The Goody's
1. Tell me about you and your story.
Connor and I have known each other ever since 8th grade when we both went to the same school in Washington State. In high school, we became good friends after having several classes together our senior year, mainly when we worked together often during our welding and auto shop classes. Soon after Covid hit and school ended early, Connor and I began hanging out regularly which eventually turned into the beginning of our relationship. In the first few months together, we went on many adventures which included skydiving, camping, backpacking (saying our first “I love you” on top of the mountain), and taking a long road trip down the Washington, Oregon, and California coast. But once the summer ended we began our journey of long distance. I went to college at Colorado State and Connor joined the Navy that winter, so for the next three years we were lucky to see each other once a month in person. Managing our relationship with the distance wasn’t easy, we had our ups and downs, but we made it work.
In the winter of 2023, Connor came out to Colorado to visit and we had a fun trip planned to drive down to the Great Sand Dunes National Park, where we camped in -15 degree Fahrenheit weather. But despite the cold we took in our
surroundings On the second day of the trip, we were hiking to the top of one of the dunes when to my surprise, Connor handed me a letter, told me to read it and not move until I finished, and when I did he was on one knee with a ring in
his hand asking me to marry him. From there our journey to elope began!
2. Tell me about the planning of your elopement, why did you choose to elope and
why Norway?
- Originally we had no idea what we wanted to do for a wedding, we were not
earning a lot of money, not living where we grew up, and not even living together.
So a wedding didn’t make much sense for us. Plus having a big party and
spending all that money was not our cup of tea. So instead we just figured eloping
made the most sense. BUT our idea of eloping in Norway came about because I
was originally planning a trip after high school to visit foreign exchange student
friends in Norway, Germany, and Italy but that idea was quickly shut down
because of COVID, and we were already planning on rescheduling that trip for
the summer of 2023. We asked our friend Sondre what his thoughts were if he
helped us getting eloped in Norway and he was all for it and excited! Ever since
we began our relationship we have prioritized adventure and this plan just made
sense. We finalized our plan for visiting Europe which consisted of a week in
Norway, and then a week in Germany. We wanted this trip to be full of adventure
and catching up with our friends, with our elopement somewhere in the middle of
our time in Norway. Our friend Sondre was such a great host and took us around
to different places where we tried to take in everything Norway had to offer.
3. Describe and tell about your elopement from your perspective.
- Leading up to the day was a lot of fun. We started off the trip by staying in a cabin
on the coast where we went on a ferry and explored a small town. After that we
spent time with Sondre’s family for a day and went to Jotunheimen National Park
and went backpacking. We then met up with Bethine in Hemsedal, where she
grew up, and planned out how our big day was going to play out. It was also fun
since I didn’t know Norway had its own “taco Tuesday'' where we made our own
little taco bar. Everything was just so fun and allowed us to go with the flow. I
wouldn’t change a thing about it.
4. Do you regret using money on anything?
- No, absolutely not! We are so happy with what we prioritized spending money on
which was our photographer, and there is nothing else we would have changed.
5. What are you most happy about using money on?
- The experience of a lifetime! Being able to celebrate our relationship in such an
adventurous way was priceless. But what made our special day extraordinary was
having the best photographer. Bethine was unbelievably helpful planning our big
day since we knew nothing about the location which we were eloping. We put our
trust in her and she blew our expectations away. From planning our lodging, my
flowers, and taking amazing photos that we have cherished daily, our Elopement
will forever be the best day of our lives.
6. If you were to elope again, what would you do differently this time?
- Hairsprayed and gelled the hell out of our hair because we were NOT expecting it
to be so windy at the top! But other than that, whenever we look back on our day,
everything was so perfect, intimate, and unique… we wouldn’t have changed a
thing.
7. What is your best tip for couples that want to elope?
- We loved our elopement experience so much, anytime we have talked to a couple
with the thought of eloping, we always tell them it was worth every penny. With
the intimacy, low stress, and adventure that comes with the elopement
experience it made the day feel special. When compared to a wedding, getting
eloped with a small group felt like we were truly celebrating our commitment
together. So if any couple has the thought that eloping is for them, we say go for
it! Pick a photographer that you connect with, pick a gorgeous location, and be
spontaneous with your big day:)
8. If you had to name one favorite moment each from your elopement, what would it
be?
CONNOR; it’s hard to pick out a favorite moment, but if I had to choose one it
would have to be the first look. We were lucky enough to be on someone’s
property with the mountain we eloped on in the background. It was also the most
anticipated since I hadn’t seen her since the night before. Needless to say, it was
the most special moment for me (other than reading our vows).
MEGAN; For me the whole day from start to finish was extraordinary. But one
aspect of our day together that never fails to warm me up was when we heard the
words, “With the mountains as our witness” and then sealed the deal with a kiss,
but it was the hug we shared right after was the warmest and intimate hug that
made everything fall into place. That was the moment that I will never forget.