Just the Two of Them (and a Really Cute Toddler) — Nate & Caitlan's Backyard Wedding in Nampa, Idaho

When the world shut down in 2020, a lot of couples had a choice to make: wait, or just go for it. Nate and Caitlan chose each other. They didn't need a venue, a caterer, or 200 guests to make it official. They needed a backyard, the people they loved most, and an 18-month-old daughter who was already stealing the show before the ceremony even started.

And honestly? It was perfect.

Caitlan's uncle opened up his property in Nampa, and that's really all that needed to happen. The setup was simple — a wooden hexagon arch draped in white linen and wildflowers, white folding chairs in the grass, round tables with little bucket centerpieces. No fuss. No formality. Just the kind of backyard gathering that feels like a Sunday dinner that happened to have vows in the middle of it.

The ceremony was short, sweet, and surrounded by people who truly showed up — not because they had to, but because there was nowhere else they'd rather be. And if you look closely at the photos, you'll notice not a single person is looking at their phone. They were all just... there.

Here's the thing about intimate weddings: there's nowhere to hide the real stuff, and that's the whole point. There's a photo from the reception of three little boys in khakis doing something chaotic in the grass while the grown-ups talk and laugh behind them. There's one of the tiniest toddler girl in a floral romper, bow in her hair, running straight at the camera with the kind of confidence only a one-year-old can pull off. There's a candid of Nate laughing — really laughing — with someone's dad, the kind of moment that happens ten minutes after the ceremony when everyone finally exhales.

That's what a COVID wedding looks like when you do it right. Smaller, quieter, and somehow more alive.

One of my favorite decisions Nate and Caitlan made was splitting their time — keeping the wedding day for the ceremony and celebration, and saving the portraits for the following day. They showed up relaxed. No timeline pressure. No bridal party logistics. Just the two of them (and their daughter, who was very much along for the adventure) in casual clothes, in a beautiful green spot with dappled light filtering through the trees.

This is where the golden stuff happens.

Caitlan laying back in Nate's lap on a fallen log, just laughing. The two of them walking hand-in-hand through the wildflowers, not quite looking at the camera, not quite caring. Their little girl in her red floral dress, belly out, bow barely hanging on, completely stealing every single frame she walked into.

These are the photos they'll still have on their walls in 30 years. Not because they're posed perfectly, but because they're true.

If you're planning a wedding and feeling overwhelmed about fitting portraits into an already-packed day — this is your sign to consider doing what Nate and Caitlan did. A separate session the day before or after gives you time to breathe, change into something more you, and actually enjoy being photographed. Some of my favorite work has come out of these sessions, and this one is no exception.

Nate and Caitlan — thank you for letting me be part of a day that was so completely, unapologetically yourselves. The world was a mess that year, but your little family was anything but.