Love Stories | Coral + Ian
Every love story is an intimate collection of memories and feelings. A place to return to when the world needs a reminder of what's tender and true.
Coral and Ian are one of those couples.
Your special day was infused with a deep gratitude for nature and the land you reside on. How did you incorporate those elements into your wedding?
A big part of shaping our lives together was the serendipitous decision to build a home in a rural place surrounded by trees. It’s something we both dreamed of doing independently even before our relationship together. The experience of living outside and building our home has really connected us to the space where we live and how in turn we impact the space.
By bringing this awareness and wanting to strengthen a mutualistic relationship with the place we inhabit we try to do our best by it in the imperfect ways we can. Just as we view ourselves and our relationship we don’t strive for perfectionism but a willingness to listen, adjust and do better as we grow and change.
Having our wedding ceremony take place outside beneath the trees and mountains, on our home, grounded us in a big moment and to share our love for both it and each other, for the place that shapes who we are.
The customized ring designs you dreamed up were quite unique. What served as inspiration for the creation process?
The inspiration for our engagement rings came from my (Ian’s) paternal grandfather. He is, by my recollection, the only male family member to have worn jewelry other than a wedding band. Growing up, I have fond memories of a gold signet ring with a large, flat black stone. In the center of that stone was a small, single bright white diamond. I have always loved the look of that ring, and how the contrast between the two stones made the ring seem magical somehow.
Knowing that one day in the future I will inherit that ring, I wanted my rings to complement each other. We each wanted our own engagement rings and wedding bands and working with this source of inspiration we wanted to create a family of rings that looked like they belonged together and also stood out independently.
We wanted rings we could wear stacked as a pair or nicely on their own. I think Foe & Dear really nailed the feeling we were looking for! Katherine really did all the magic of taking our thoughts and putting them to paper and then into rings. We were able to really create a set of rings that felt contemporary and traditional while also suiting our own personal styles.
"One of my vivid memories from the day was right before walking down the aisle, we paused for a moment before stepping out after our flower girl. Being arm in arm and taking that first step into this new type of partnership together was so meaningful."
Any special family traditions highlighted during the celebrations?
The only tradition on my side of the family is no tradition. There has been everything from big church weddings with hundreds of guests, all the way to surprise intimate elopements. The main takeaway from them was to make it ours! Make our own traditions and celebrations. They were happy to celebrate with us in whatever way we wanted.
Our first families were a big part of getting us prepared and set up for our wedding day, helping with decorations and all the little things that happen the days leading up to a wedding. It was a great joint effort and we couldn't have gotten there without everyone's help. I remember feeling so overwhelmed and grateful that we have these people continue to show up and support us through the big moments and even in small, more mundane ways.
One of my vivid memories from the day was right before walking down the aisle, we paused for a moment before stepping out after our flower girl. Being arm in arm and taking that first step into this new type of partnership together was so meaningful.
Building a home for quiet reflection and art creation is at the forefront of your way of living. How did you blend that ethos into the design of your wedding dress?
I've spent the majority of my life making and sewing my own clothes. So, choosing to make my own dress really felt like a natural decision for me. It meant that I could express myself through style and fit and I found a sense of self in the creating process as well as getting to wear it on the day. After spending months thinking about design elements I came to a place of just wanting to start the process and see where it would lead me.
To go from conceptual thoughts to making something physical really grounded the process. This is something I've felt as a recurring theme in almost all the projects I take on, from working in clay, to building my house, to sewing my wedding dress. It's better to start in a small way then to keep contemplating it. The embellishing was a thoughtful, slow and contemplative process. From choosing buttons to adding beaded embroidery, the way I decorate is very intuitive.
I just see what looks and feels right to me, I find this to be the most exciting part of the process. I look back at these photos and feel so happy that what I wore really felt like an extension of myself and appreciate the comfort and self confidence that comes along with that.
Most treasured qualities in your partner
C- Their contentment with the simple things of daily life, their peacefulness in being happy. To feel that what we have and experience is enough. They remind me that the meaning of life is to experience it and to be part of it.
I- Their joy and drive in life. Their strength and kindness. It makes me a better, stronger partner, and it inspires me to hold them up and explore all we can together.
Credits
Photography | @theapartmentphoto
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