Lauren + Joshua tied the knot on June 13, 2015 beneath their favorite tree at Croasdaile Farm in an intimate wedding ceremony. They planned a celebration that was simple in design but deeply meaningful to their story together. During our first consult at Parker and Otis (which happened to be their reception venue!), I loved hearing firsthand how they walk by that tree every week and wanted to choose a ceremony location relevant to their daily lives.
Lauren and Joshua answered some questions about their wedding inspiration and day-of experience, which is in the interview below. And to view all of the photos from Lauren + Joshua’s wedding and order prints, please visit their wedding gallery on my online print shop!
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1. What are some of your favorite things about your partner? How were these attributes expressed during or leading up to your wedding?
Lauren: Joshua is the calmest and kindest person I know. The details of the wedding were not as important to him, so he let me plan away to my hearts content the day of my dreams. We both value being laid back about life while also having fun and being goofy, and that is how the wedding process felt with Joshua at my side— calm and fun.
Joshua: Lauren is a free, independent spirit. She knows what’s important to her and what isn’t, and that definitely showed during the planning phases and the wedding itself. She wasn’t pressured into including anything that we didn’t want, and our wedding was our own creation that was perfect for us. Looking back, we have both said that we wouldn’t change a thing, and that’s a tribute to her integrity.
2. What was most important to you in planning your wedding?
Lauren: It was extremely important to me that I prioritized our marriage and not our wedding day. I’m in medical school, so I didn’t have a lot of time to plan. With the time I did have to plan, I wanted it to always be enjoyable and always appreciate the privilege it is to get married and to celebrate your marriage. I have seen some brides get overwhelmed with the minutia of planning and they stop enjoying it. I did bits and pieces in between hours of studying as a wonderful break, and I loved every minute of it. If any traditional wedding element didn’t rest well with my soul or started to feel remotely stressful or unnecessary, Joshua and I just chose to leave it out. Our wedding was small, simple, and special— and that’s exactly what we wanted.
3. Are there any details or moments from your wedding that are particularly special to you? (E.g., you wore your momma’s dress, your partner unexpectedly serenaded you, there was a double rainbow all across the sky…).
Lauren: My mom let me borrow her gorgeous lace cathedral veil circa 1975. I’ve always loved the pictures of her wearing it on her wedding day, and it was very special that she had saved it for me to wear. I love items with a history and a story, and the vintage look fit my aesthetic perfectly. It was also really special to me how much all of my friends and family helped out to make us feel loved and special on our day. I was overwhelmed by love and gratitude for everything everyone did and how far many people had to come to get there to be with us. My brother, Jon, especially who acted as our officiant. Having someone we love officiate made the ceremony feel very comfortable, personal, and special.
4. Now that you’ve tied the knot (and survived!), what advice would you give to other folks planning their wedding?
Lauren: Don’t give in to the pressure to do things a certain way on your wedding day. Our wedding had traditional elements, but was largely untraditional and unique— we fit it to who we are as people and as a couple. There are always going to be people who have differing opinions on what your wedding should be like, but listen to your gut and plan a day that makes you happy and meets your own expectations. And, my personal philosophy, less is more.
5. What is the first thing you want to do with the images? Wallpaper the hallway? Internet fame?
Lauren: We plan on making a photo book for ourselves and one for our parents to flip through and enjoy for years to come, and also sharing a couple pictures with our friends and family on social media. There’s something very nostalgic and nice about holding an actual album in your hands and seeing how worn and loved they get over time.
6. What is next for you as a couple? Any big plans?
Lauren: We are honeymooning in Iceland next week, and when we return, we are moving so Joshua can finish up his last year of physical therapy school and I will start my second year of medical school.
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Thank you, Lauren + Joshua for giving me the privilege of shooting such an unconventional and personal wedding celebration! It was a joy to memorialize a location that is such a part of you (not to mention your love for one another!), and I hope you cherish these images for years to come!
