It was over two years ago I received an e-mail from a Miss Kristen Glaze. She was recently engaged and had moved from North Wilkesboro, NC, to a remote island in Alaska...Wrangell.
Never heard of it...Awesome!!
She was in search of a Wedding Photographer...and she was e-mailing me!
Kristen was so sweet to ask if I was available or interested in a destination wedding. Of course I was (is this for real??) As long as literally the sun wasn't scheduled to fall into the earth or any other natural disaster, there was no way I was passing up seeing Kristen & Jim tie the knot in Alaska! Honestly, I was more concerned if she was sure she wanted me to be the one with a camera on their wedding day!
It only took that initial e-mail and I was #AllDebord !
When Zack and I de-boarded the tiny plane on the remote island we were welcomed in a one room airport, (smaller than the main level of our NC home) Kristen and her mom, Debbie, were there, the groom, and Ollie, the guy from the hotel was also there to pick us up. Everyone was there!
We were helped into our hotel and went to the hotel restaurant for lunch before taking a rest after the 48 hour journey to this new and amazing place. Low and behold, we were thinking over our order and Zack says, "Nicole, the Time Bandit is pulling into the dock". "Hahaha, that would be so cool" as I laugh off and continue reading the menu, not looking up. "No, seriously it's the Time Bandit". At this point I look up just to "let him fool me". "OH MY GOSH, Zack, it's the Time Bandit!"
Wrangell, is a surreal place. If you look right, there are fishing boats of all kinds, like the famous Time Bandit and others from the Discovery Channel hit reality TV series. If you look back to your left there is The Yard, (background of the above photo) one of The History Channels hit reality shows. If you look straight ahead you have the Pacific Ocean with orca and humpback whales and Glaciers, only a fraction of the world will ever see.
*Fun Fact - The Yard actually took off work early for this wedding ceremony so that there wouldn't be such loud background noise during the ceremony.
*Fun Fact 2 - Notice the Time Bandit "photo-bombing" some of these photos of the wedding party!
I'm forgetting lunch and rushing to the dock with my camera to witness one of the star crab boat from our favorite TV show. "This is so unreal" I kept thinking.
Every place we went was a new level of excitement, the grocery store welcomed us as the photographers for Kristen and Jim's wedding on Saturday. The Apperal shop saw us walk in and said "Hey, someone is looking for the Huffman's"...."Uhm, Hi! We are the Huffman's...maybe. Who is looking for us?" It was Dave the bike rental gentleman who was on his way to meet us and leave us with bikes for the week. Of course... Dave!
What a nice town to live in. What great neighbors. That is just part of why it is so beautiful a place.
The few days leading up to the wedding Kristen & Jim invited us over with family for breakfast, for the rehearsal, even for a hike. They were beyond hospitable.
Zack and I went with the couple to Jim's Boat where he and Kristen were their own Fisherman. Jim Captain and Kristen the deck hand they brought in their own fish and profit this past summer. It was pretty amazing to hear Kristen could do all this like a champ, while working at the local hospital with Jim and still finding time planning this wedding. Her and Jim are both just wholesome people who are just very fun to be around.
The wedding day came,
Her dad walked her down the aisle...
Jim was amazed when he saw her...
They said ... "I Do".
Kristen & Jim had their crew of family from their home places and it was a surreal moment to feel being all the way on the Pacific Ocean side of North America with other Wilkes Natives (Atlantic Ocean side of North America).
At night we were roasting marshmallows and counting earth satellites, (I think we counted up to 28) under the Alaskan sky with childhood friends, as well as our daughters therapist. Being together years later and a world away from home definitely added to the celebration of why Kristen & Jim's wedding was so intimate.
For more from Kristen and Jim's nautical wedding, come on over to my office and I will show you the not advertised wedding album including all the great catches we caught that day hanging near the Time Bandit on this special summer afternoon in Wrangell, Alaska!
Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. DeBord!
Your Photographer,
Nicole