Written by Amber Wood Isakson –

We, like everyone else it seems, have felt 2020 has been extra tough. As a couple, and as a family …we needed something joyful to remember this year by, and take our minds off of all the hard stuff. What started as just a fall family photo session… evolved in just 2 short weeks, into something we’d been putting off for 6 years and 2 kids later. Knowing we needed to create our own joy, we were in a position of deciding on either having a wedding and inviting everyone, or elope and invite no one. With 2020 having many unique circumstances and limitations we were easily compelled to utilize our family photo session as an elopement… it ended up being the most “meant to be situation” where we could intimately share vows and promises to each other as husband and wife, and vows and promises to our 4 children as a family! There’s just no way we could’ve been as vulnerable and honest as were if we had been married in front of guests. Many tender moments were shared as we had my eldest 2 boys sign as our whitenesses, (my fiancé has been in their lives since they were just 1.5 and 4.) It was important to us that they be included in a very substantial way, and I couldn’t think of a more honorable role than that as whitenesses! We were able to celebrate after with a dreamy picnic by the water, where we popped champagne and indulged in savory desserts. It was perfect. And to top it off, although we eloped and were without our closest and dearest… all the vendors who participated in making this day possible, those that helped set up, and contribute in any way, even our photographer… were all friends of ours. Time and time again we were congratulated as hikers passed us by… clapping and sending best wishes … we felt loved and celebrated the entire time… we were never alone! ♥️ -Amber