We eloped ♥️
Sobbing behind a computer as I’m the happiest creature alive.
We were stoked on the idea of a private and simple “city hall elopement” but God’s plans for us were more beautiful than we could imagine.
After obtaining our marriage license and being told a ceremony was required, we sat in the parking lot at 1pm and called my pastor on the off-chance he was free and able to marry us. Exactly 24 hours later, we stood in the meditation circle on our friend’s organic farm, giddy and tearful as Josh prayed over our union and reminded us how immeasurable God’s love is. We popped champagne and toasted to the blessings to come then ran to the beach to catch the most stunning cotton candy sunset.
The next day, we packed our ‘85 VW Vanagon and hit the road. We drove up to Oregon and spent time with Jordan’s brother, spent a few magical nights in the redwood forest in the rain, rockhounded in some small coastal towns and went to all the bookstores, cafes and co-ops. We made our way down the coast to a (clothing optional) hot springs community in the woods where our van broke down. We got towed into town and found another spring to spend a few days at while the most loving and skillful mechanic - and the only mechanic in town who worked on old VW’s - stopped everything he was working on to help us. Blessings like that followed us the entire trip and kept me thanking God for his protection (more on that below!)
We finally ended up leaving the van with him and driving a rental car home to give him more time to work on it. We’re stoked to continue the adventure in a few weeks when we pick her up.
Little details:
Our rings are SKYDOG Jewelry. We designed them together over coffee at one of our favorite spots, Canyon Coffee. My engagement ring is a yellow gold signet with a light green Kornerupine gem. My eternity band is blonde gold with champagne diamonds. Both rings are bezel set which I wanted since I’m rough on my jewelry, I love the more understated look, and I’m always thinking of my future children (accidental scratches and snags from prongs). Jordan’s ring is brown gold with a pale brown and white Flint stone inlay. He found the stone in Italy in a river when we were on a hike.
We met at organic farm The Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano. We were married at organic farm Bluebird Canyon Farms in Laguna Beach.
I took Jordan’s last name. We are now “The Dzierwa’s” ♥️
Our witnesses Gemma and Ahmet, Bree of Bluebird Canyon Farms, and Josh of Everwell Church were the only folks in attendance. We decided against having friends or family attend as we wanted the day to be just for us and didn’t want to worry about accommodating or attending to anyone else.
Gemma and Ahmet took professional film photos which we weren’t expecting. I snapped a few disposable film cameras. Ahmet recorded our ceremony which was the biggest gift since Josh’s words were so wise and beautiful. I listened to it the next day and cried and thought of the 1974 cassette tape of Jordan’s mom & dad’s ceremony, played for me just a few days before.
Our core values of honesty, kindness, health and beauty are unmatched and what make our union so strong. We love simplicity and we’re always laughing. We trust each other. (I trust Jordan more than I’ve ever been able to trust another person and it’s a wild feeling.) I’ve watched us both grow indescribably in the last 2 years of our relationship and the fun thing is that we both support each others growth and want to grow together.
We got ready the day of our ceremony together at home. My hair was air dried and I was mostly barefaced. We helped each other pick out our outfits. Jordan wore organic cotton from Industry of All Nations, Freenote Cloth jeans and faded Vans. I wore vintage cowboy boots and a cream linen suit from the 70’s that belonged to his mom (similar to what she signed her marriage license in 49 years ago & Jordan had his dad’s coat that he signed in. A marriage that lasted decades ‘til death did them part, and is a huge inspiration to Jordan and I.)
I carried his mom’s white marriage Bible, also from her wedding in the 70’s. They eloped in Las Vegas with just two friends present.
My friend Bree of Bluebird Canyon Farms made me the most beautiful bouquet of white florals. I hung a few stems to dry before we left on our honeymoon and gifted the rest for our petsitter to enjoy.
We didn’t pack too much for our trip but we made sure to bring books, our radio and candles. We read as much as we could and I pressed flowers between the pages. We choose areas with little cell service to make sure we could “unplug” and really restore our souls. Our favorite non-toxic tallow candles are from Summer Solace. There’s something about candlelight that takes the simplest moments and turns them into magic. My discount code if you want to try her candles or tallow is LOVECLUB15)
Our wedding and honeymoon were filled with more blessings than I can recount. We were always in the right place at the right time with the most supportive angels surrounding us. Everyone kept saying “you have the best attitudes considering what you’re going through” with the car breaking down and all. If you have a heart that can notice the small gifts, you can’t help but see the perfection of life and be happy through it all.
I think God knew a union like ours was too special to start off without some significance and without a really great story to tell 🤧♥️
What a blessing love is. This relationship is something I thank the Heavens for daily and I hope to never take for granted how special it is.
love, tif