we found ways to include them in the day or have them join us later for dinner.

Did you have any ‘issues’ with the small guest list from friends and family? If so, how did you address them?

I know it was disappointing for our parents in some ways not to have our extended families there. We tried to be clear early on who we were inviting and our reasons behind it. They were all extremely supportive and respectful of our decision.

What were the highlights of the ceremony?

How can I choose? Seeing my dad all dressed up right before we walked down the aisle; the beautiful address our friend and officiant Ella wrote; our group vows when our family and friends swore their continuing love and support for our relationship; the ring box Leo’s dad carved out of a tree from Corvallis, Oregon, where we met; and Leo’s beaming smile as he said his vows, all accumulated into the most intensely loving moment I have ever experienced.