Desolation Wilderness Hotel Wedding | Derek and Lauren
“We have never felt more humbled by the love we have in our life than our wedding weekend. It was an incredible feeling to see everyone participate in the events in some way or another, with such generosity of spirit. We'll take the feeling we got from that weekend with us into our future as a source of strength <3” - Lauren and Derek
Capturing Lauren and Derek's wedding was a truly unique experience. While the advice to stay present on the wedding day is often given, I'll be candid – it's not the easiest task. The entire day is a grand production, swiftly passing by in the blink of an eye. This is what made documenting Lauren and Derek exceptionally incredible; they mastered the art of living in the moment. Throughout the day, they exuded gratitude and joy. It genuinely felt like time stood still every time I approached them. I'm honored to have been a part of it.
Enjoy a tiny preview of their big day...
“The reason we chose the venue we did was because we wanted the majority of our guests to be staying onsite together. We woke up the morning of our wedding to see a pack of children running wild in the woods behind the cabins and friends and family chatting over coffee on their porches. No one was on their phones (no cell service!) and you could tell everyone was relaxed and present in this beautiful place with us. “
“Our first look was a moment we'll never forget, as well as walking into the ceremony and feeling like we were getting swallowed up by all our most important people.”
Do you have any advice for couples who are currently planning their wedding?
“We found it really helpful at the onset of planning to sit down and get very clear together on a specific goal for the wedding. Ours was something along the lines of not just honoring our partnership, but also celebrating our community and all the ways they have grown our ability to love one another. Every decision we made had to prioritize this goal, which made even some of the trickiest ones like choosing the venue, etc. clearer. Because we made some hard calls along the way to stick to this goal, the feel of the weekend matched exactly what we were hoping to get from the experience and it was ALL worth it. We also were surprised at how helpful taking dance lessons together was. It's so easy to get caught up in the stress, but the lessons forced us to pause along the way and just have fun together with one another's undivided attention.”
“Standing on the platform during the ceremony, we both had to keep remembering to focus on each other instead of looking at all our guests surrounding us. It was such an overwhelming feeling in the best way.”
A few fun facts about D & L:
Our relationship really solidified while traveling in Vietnam, retracing Derek's family's roots. That trip ended after Derek crashed a motorbike on Lauren's leg and they got to learn important lessons of how to navigate healthcare systems together ;)
We are over the moon that for our honeymoon we're going to head to Greece, to get the chance to reconnect with Lauren's roots this time!
What are your future goals as a couple?
“Keep looking for new adventures as a couple and building our home together!”
Wedding Details
Day-of-Coordinator: Blue Sky Events
Venue: Desolation Wilderness Hotel, Sorensen's Resort
Wedding Theme: The theme was laidback, intimate camp vibes
Dress: Hermione De Paula, purchased second hand, which was very important to Lauren. The store was Loved Twice Bridal.
Suite: In Italia
Earrings: from bride’s mom
Necklace: Mejuri
Cowboy Boots: Thursday Boots
Invitations and Save the Dates: Wedding Wire
Caterer: Sorensen's Resort
Dessert: Sugar Pie
Florist: Sierra Flower Farm
Hair: Luna Belle Beauty
Makeup: Bekah Sun
Videographer: Davey Hibler
DJ: DJ Louie XIV
Graphic Design for Table Cards, bulletin board, and illustrations for the camp maps: MAI LY DEGNAN ILLUSTRATION