Sam & James’ Wedding
I had the joy of coordinating Sam and James’ wedding on Lopez Island, Washington — a celebration that was as heartfelt as it was beautiful. I joined their planning journey about nine months out, which gave us plenty of time to dream up all the details while still leaving room for spontaneity.
The weekend began with a full walk-through of the ceremony and reception spaces. The field where the ceremony was held couldn’t have been more perfect, and this early tour allowed us to map out the layout, decorations, and flow for the big day. After that, the bride handed the rest over to me, trusting me to bring the vision to life.
Following the tour was one of the sweetest parts of the weekend, the flower shower. Sam’s bridesmates and family gathered together to arrange bouquets, corsages, and boutonnieres using blooms harvested from soil studio flowers — flowers that had actually been grown specifically for this wedding. It felt so meaningful to know the arrangements had been nurtured for months with this exact celebration in mind.
That evening, we transitioned into the rehearsal dinner. In hindsight, we all wished we had carved out a little more time to settle in before rehearsing the ceremony — but when you’re surrounded by a close-knit group of friends, it’s easy to get caught up in catching up and sharing laughs. (Lesson learned for next time!) Once we gathered ourselves, we rehearsed the ceremony and did a sound check, which gave everyone confidence heading into the big day.
The morning of the wedding was a whirlwind of teamwork. The wedding party rallied to set up ceremony seating, tables, flowers, signage, welcome areas, reception lights, catering space, and so much more. My role was to delegate, keep things on track, and set the foundation — then pass the final details to my assistant. And in true “get you a coordinator who can do it all” fashion, I stepped away mid-setup to do the bride’s hair before the first look photos.
Once hair and makeup were finished, I gathered the wedding party at the ceremony house to prep everyone on their responsibilities as guests arrived. The ceremony was absolutely beautiful, full of heartfelt moments and the magic of the island setting. The reception that followed was alive with love, laughter, and the feeling that everyone there was truly part of something special.
This beautiful day was captured by the extremely talented sophie nyama photography. She began photographing at the first look and stayed through the start of the reception dancing, catching every meaningful moment in between. One of the many things that stood out to me about Sophie was her intentionality and her ability to see the uniqueness of this wedding party. This was a queer, joy-filled group of friends, some of whom are non-binary. To honor that, the bride had coined the term “bridesmates” as an alternative to bridesmaids — a word that reflected the true spirit of her chosen family. Sophie not only respected this but embraced it, using the term thoughtfully while giving direction and ensuring everyone felt included and celebrated in the photos.
It was such an honor to be part of Sam and James’ day — not just as their coordinator, but as someone helping weave together all the little moments that made it unforgettable.
