A + C's Whidbey Island Micro Wedding

Real Micro Wedding written and photographed by Natasha of The Cardinals Elopement Photography. Florals provided by Westerwisp Floral.

For Amanda and Cody, Whidbey Island was the only place they even considered when they were just starting to plan their micro wedding. Having traveled from the Bay Area, they chose Deception Pass State Park as their venue because of it’s a deeply personal place to them. While they were dating, they would often take weekend trips up to the PNW and Whidbey had always been a place of special memories for them, and they couldn’t imagine a better place to finally tie the knot. But a traditional wedding never felt quite right to them. So they decided to DIY the most magical wedding day that was the perfect expression of them.

Whidbey Island has many beautiful picnic pavilions to rent, but one of the most beautiful is right on Bowman Beach with a breath taking view of the Puget Sound. The perfect place for a wedding reception. So their families came together early that morning and transformed it into the most lovely reception space with fairy lights, candles, dried flowers, and plenty of food. And just as the afternoon was winding down, Amanda and Cody began their ceremony picnic style right by the water. The sun beaming for them. Amanda’s dad performed the ceremony with tons of laughs, including beautiful elements of an Apache wedding ceremony, readings from family members, and so much love.

But after the ceremony just Amanda and Cody and I went for a quick drive to Amanda’s family cabin, because we had a special surprise to announce. Just a few weeks before the wedding, they found out they were pregnant and were using their wedding photos as a surprise baby announcement too! So in a cabin overlooking the sound, as the sun set softly, in a place that had seen generations of this family, they swooned over the ultrasound photos and we documented their love just before their lives were about to change.

As the evening approached, we climbed to the top of a nearby cliff to watch the sunset. The sky turned golden while seals played in the waters far below, the most romantic evening imaginable. It was the perfect moment for Amanda and Cody to reflect on the day with their loved ones by their side.

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The day ended how any good day should… with a wedding pie from Whidbey Pies. Instead of a traditional cake cutting, the couple shared slices of their favorite pie, laughing and enjoying the cozy evening with music and games. Every detail of the day felt uniquely them—simple, joyful, and full of love.