Black Diamond Gardens is tucked right off a main back road between Maple Valley and Enumclaw, Washington. If you didn’t know what you were looking for, you could drive right by it. Which only adds to that charm of the whole venue. The grounds are thoughtfully plannd with a main greenhouse, beautifully manicured lawn areas, a greenery arch walkway, darling little getting ready cottage, and pond with a small dock. The whole area is lush and green, with flowers and blooming trees tucked in all the right places.

Chad & Em wanted a different timeline for their wedding day, a flow that focused on what was more important to them — quality time with their loved ones and a very relaxed environment. So they decided to split their day up a bit to have a more intimate pre-ceremony portion of the day, a lot of time for portraits together throughout the venue, into having a fuller celebration in the evening with all their guests. And let me tell you, I have never been to a more relaxed and heartfelt wedding than this.

Immediate family, a few special friends, and the wedding party all arrived early at the venue to get ready, with the focus about being present together and enjoying the morning. In Em’s squad, the gals had these gorgeously colorful dresses that fit their personalities to a T. Meanwhile, Chad was sooo excited that it was finally the wedding day, that he got ready waaaaay too early — before I could make my way over to capture his details or any of it, lol! He didn’t care thou, he was just ready to go. So during Couples Portraits I snagged some close ups of his details. I just love Chad’s style, he is so unique… his nails were so cool!

Chad & Em opted for a “First Touch” given they didn’t want to see each other until they were headed down the aisle. It was a perfect way to give them a bit of a grounding moment, allowing their emotions to calm and settle before saying “I Do”. I found a beautiful spot right next to the cottage, where they could stand, sync their breath, and have a few sweet words together in private.

The ceremony, which was very small and intimate, was out on the main lawn and the chairs were tied with colorful ribbons that when the wind picked up, it made it look like they were floating. Fans for the summer heat and hand stitched handkerchiefs were set on each chair — it was such a sweet personal touch. They had about 30 guests for the intimate ceremony, and there was not a dry eye the entire time! Everyone was crying, even me! Well I tend to always tear up at weddings but this one took the cake, I was a mess.

After, we gathered for Family Portraits, and then went around the venue taking Couples Portraits in all the beautiful little pockets of sun we could find. It was so so nice to have no sense of needing to be somewhere, no rushing, no worry that they were missing anything — just fully able to enjoy this time together soaking in all that “just married” happiness. We even had time for them to have a little private dance under the roses. Next was a one+ hour break in the day for everyone to snack together and refresh, spending time laughing and creating memories.

Cocktail Hour started with a stunning charcuterie board and yummy drinks, while guests began to trickle in. Chad & Em made their entrance to much applause and walked right into their First Dance. After there was music set up (photo of happy brother who tackled this!) providing them time to meet with every guest, hug, and catch up. Everyone then walked over to the greenhouse together to sit down for dinner and dancing, and were met by a little donkey with a flower crown who was carrying drinks.

It was the most relaxing beautifully intimate wedding I have been a part of in quite some time. When you cut out all the things that do not truly matter to you, it’s amazing how much freedom it gives you to be present, making memories with those you hold dear. My coverage for this day spanned from getting ready thru the end of cocktail hour, with the focus on more of a documentary photography approach, with candids of everyone relaxing and having a good time together.