Central Oregon Snowy Elopement

Winter WEDDING / Shimika + Oliver / Central Oregon / Elopement

Ceremony Venue: White Aspen Creative

Reception Venue: Brasada Ranch

Photographer: Taylor Stuck

Floral: Wild Poppy

Planning + Wedding Management: Ponderosa Planning

Dress: The Bespoke Bride

HMU: Edge Hair and Makeup

Officiant: Amanda Claire and Company

Rentals: Curated Event Rentals

Dessert: The Crumb Cakery

Private Chef: Loyaute

When you know all you want is to marry the love of your life, you will not let anything get in your way of true happiness, even a global pandemic.

Shimika and Oliver (aka Mika and Oli) serendipitously met in Portland while working for Nike. They got engaged in the late fall 2020 and decided to move forward with an intimate wedding despite the Covid unknowns; they just wanted to be married. They knew they would need to plan an event that kept their guests safe, which included having Oliver's parents on Zoom from England and having a private reception dinner at their Brasada Ranch cabin.

What we love most is this couple’s love story, and here it is told by the bride herself, Shimika:

"American girl. British boy. A Swoosh love story. Oli and Mika both moved (he, cross-continents; she, cross-country) to Portland, Oregon during the same week of July last summer for their respective dream jobs at Nike. Fast-forward a few months, they matched on Bumble and had their first date a couple days later. A meet-up at Powell’s, a coffee stop, and a long walk at the riverfront culminated in an instant yin-yang connection. Countless pre-pandemic dates and quality time in quarantine later, Oli and Mika got engaged 11.22.20 in a cabin at Whidbey Island. Per the quote, “when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible” they’ve decided not to wait out COVID to make things officially official. Oli and Mika are getting married 02.11.21 in an intimate ceremony at Brasada Ranch outside of Bend, OR – it’s a vibe that perfectly represents their whirlwind romance set in the Pacific Northwest."

The vibe for their winter elopement was rustic chic, high desert landscape, timeless roses, and classic lace contrasting with a velvet suit for Oliver. They had a stunning seasonal cake with dried oranges and greenery. Oli loves plants and flowers, so he had a passion for designing the arbor florals and did such a phenomenal job.

One of the couple’s inspirations was the photo of the Obamas lounging on a couch at their wedding, which we replicated for their own memory.

Working with these two during the planning process was so rewarding -- Shimika was decisive and level headed even with the unknowns and stress of Covid. It was an honor to help these two create an intimate wedding to celebrate their love. We woke up to snowy winter wonderland which challenged and inspired all of the vendors. The photographer Taylor Stuck really captured their timeless, elegant, and romantic personalities. Mika had letterman jackets made for both of them that said ‘Just Married’ and they shared a celebratory champagne toast in the snow at Brasada Ranch.