This wedding was full of the people Ella and Zander loved, woven in the details and very fabric of their day.

Ella’s cousin officiated the ceremony. He wove in quotes from both The Princess Bride and Toy Story and then, right at the end, added one line to their vows that wasn’t in any script: “Now you are stuck with me to infinity and beyond.” It felt sweet and specific and completely them.

Zander and Ella have that quality together. Gentle and easy. Zander was completely invested in making the whole day exactly what Ella wanted, and you could feel that all day long. During portraits, Zander was the one asking for the lifting poses. We loved that!

Their families showed up for every moment. Both sides, present and ready, willing to do whatever was needed that day. Their bridal party was so fun and took such good care of both the bride and groom all day long. Ella was checked on constantly, and you could feel how much everyone wanted the day to be exactly right for both of them. They were surrounded with love.

Before the ceremony started, they played a song for Ella’s grandma, who wasn’t there to see the day. It was a small, quiet moment that said a lot about the kind of family this was and the influence her grandma had on them.

The cake was made by Zander’s sister Claire. Ella and Zander made their own invitations. There was a display of photos of passed loved ones so they could be part of the day too. The colors were all summer: dusty blue, dusty pink, coral, orange, yellow. It matched the happiness of the wedding.

Before Zander, Ella didn’t have a passport, but she has one now. Five countries explored together. They leave for an adventure in Alaska soon.

Ella and Zander, what a happy day! Thank you for letting us be there.

Here are the images we can’t stop thinking about.

P.S. To anyone with a wedding on the horizon, Ella says: take your time in planning. Not everything needs to be done right away. And when it comes to choosing your photographer, find someone you actually feel comfortable with and who will give you real direction on posing. That combination matters more than you think.