Weddings

Sage & Sarah’s Low Key Desert Wedding

Words by Hannah Pronesti / Images by Free the Bird
November 23, 2015

It’s not often Nouba see’s the salt-flats of Oregon’s Alvord Desert – never actually – until now, thanks to one of our fave Melbourne photographers, Jai Long of Free the Bird.

Sage and Sarah two first discovered the raw beauty and rugged terrain of the Alvord during an off-road motorcycle trip, “The Alvord was one of our main destinations,” they tell us, “It’s a place that’s hard to forget, and as soon as we started planning the wedding it was the first location that came to mind.” Not wanting to mess with the natural beauty of this magical location, the ceremony was nothing but the two of them, their celebrant and an intimate gathering of guests.

So how does one dress for a desert ‘do? We’re taking our cues from these cool cats because they absolutely nailed it. Sarah wore a custom Portland Garment Factory jumpsuit, cute Robert Clergerie lace-ups and a wide brim hat (gotta beat that desert heat!). In thrift-shop cowboy boots, Sage complimented his bride perfectly in a crisp shirt, black Nudies and a Navajo Bolo tie. We’re digging the old Western vibes!

Dinner by the bonfire was the perfect way to warm up as night fell over the desert and Sage and Sarah’s sweet little wedding party were treated to one of the greatest shows on earth – a vast and starry Oregon sky.

Low key desert wedding on the Alvord salt flats / Photography by Free the Bird

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“The Alvord is a large salt flat that lies at the base of a 10,000ft mountain range," Sarah explains. "Until the day of, we weren’t sure we would be able to have the ceremony on the playa as we hoped due to rain. We got lucky, and the morning of the ceremony the rain stopped and the playa dried quickly. The natural beauty of the Alvord is breathtaking, and it needs no decoration.”

With his subjects set against a backdrop of majestic mountain ranges, Jai of Free the Bird was in his element capturing Sarah and Sage, who couldn't be more delighted with their photos. “He is a good friend of ours and having him there was perfectly seamless. We would absolutely recommend him.”

Wildflowers were in this wedding – Sarah’s mum, a former florist gathered sagebrush, indian-paintbrush and other native blooms for Sage’s boutonniere and the brides bouquet.

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Sage and Sarah’s engagement story was one of a mutual agreement, no grand gestures required. “We’re pretty low key, and our proposal was far from traditional.” Sarah tells us, “Curled up on the couch late at night, we got to talking about our future and love, and before we knew it we were engaged!”