Aja and Gabe | Alternative Wedding on the Water | Bellwether Hotel, Bellingham, WA
About a year and a half ago, Aja and Gabe won one of my couples photos giveaways! (I am telling you…these giveaways get me the COOLEST couples.) They asked me to come out to their home to take photos of them in their natural habitat. Their natural habitat being incredible forested land, and a library styled living room full of books. Everything my inner nerdy, emo, adventure kid needed.
So when I received a text a few months later from Aja asking what I was doing March 19th 2022, I had some suspicions. Especially after seeing a proposal happen just weeks after our couples shoot. So, of course after their shoot I was STOKED when they asked me to shoot their wedding the following March. And EVEN more so, when they told me what the style was of their wedding.
Aja explained to me that she was wearing a black gown, star wars pumps, and walking out to the imperial march from star wars. I wanted EVERYTHING to do with this wedding. So after some chatting, it was set in stone and I was officially part of their planning process.
Aja and Gabe’s incredibly supportive group of friends and family made this wedding so special and relaxed for them. They were supported with a small group by making all their alternative wedding dreams come true. For a DIY wedding, I can truly say D-I-WOW. The Bellwether hotel was accommodating, kind and supportive of everything they wanted to do for their wedding which was the cherry on top.
The morning of, I strapped in my camera’s, charged up the batteries, got my pink drink and headed out! Jammed out to some of my wedding pump up toons and headed to my first wedding of 2022.
Aja and Gabe are coowners of Zazen salon in Bellingham. Which is right next to the beautiful venue of the Bellwether Hotel. And when I walked into Zazen salon I was already wowed. Aja already had her hair INCREDIBLY braided, and her make up was only half way started and was absolutely gorgeous. I could feel the love seeping out of every part of this day ALREADY. When their daughter walked up to me I noticed small details I wouldn’t have noticed before but she had STARWARS EARRINGS. When I tell you my inner nerd was in heaven I could not be more serious.
Walking into the small elegant room laid out for the Westergreens they had black tulle on the ceiling with twinkle lights, and paper cranes everywhere. The best detail was that the cranes and the bouquets were made out of book pages that they truly loved. Twilight and Harry Potter to be exact. It was so beautifully done. AND of course the NEON that they had created for them was a gorgeous touch.
After an emotional, and beautiful ceremony it was incredible to see this family come to gather to support Aja and Gabe and the three children in their union. Tears at weddings are so beautiful and so special. It was incredible to be able to witness and experience this love.
Overall, the family, the love, the venue the special moments made this wedding incredibly unique and tailored to this family.
