Vintage Indie Elopement: Birdie + Maxwell

We hiked to the top of the trail and saw the vastness of the forest below us. The fading wood from the trail sign and the Red Top Lookout are weatherworn. The only sound is the wind whipping past our ears and the roar of it moving through the trees below. Birdie, our bridal model, has spread her arms wide against the wind, catching the movement in her dress and coat. Maxwell, her partner, moves up behind her into a fierce hug. And for a moment we forget. We lose ourselves in love, in beauty, in Mother Nature. We capture their devotion, their bohemian ideals lifting us above the muck of the modern world. We know we have found some sort of soul-elevating freedom within ourselves, out on the trails, and within the love of Birdie and Maxwell.

This styled shoot started with a vintage indie aesthetic. As it developed, we embraced the hippy elements that we loved and found updated in modern styling and dress. Our couple, Birdie and Maxwell, elevated these elements in their interests in music, wellness, the environment, and the arts. We traveled up to Red Top Lookout one glorious summer day and went back in time.

OUR PNW ELOPEMENT COUPLE.

Birdie and Maxwell are the quintessential love story in the Pacific Northwest. They met at a festival through mutual friends, and knew they had found something intimate, unique, and beautiful within twenty-four hours. They said, “I love you,” within hours of meeting each other, and the have been inseparable ever since. Birdie is a yoga teacher, reiki master, and business life coach focusing on holistic health and life practices. Maxwell is an actor. Together, they have created a life where they each thrive in their passions and get to enjoy them as a team. They love to travel and go on new adventures together. Their commitment to the planet, enthusiasm for the outdoors, and passion for each other made them a perfect fit for our vintage elopement.

Birdie and Maxwell awoke in their home in West Seattle to start their day. Lauren from Seattle Beauty Boss swung by their house in the afternoon to set their hair and play with makeup for the adventure of a day ahead. With coffee, treats, and good chit chat, they were able to set the tone for the beginning of their journey.

HOW THE VENDORS RAN THE DAY.

While the couple had a lovely jaunt and relaxing day before the shoot, Kate from Tapestry Event Co. was busy coordinating the vendors to make sure everything was in place before the couple arrived on site. In the morning, she received the floral details from Petals by Piper and then headed out to Anueva Jewelry to pick up rings before making her way out of the city.

The floral arrangements included a beautiful hair piece made up of dark leaves and a little bit of red florals. They tied in with Birdie’s bouquet, which was made up of crimson and creamy peach roses. These tones and textures created the vintage look we wanted to capture in the couple’s styling.

The jewelry from Anueva was delicate and simple, while embracing the glamorously bohemian look Birdie embraced. The ring was a salt and pepper sapphire with a band of gold leaves embedded with diamonds on top. Maxwell’s ring was a gold band embossed with a similar leaf pattern as Birdie’s band. To complete the set, Birdie wore an Anueva gold necklace with a branch with leaves that was made by mold from a PNW pine needle.

Kate arrived on the trail site at around four o’clock to set up the picnic area and scout out photo locations for the rest of the shoot. Jessika of Jessika Christine Photo arrived shortly after to make sure she knew where the light was right. She found the perfect settings to send a modern day picnic back to the 60s.

Red Top is a trailhead in the Snoqualmie forest region. It’s placed in a gorgeous center of untouched land. Kate, Jessika, and the models had to make sure they had Northwest Forest Passes for parking and cars with a large amount of clearance to trek the service roads. We recommend that if anyone wants to go out to this location, they make sure they download their maps before they head out.

HOW THE DETAILS MADE THE DAY.

What made working with Birdie and Maxwell so harmonious was their desire to collaborate and bring themselves into the shoot. Maxwell wore a bolo tie he felt would fit into the shoot from a thrift store adventure. Birdie brought in a gorgeously patterned jacket to wear over her dress during the sunset portraits on the ridge to protect her from the wind. Both of these pieces were vintage finds from their cross-country road trips they have taken together. They strapped on their own hiking boots to keep their feet comfy during the hikes to the picnic spot and the ridge.

The dress Birdie wore was a gorgeous design by Allen Schwartz that was perfect for hiking and lounging in the grass. Maxwell’s outfit was inspired by a deconstruction of a formal suit, where the pieces were present but in stylized outdoorsy materials. With pants, a vest, and a white button down shirt, he had all the makings of a suit that came together in a boho chic, outdoor master way. His outfit was rounded out by a gorgeous leather hat by Brixton.

The rentals for the shoot at the picnic spot were brought in by Tapestry Event Co., except the table runner that was created by Nicole of Mosshound Designs. Mosshound Designs creates beautiful hand dyed linens and tapestries for occasion and home use.

Birdie and Maxwell also brought a guitar with them to represent their love of music, playing together and enjoying it live together.

Photos courtesy of Jessika Christine Photo.

We want to thank everyone who was involved in making this styled shoot happen. We loved working with our vendors to bring in artistry that furthered our vision into something tangible, unique, and beautiful. And thank you to Birdie and Maxwell for being such glorious muses.

— Kelleen, Tapestry Content Manager

THE VENDOR TEAM.

Designer + Planner: Kate // Tapestry Event Co. // @tapestryeventco // Seattle, WA + Beyond

Photographer: Jessika // Jessika Christine Photo // @jessikachristinephoto // San Diego, CA + Beyond

Florist: Piper // Petals by Piper // @petalsbypiper // Seattle, WA + Boulder, CO

Hair + Makeup Artist: Lauren // Seattle Beauty Boss // @seattlebeautyboss // Seattle, WA

Jeweler: Anueva Jewelry // @anuevajewelry // Seattle, WA

Linen Designer: Nicole // Mosshound Designs // @mosshound_designs // Niceville, FL

Dress Designer: Allen Schwartz // @allenschwartz // Los Angeles, CA

Vest Designer: Mystery Made // @mysterymade // Seattle, WA

Hat Designer: Brixton // @brixton // Worldwide

Couple: Birdie + Maxwell // @journeyofabirdie + @maxthemaser