They say distance makes the heart grow fonder, which was certainly true for Elisha and Dustin. Having met through mutual friends, Elisha still lived in Idaho when their courtship began. It didn’t take long, however, before she packed up and planted roots closer to Dustin in sunny California.
Dustin surprised Elisha by whisking her away for an impromptu dinner at their favorite local brewery and asking for her hand in marriage while the golden sun was setting. They agreed that a small, intimate wedding was exactly the way they wanted to celebrate their love for each other, and there was no time to waste.
During their swift, four-month engagement, Elisha kept her vision for their wedding close. “I wanted a smaller, cozy, happy day where everyone could be relaxed and have fun,” she explains.
Though they went with a traditional ceremony, they chose a fresh color palette of mint and peach to bring out the cheerful and bright feel of their springtime wedding. Elisha wanted to incorporate a rustic feel to their reception, opting to use her DIY skills to create unique décor. The beauty of these personal touches, Elisha says, gave her family and friends a more intimate experience. “It’s important to be able to look back on that day with no regrets,” she says, “so being true to what you want is very important.”
Family was one of the most central aspects to the celebration. “We were able to include our family members in the ceremony and have all the people we love in one place,” Elisha says. “Marriage is something that’s so important in one’s life, and you only get this one day to celebrate with your family and friends.” That isn’t to say that fun was sidelined. During their wedding shoot at Brookshire Gardens, they captured not only the sincerity of their love for each other, but the joviality and glee of their wedding party.
“We believe the word ‘endurance’ defines us as a couple,” Elisha says. “We have been through so much already, and we always come back stronger. I believe this showed in our amazing wedding ceremony.” Elisha hopes that their guests had as much fun being part of their special day as they did, and believes that when she looks back, it’ll be the happiness in everyone’s eyes that she’ll remember most.
—Abigail Blank
