Julia and Jay’s wedding was scheduled for June 14, 2020 and was unable to happen due to the coronavirus pandemic. Despite everything, Julia and Jay didn’t want to wait to get married. After discussing what their goal were for an alternative day- hiking, beautiful mountain views, picnic with prosecco, and their dog Abbie, we formed a plan. The couple embraced the challenges of the pandemic summer and were able to book a lovely room in a ski town just a few hours from home. I arrived on the afternoon of their original wedding date, and photographed Julia in her BHLDN dress that she picked just for this day (she gushed that it felt like a sweater and how she would be much more comfortable today than next year at their “second wedding”). She showed me the earrings that her co-worker had generously offered to her as her “something borrowed” and her DIY bridal bouquet. When she was all ready to go, I photographed her FaceTime call with her parents and helped her show off her bridal look. COVID-19 was scary for her family, as her father had contracted but thankfully recovered from the virus. Missing her family, but more than ready to spend the afternoon committing herself to her partner, we gave Jay the all clear to head up the mountain ahead of us with their pup Abbie. Julia rode with me so that the first time Jay saw her in her dress would be in front of the mountains they love so much. After their private ceremony, champagne and picnic, the couple had their first dance to “Alone” by Trampled by Turtles, and Abbie zoomed around in the late pockets of snow. As the sun began to set, we hiked together up towards the highest peak in this impressive near 12,000 ft range to watch the last light fade and the stars come out. We said our goodbyes, tossed out curses for the coronavirus, and said “see you next year for the wedding!”
