Real Weddings: Laura & Jill’s PNW Elopement

By Kirrin Finch

Introducing Laura (she/her) and Jill (she/her), the adventurous duo who embarked on a breathtaking journey to tie the knot amidst the natural wonders of Olympic National Park in Washington. Hailing from Asheville, NC, the couple shares their home with two furry companions, Idgie and Finn. For their wedding, Laura and Jill prioritized nature, simplicity, and each other. Steering away from a traditional ceremony, they opted for a destination elopement along the Washington and Oregon coast. Wearing Kirrin Finch suits in Navy and Burgundy, the couple found the perfect balance of comfort and style for their special day.

Tell us about yourselves!

We live in Asheville, NC with our two dogs Idgie and Finn. Laura is an adventure elopement photographer (@sparksintheforest) and Jill works for our local food bank. We enjoy hiking, camping, and taking road trips whenever possible! We've done multiple cross country road trips together in our adventure rig: a Tacoma named Tanya Trucker (named after Tanya Tucker, IYKYK) with a slide-in camper named Stetson :) We're on a mission to visit every national park and every US state. We're up to 19/63 national parks and 42/50 states!

Real Weddings Jill Laura Georgie Burgundy

How did you two meet?

The good old fashioned way! We met at work before Laura quit her job to pursue her dream of owning her own photography business. Things blossomed and neither of us saw it coming. The universe just slammed us together serendipitously!

What was important to you in planning your wedding day?

We wanted to be surrounded by nature in a beautiful place that was meaningful to us! No stress, just the two of us enjoying the day and the scenery around us. Neither of us felt aligned with having a big wedding, and we wanted to prioritize making the day about us. Plus, we wanted to make a really cool trip out of it! We ended up renting a camper van and camping our way down the Washington and Oregon coast. A destination elopement was perfect for us! Since Laura is an elopement photographer, having great photographs of our day was also super important to us! Nadia was such a perfect fit for us and we'll be forever thankful for her talent!

How did you go about choosing what to wear for the wedding day?

We both knew we wanted to wear suits (dresses just aren't for us!) and the Kirrin Finch style was perfect for us! We wanted a suit made for our female bodies but wasn't too feminine. We also weren't comfortable going to a menswear shop so Kirrin Finch was the perfect solution! Plus, they came in the colors we wanted! Navy and Burgundy compliment each other so well and pop nicely against the PNW backdrop!

How did you feel when you first saw yourself in your wedding suit?

Laura - I felt like I finally had a suit that was made just for me! I felt confident and like "me"!
Jill - I felt so comfortable and at ease!

Which Kirrin Finch pieces did you wear?

Laura - I wore the Georgie Navy Suit.
Jill - I wore the Georgie Burgundy Suit paired with the Burgundy Tweed Vest.

What were some of the most special memories from your wedding day?

ALL OF IT! The day was incredible! One memory especially sticks out though. We started the day hiking through a forest to visit some waterfalls. We met a couple of ladies at the first waterfall that were so excited about our soon to be nuptials. Later in the day when we arrived at our ceremony location (over 1.5 hours away), we randomly ran into them again! We asked them to be our witnesses for our marriage license and they happily obliged! As it turned out, they were also from North Carolina and only lived about 2 hours from us. Small world!! Hope and Laura (yep, one of them was also named Laura!)- if you're reading this, "Hi and thank you!!” We ended the day at Ruby Beach and also had the most incredible sunset!

Any advice for other couples planning their wedding?

Do what feels right and means the most to you! Your wedding day is meant to be enjoyed so do what brings you both joy! It's OK to throw out the rulebook, too :). Don't let anyone pressure you into doing anything you don't want to do. Celebrate however you want! (It's YOUR wedding day, after all!) And, hire a great photographer! The day will fly by but the photographs will last forever!