One of my favorite venues, and locations I photograph at often, is Saltwater Farm on San Juan Island. I find that multi-day weddings on the San Juan Islands are well suited to how I like to document larger events. If you’re going to have a larger wedding instead of an elopement or micro wedding, having several days to spend with your loved ones is the way to go.
Not only do you get to show off a beautiful place, but you have the time to create new memories with all your loved ones instead of trying to have possibly hundred of mini-conversations in the span of cocktail hour, dinner, and dancing.
When you add in the travel to get to the San Juans, you also get a large group of folks on vacation mode- relaxed, and ready to explore a new-to-them location. The San Juan Islands host multiple kinds of activities that vary based on individual preferences. There are incredible hikes and views throughout the islands, whales and sea life that often make an appearance whether you choose whale watching, kayaking, or land based approaches, boutique shops to explore, spas, and plenty of food and drink to taste.
Saltwater Farm has been the perfect home base for many of the couples I’ve worked with in the past few years. I have several covered options that are tailored more specifically to multi-day events on the islands- with room to add in coverage for several events leading up to your wedding day as your family and friends interact and make these new memories.
For me personally, I love getting the chance to document the full story and catch all the little, unpredictable moments that a wedding timeline couldn’t really encompass. This isn’t venue specifically, but is one of the reasons why I’m really drawn to working with folks for multiple days.
By the time we get to your wedding, I’m already a part of your group and feel like a friend who just happens to be a professional photography that can guide you through your wedding day with relaxed ease, knowing when you need direction and when you just want to be in the moment.
For those who prefer a candid approach, where photography is more geared towards capturing memories where you and your loved ones where fully present, more coverage is often better- especially if you’re camera shy! The shorter the timeline, and bigger the wedding, the more likely it is that we have to really stick to our timing to get all the photos you want. That means more direction and more of a hands on approach from me, vs allowing the light, emotion, and little moments to happen more naturally. The enemy of being present in the moment, is having to rush or the feeling of needing to be hyper aware of time. My goal is to create a photo timeline that allows us to laugh, interact with one another and others, and often lets the emotional of the moment set the pace.
But, enough about that (because I could likely describe the thought behind my process for hours if you let me), here’s an overview from a wedding this summer at Saltwater Farm where I got to spend several days prior to the wedding with this couple.
Farm to Table Dinner
They started off with a Farm to Table Dinner with their families, hosted by the fantastic Coho Restaurant on San Juan Island. Often these dinners are the first time families are meeting, and spontaneous speeches and gifts are often bestowed upon the couple to kick off the wedding celebration.
The Bike Ride
The next day, Caroll and Ryan had a fun event planned with everyone willing to adventure a little bit. Their story included a bit of a “friends to lovers” arch, which evolved during a bike packing trip to the San Juan Islands. To share this piece of their story, they coordinated E-Bike rentals (for those that needed them) and road with a large group from Saltwater Farm to the southern end of the island.
Along the way
The San Juan Islands are a very popular place for bike travel, but unfortunately do no have great bike lines around the narrow, two car roads so making sure to be safe, and not take up the whole road is important.
C&R packed snacks for the group, including the ever popular Capri Sun, and stopped at several beautiful overlooks before finishing at Cattle Point. Caroll then hopped in the car with me to make it back for her makeup and hair trial before their welcome dinner.
After the bike ride, it was time for the Welcome Party in the Garden! Caroll wanted to honor the location with Laura Ashley inspired floral looks as the prompt. Welcome parties are a great way for folks to introduce the rest of their people and get time catching up. Often it’s the first time where families and various friend groups are meeting, which is super fun to document. You’ll see that a new game was creating by baby J, who realized she could control the laughter of all the adults with a simple raising and lowering of a dahlia- an origins story moment for sure.
And now, it’s time for the beautiful wedding day celebration. C&R are BIG Portland Thorns fans- the professional women’s soccer team in Portland. They included this love in their reception details, adding a really fun and interactive way for folks to find their seats- a will call board, with each person’s name and table information on a ticket. C&R were also surprised with a cameo from the Portland Thorns!
Their day was filled with beauty, joy, and love. I know that sounds like a line, but I’ll let the photos speak for themselves. It was an honor to be a part of!
