Nicole and Brent wed in the quaint port of call of Roche Harbor Resort on San Juan Island in Washington State, surrounded by their loved ones and the Salish Sea. 

Why did you chose the venue?

We love the water, the outdoors and the islands around Washington. We fell in love with Roche Harbor, and San Juan Island, the first time we visited. As we explored options, we knew we wanted an outdoor venue and a beautiful place that would showcase the Pacific Northwest not only for our local guests but for those traveling … and Roche Harbor was just perfect for that.

What was your theme and inspiration? 

The island inspired a bit of a nautical theme, shown in small details like the navy-and-white-striped ribbon on our bouquets, flower vases and cake, along with the incorporation of an anchor on our invites and program. The groomsmen also wore navy suits and the bridesmaids wore light-blue dresses. My husband works for a family business that grows tulips and lilies, so I was inspired by certain tulip and lily colors (pink, orange, white) and we incorporated those flowers as much as possible. We also gave tulip bulbs as our favor, a DIY where we added tulip bulbs to small burlap pouches with a “Let Love Grow” tag.

Do you have favorite moments from the day?

Honestly, the entire weekend was so special! To be surrounded by our favorite people, each who have uniquely impacted our lives, was such a treat. We also wrote our own vows and to hear those and recite those for the first time in front of all our loved ones was truly special. My dad was unable to attend the wedding and I lost my mom at a young age, so my aunt (my mom’s sister) walked me down the aisle. No one would have known, but she was recovering from her second bout with breast cancer. So, having her there in general was so meaningful, and having her walk me down the aisle was definitely a moment I’ll never forget and a small tribute to my mom.

Tell us about your dress. What made you know it was “the one?” 

My future mother-in-law met me downtown for coffee, and we happened to be in Nordstrom when she asked if I had looked there for dresses. I thought that everything at Nordstrom was out of my price range, but we decided to go to the Wedding Suite for the fun of it. As I was perusing dresses, I came across a designer I had seen elsewhere that I really liked (Willowby) and asked if they carried any other styles from that brand. The stylist said she had one more in the back and then came back with the Ridley Gown—my dress! I fell in love with the laser-cut lace and the low back, plus it was in my price range!

What other details made your day special?

I also found BOSS groom and groomsmen suits, Show Me Your Mumu bridesmaid dresses and bridesmaids gifts (Nordstrom Lingerie Moonlight Pajamas) at Nordstrom.

Do you have any advice for other brides-to-be, or something you wish you’d known?

For me personally, I was surprised by the amount of anxiety I had in the days leading up to the wedding and the day of the wedding. Once I walked down the aisle, we recited our vows and the ceremony was complete, there was a huge feeling of peace, excitement and pure joy. Remember that your wedding day will always be special, but it is just one day, that it likely won’t go perfectly as planned. And the biggest thing … remember to have fun.

 Where was the honeymoon?

We spent a couple of nights after the wedding weekend on Orcas Island and then took a delayed honeymoon to Italy, Croatia and Greece. It was amazing! It was really nice to have something else to look forward to, with the delayed honeymoon!

Photography by The Big Day

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