Eloping in a national park with just five of their close friends and family, Tabatha and Richie planned everything themselves, exactly the way they wanted it.

“We didn’t follow the expected traditions of a wedding itinerary,” Tabatha told us. “We booked a lake house in the national forest for four nights and cooked meals, played Switch games and board games, and just spent quality time together. The memories from that weekend are some of the most special that I have. I am so glad it became such a low stress, intimate event for us.”

Tabatha knew she wanted a black dress, but had a little trouble realising her dream. She explained, “I had several moments where I thought I had to give up on that vision because the options seemed either inaccessible for my budget, or too gimmicky. All the bridal shops in my area that had black options were the same dresses from the same couple of designers. And they were very trendy silhouettes. I wanted something that felt personal, and timeless, and unique.”

“I was very lucky to find an affordable option to have a gown custom-made. I went to a local boutique and tried on a few silhouettes to get an idea of what I felt was the most flattering, and then custom styled that to fit my vision. Seeing myself in all-white also solidified my thoughts that that was NOT for me.”