Elisse + Chase || Boulder Ridge Wedgewood Wedding || San Jose, CA

Elisse and Chase postponed their wedding twice due to COVID, and were finally able to get married in August 2021.

I first met with Elisse and Chase back in Fort Collins, before we had even moved to Oregon - it was so long ago, in fact, I had my kid sitting in my lap during our coffee date because he couldn’t even walk yet. Wow time flies. Elisse came equipped with a three ring binder, complete with color-coded tabs, and I knew from the beginning it was going to be a well-organized wedding. Fast forward three years, and we were finally able to celebrate together - from Colorado to California.

At the time we first met up, Elisse and Chase were living in Fort Collins, Colorado, so we did their engagement session in Rocky Mountain National Park. Then, at the beginning of 2019 we moved our family to southern Oregon, and Elisse and Chase prepared to move out to the Pacific Northwest a few months later. Originally, their wedding date was set for 8/8/2020, which was still two years after we had originally met, to allow Chase to finish school before getting married - but when COVID began raging in the US, they made the decision to postpone their wedding for another full year, hoping it would all be over by that time. Sadly, it’s STILL not over, but by the time 8/8/2021 rolled around, we at least had access to vaccines, and knew how to keep a wedding as safe as possible with masks and social distancing. And what a celebration it was.

The day began with everyone getting ready at a beautiful hotel in San Jose, and Elisse’s bridesmaids, in their matching robes, sending a “wait until you see your bride” message to Chase. After everyone was ready we convened with family and the 16 members of the wedding party for the first look[s] and formal photos before the ceremony at a beautiful park, with a little lake and giant eucalyptus trees. After those photos (and a bit of shave ice from a truck randomly at the park that day) it was about 20 minutes to the venue. Wedgewood at Boulder Ridge sits above San Jose with views of the Bay Area hills, and was the perfect setting for their outdoor wedding. Their ceremony began with adorable nieces and nephews driving a slick car down the aisle, and their flower girls (big and small) skipping to deliver the petals.

Laughter and tears for their vows:

“I vow to love you even when I hate you” - Elisse
“I vow to only get mad at you when you truly deserve it, and not just when I’m hungry” - Chase

A sunset that lasted for hours allowed us some gorgeous photos with Elisse’s super long veil, and gave the couple some down time to connect after their ceremony. The reception continued through the night with toasts, dancing, cake, and a powerful Chinese Lion Dance performance.

It was a joyous celebration, with a perfectly executed day, and I’m so glad we were able to celebrate safely and help bring us all together after the last two years in isolation. Cheers to another incredible wedding with my dream team - Elise Taylor and Andy Carrasco (websites and highlight video linked at the end of photos)