Getting Ready

Hop on over to Liz's blog Exactly for part one of our elopement photos.

Sneak Peek

Above are a few sneak peek images our photographers were kind enough to send us today. Our first kiss, some portraits from Looking Glass Falls, as well as downtown Asheville. Enjoy!

Welcome

If you're reading this, you most likely just got our announcement and want to see and hear more about our recent elopement. Welcome! Read on for sneak peeks into our planning process, and come back in a few weeks to see (professional) photographs from the day of. 

Enjoy!

Our Ceremony

The view from Devil's Courthouse - one of the handful of scenic overlooks we considered for our ceremony. 

Kathleen:

Liz. Micah. 

I'm thrilled and honored to be here with my little family to witness, celebrate, and usher in the beginning of yours. It got me thinking about marriage… and what that looks like. In particular, what that will look like for the two of you.

I imagine the marriage between you Liz, and you Micah, will look a little something like this: 

The most perfect pasta, creamy custard, and buttermilk biscuits. From scratch. With love.  

Dreamings over a shared pint of Fullsteam First Frost.

Late night reminiscing and records spinning. 

Backyard grilling, planting, and harvesting.

Making a home together … 1,200 miles from where you started.

May your marriage be a never-ending edit of beautiful vignettes – captured and shared alongside, and with, each other. For as long as you both shall live. 

Let's begin. 

- - -

Liz:

Love by Roy Croft

I love you,

not only for what you are –

but for what I am

when I am with you.

I love you,

not only for what

you have made of yourself –

but for what

you are making of me.

I love you for 

the part of me that you bring out;

I love you for putting your hand

into my heaped-up heart

and passing over

all the foolish, weak things

that you can't help

dimly seeing there,

and for drawing out into the light

all the beautiful belongings

that no one else had looked

quite far enough to find.

I love you because you

are helping me to make

of the lumber of my life

not a tavern, but a temple.

Out of the works of my every day

not a reproach, but a song.

I love you

because you have done

more than any creed

could have done

to make me good.

And more than any fate

could have done

to make me happy.

You have done it

without a touch,

without a word,

without a sign.

You have done it

by being yourself.

- - -

Micah:

from The Princess Bride

Do I love you? My God, if your love were a grain of sand, mine would be a universe of beaches. There has not been a morning when you did not flutter behind my waking eyelids. I have not known a night when your visage did not accompany me to sleep. I have not known a moment in years when the sight of you did not send my heart careening against my rib cage… 

I said “as you wish” from the beginning… I loved you from the start.

I love you. Okay? Want it louder? I love you. Spell it out, should I? I ell-oh-vee-ee why-oh-you. Want it backward? You love I…

I love you, Elizabeth. 

- - -

Kathleen:

Union by Robert Fulghum 

You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance to this point of commitment. At some point, you decided to marry. From that moment of yes, to this moment of yes, indeed, you have been making commitments in an informal way. All of those conversations that were held in a car, or over a meal, or during long walks – all those conversations that began with, “When we’re married”, and continued with “I will” and “you will” and “we will” – all those late night talks that included “someday” and “somehow” and “maybe” – and all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart. All these common things, and more, are the real process of a wedding.

The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, “You know all those things that we’ve promised, and hoped, and dreamed – well, I meant it all, every word.”

Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before this moment you have been many things to one another – acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, dancing partner, even teacher, for you have learned much from one another these past few years. Shortly you shall say a few words that will take you across a threshold of life, and things between you will never quite be the same.

For after today you shall say to the world – “This is my husband.” “This is my wife.”

Liz, pick up Micah’s ring, and repeat after me. 

- - -

Liz:

Micah, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. 

I vow to love and serve you as long as we both shall live. 

(Pours Micah a shot)

I take you with all your faults and strengths as I offer myself to you – with all my faults and strengths. 

I vow to help you when you need help, and turn to you when I need help. 

And with this ring, I take you to be my lawfully-wedded husband, my constant friend, my partner-in-crime, and my love from this day forward. 

- - -

Kathleen:

Micah, pick up Liz’s ring, and repeat after me. 

- - -

Micah:

Liz, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. 

I vow to love and serve you as long as we both shall live. 

(Pours Liz a shot)

I take you with all your faults and strengths as I offer myself to you – with all my faults and strengths. 

I vow to help you when you need help, and turn to you when I need help. 

And with this ring, I take you to be my lawfully-wedded wife, my constant friend, my partner-in-crime, and my love from this day forward. 

- - -

Kathleen:

Now that you have given yourselves to each other with solemn vows, and the giving and receiving of rings, in front of God and all who are assembled here – it is with great joy that I pronounce you husband and wife. 

You may now seal your vows with a kiss.

(Kissing!)

And finally, you may begin your marriage how you began your relationship: with a strong drink on a weekday. Cheers, to Mr. and Mrs. Micah Johnson!

(Liz & Micah take a shot. Then probably more kissing!, and hugs for everyone)

Our Timeline

Micah's first visit to Durham in 2010.

We crossed paths for years prior to actually meeting. Many times we were at the same place at the same time. For example, we both attended the University of Oklahoma – went to the same college, had classes in the same building, and graduated the same year. We both attended Addy Awards galas (advertising prom for adults) two consecutive years without contact. Micah even has photos, and video, with Liz in the background from the 2009 event. We attended a Halloween party at what is now known as the Oklahoma Science Museum. Liz dressed as Joan from Mad Men, and Micah dressed like Paris Hilton.  Liz rocked the look, and Micah fell down the stairs in ill-fitting heels. And of course we were in various concert crowds, yelling the same songs, but in different parts of the venues.

Finally, the stars aligned when we were separately invited to a post-work happy hour.

2010

January 18^th - Micah walked into Edna’s, an Oklahoma City dive bar with its insides covered in stapled $1 bills, to find one seat open - the seat next to Liz.

January 21^st - Our second encounter was at the Prohibition Room, in Oklahoma City’s Gold Dome, to hear the manager of the Flaming Lips speak – Micah secretly hoped Liz would show.

February 27^th - The first kiss: It happened at the 44^th Oklahoma City Addy Awards (the third time is a charm). It took place in a photo booth. With a bottle of Patron in Liz’s hand, and with Micah’s tie in his friend’s mouth. Striking.

March 4^th - Always open to the nontraditional, our first date followed our first kiss. Cupcakes and coffee at Cuppies & Joe. Beer at the Red Rooster dive bar. While Micah began to fall for Liz as she talked about her family, he didn’t drink. He had a black eye, and was a bit concussed. Ask him about it sometime.

May 22^nd - Liz moved to Durham, NC. Micah gave her three mix-tapes, and his heart, for the road.

July 19^th - Micah visited Durham for the first time.

October 19th - Micah visited Durham for the second time. Liz’s friend told Micah, “You need to move to Durham”.  Less than a year later he would.

2011

June 17^th - Micah moved to Durham, NC just over one year after Liz. It was beautiful.

2013

February 13^th - Micah asked Liz’s dad for his permission to marry her. It was published in the pre-Valentine’s Day issue of the Indy Week.

October 15^th – Liz and Micah began to grow roots, and bought their first home in Durham.

December 21^st - Micah (finally) asked Liz to marry him on a frozen beach in Brimley, MI.

2014

The Present - Here we are, planning to elope.

Boxed Wine

As we began discussing what our wedding ceremony might look like, we came across a wine box ritual. Most of them are some variation of this: During the ceremony the couple places a bottle of wine in a box with previously written letters to one another – not unlike a unity candle or unity sand ritual. The box is then sealed on the day of their wedding. The idea is that when the couple reaches a predetermined anniversary, or has their first big conflict (whichever comes first), they would crack open the box to share the wine, and read the letters to remind them why they made their vows in the first place.

We like the idea, but it seemed a bit short lived (or consumed under strained circumstances). So, we decided to switch it up so that we can celebrate again and again.

Step 1: Find a box

Micah searched long and hard for just the right box of the occasion. There were stained wood boxes, leather covered boxes, and custom wood-burned boxes. So naturally, we landed on a worn 1970’s metal Milwaukee toolbox. The seller's description noted it was “for storing dangerous items,” and added, “Varn kept all of his 1970's Playboys in the old Milwaukee toolbox. He read them in the tool shed late at night with a vintage glass of port.” We were instantly sold.

Step 2: Buy wine

Enter Cave Taureau and their carefully curated selection and intimate knowledge. We got an education of prime wines based on our tastes and preferences, and ended up happily walking away with two bottles of 2009 Domaine du Gour de Chaule Gigondas Cuvee Tradition. 

Step 3: Stock and save

On our wedding day, we'll enjoy one bottle, and put the other in our toolbox. We're also stashing away:

- Sealed written records of the fond or entertaining memories we each had of that day

- Well-wishes from friends and family in the form of returned postcards

- Instant images from our wedding day

Step 4: Wash, rinse, repeat

Each year on May 5^th we will pull out the toolbox from safe-keeping, and do the following:

- Share wine

- Read each other's written memories of our wedding day for the 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, etc… time.

- Look at photos from previous year(s)

- Take new photos to include in box

- Review returned postcards

- Note the year’s wine and leave dated cork

- Replenish wine with a new bottle

- Replace letters, photos, and postcards

- Tuck away until we do it again the next year

Pulling the cork on a nice bottle of wine, and reminiscing with old pictures each anniversary, just sounds so much better than biting into a tier of freezer-burnt cake. And over time it will be nice to reminisce about where it all began, remember the support we have from others, and see how we grow (and age) over the years. Hopefully like fine wines. 

Cheers to City Hall

A sneaky couple's portrait at Cave Taureau.

This week we touched base with our officiant Kathleen on the structure of our ceremony. Action-oriented young professionals that we all are (with matching backgrounds in, and retirements from advertising to prove it), we left the meeting with timelines and next steps. For Micah and I, it was simply finding an application for our North Carolina marriage license. When we found out you could apply online, one thing led to another... and that same afternoon we found ourselves at City Hall to pick up the documents. In less than 10 minutes we were out, license in hand, and a bit taken aback by the enormity of what we'd just done. The lack of ceremony for this seemingly important, legally-binding step was disconcerting, so we decided to add some meaning to it the only way we knew how: with alcohol. 

But in a classy way! We went to Cave Taureau, an effortlessly cool little wine shop downtown. We giddily shared our secret news with the owner, then asked him for guidance in choosing a wine. The plan is to have two bottles of the same wine, drink one on our wedding night, and seal the other in a box not to be opened until our first anniversary (but more on that later).

We asked for something big and bold, deep and complex – so our hopes for our marriage and lives together could be reflected in our celebratory toasts. Cheers, indeed.