As so many 2020 couples have described, the silver lining of having to scrap your wedding plans because of a pandemic is the complete freedom it offers to make your wedding day completely unique to you. When what you planned is impossible, anything becomes possible. For Elizabeth and Matt, and their dog Louie, that anything became a mountain top elopement and off-roading adventure. “The entire vibe of our day was adventurous, casual, and spontaneous,” Elizabeth quipped.
Because of the remote location, scouted and selected by Elizabeth and Matt’s photographers VILD Photography, the decor was provided courtesy of stunning Lake Tahoe views, alpine forests, mountain vistas, and an alpenglow sunset. While keeping most everything exceedingly simple, the bride still wanted a big, rustic wedding bouquet and Twine & Dandy made her floral dreams come true. Massive and wild, with an “undone vibe,” the bouquet was finished with a piece of Elizabeth’s mother’s veil.
Matt wore a custom blue linen suit from Indochino and Louie the Labradoodle looked smashing in a blue bowtie from The Foggy Dog. Elizabeth knew she wanted to be comfortable (they were off-roading to their ceremony, after all) so she opted for a short dress, simple sandals, and a denim jacket hand-painted by her young cousin with a classic Tahoe mountain scene.
After the ceremony, the couple enjoyed a few different special libations – Labatt Blues from Matt’s hometown of Buffalo, a Sam Adams from Elizabeth’s Boston stomping grounds, and a bottle of vintage Dom from Elizabeth’s parents – while watching the epic sunset with their best dog.
“If I could tell engaged couples anything,” says Elizabeth, “it would be to not sweat the small stuff. Even with a full cancellation – the biggest thing that could go ‘wrong’ – when you are looking into each other’s eyes reading your vows, you realize none of that small stuff matters at all.”
