Their romance blossomed after happy hour, and ignited a journey of happiness which involves traveling the country in a renovated school bus and getting married on Lake Superior, with their 10 nearest and dearest in tow. Everything about their intimate elopement wedding day speaks natural and simple beauty!! The bride, Laura added long sleeves to her simple white wedding dress, and it is magical.

Tell us, how did you meet? I moved to California from Minneapolis in 2010 for grad school. My grad-school roommate was from Redondo Beach and suggested moving there after school. James was high school friends with my roommate, so we met through him. I ended up driving James home from the Pier after happy hour one time, and we stopped for a drink together on our way home, and the rest is history.

Tell us about finding your wedding dress: James and I have been traveling in a renovated school bus for the last 14 months. (instagram @shortbustamove) We were traveling on the east coast when I was shopping for dresses. I looked online, and all of my searches kept bringing me to Dreamers & Lovers. My mom, bless her heart, tried to coordinate having dresses shipped to me while traveling, but I didn’t have a permanent address or even a mirror to try them on. My only mirror was at Planet Fitness – ha! So I decided to fly out to California for 24 hours. I had been living in Torrance for 8 years prior to our trip, so I was able to bring some of my friends shopping with me. I had only one appointment set up, Dreamers & Lovers. I knew I wanted a dress from D&L, and I was only in town long enough for this one appointment. So I said, “this is it, I’m finding a dress here”. I wasn’t surprised at all that I was able to find my perfect dress at D&L.

What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? My brother officiated the ceremony, which was one of the most special parts of the wedding. The ceremony in general was non-denominational, though drew from various spiritual themes and traditions. My husband and I come from different religious backgrounds, so my brother was able to weave these into the ceremony. He built a traditional Jewish Chuppah, a canopy that represents the couple’s new life together. Traditionally, a chuppah must be a temporary structure created by hand (my brother). It’s open to the sky above as a connection with ancestors, and open on all four sides to represent hospitality. The is a covering, depicting God is all around us, one/flowing.

He cleansed the area with sage, and had us all take a rock from lake superior to hold for the ceremony. After the ceremony, we returned the rocks to the lake with a message of thanks to nature. He also used the theme of ancestors throughout the ceremony, which made the ceremony pretty emotional. He spoke of ancestors being a bridge between the past and present. He led us in a guided reflection on our ancestors.  All married family members also shared “what marriage means to you”.

Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We did write our own vows… we tried to keep them light, but with meaningful to both of us.

What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? My photographer. I loved all of the details, including my dress and flowers, and she was able to capture everything so beautifully in such a natural style.

What advice do you have for other future-brides currently planning a wedding? Keep it simple. Spend time on things that will be meaningful to you and your spouse, rather than the “extras”. Spend money on a good photographer – it’s worth it.

Tell us all about the proposal- There wasn’t one! We had planned on getting married while on our trip, and we wanted family to be there, so we decided to get married last summer on the North Shore of Lake Superior with our family 🙂

How many guests did you have?– 10, parents and siblings. My brother officiated.

Describe your wedding cake or dessert? Simple, 8 inch round, white textured. I had my florist make a topper for the cake.

What was your favorite detail of the wedding? MY DRESS!! I’m still getting compliments.

What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Figuring out logistics while on the road.

What’s next for you as a couple? We just finished our year of travel, and we will be moving to Minnesota. I grew up there and my family is there. I’m a little nervous for James – he’s lived in Redondo Beach his entire life! It’s going to be cold!

Tell us about your wedding flowers? Flora North was amazing to work with. They matched my dream of having moody colors in a natural environment. The flowers were natural, moody and dramatic.

Photographer: Alina Kay Photography