Bend Oregon Elopement at Sparks Lake on the Cascade Lakes Hwy

Jori + Kory // Sparks Lake // Bend, Oregon // September 2015

“We absolutely loved Abby. She went out of her way for us and made our day perfect! We had such a great experience with her that we’ll be going back this summer to see her. Highly recommend her!!” – Jori, bride

We love planning elopements! Jori contacted ae creative to help plan their Central Oregon elopement. They had never been to Bend before, but heard it was beautiful and thought why not elope there!? This was Jori and Kory’s second marriage and between them they have 3 kids. They had known each other since the 3rd grade but went their separate ways in life then years later reconnected! They were wanting to do something special and small to blend their families together. They booked their trip to Bend from Washington State and left the rest up to us! We learned some likes and dislikes, but really Jori and Kory couldn’t have been more easy going! They said they liked the outdoors, water and hiking. They wanted a pretty place and an enjoyable trip. Yup, we could handle this! We scouted some locations and took photos. We emailed them to view and Sparks Lake was decided on. Victoria Carlson Photography was also instantly decided on as her style and personality fit perfectly!

We planned all the details and organized the flow for the day of their wedding. The week leading up to their date it was HOT in Central Oregon, like 100’s hot! Jori and Kory and their kids came into town a couple days before their wedding and got to experience the heat.. When we met for the first time in person it was like we had known each other forever. Everyone was chatty and easy going and it made us even more excited to be putting together this special day for them! The wedding day, to true Cascade style, clouds rolled in and brought some afternoon rain. We were set ready for their wedding and the show went on! They laughed about it and proceeded to have a [cold] good time. I think this extreme change in the weather only added to the memories.

We had set our farm-style table up along the lake for an intimate dinner. We provided beer for Kory, root beer for the kids, and wine for Jori. We ordered takeout from Brother Jons and The Broomsmen drove into town to pick it up and deliver it back out to us. We had planned a cozy lakeside evening with a fire and roasting marshmallows, but the weather wasn’t cooperative and they ended up eating their dinner and going back to the Inn at 7th Mountain, where they were staying for their evening.

All of the details came together, except for Mother Nature. With the rain and overcast and all it was still the most beautiful day and memorable experience. I hope the family comes back to Bend to visit and never forgets the special love and feelings shared on this day in the mountains. Best wishes, xoxo!