A century-old family estate on the water in Gig Harbor set the tone for Courtney and Alden’s August celebration. It was a place steeped in memories for the bride’s family and, over time, for the groom as well. Guests arrived to a yard shaped by its years, with tall evergreens, a long stretch of lawn and the shimmer of the harbor framing the day from start to finish.
True to their tradition of creating joy, Courtney’s family had spent the day before gathering buckets of bright blooms from local farms—crafting every arrangement by hand. Their work shaped the ceremony garden with loose, sunlit florals that felt lifted straight from the property. The bride and groom exchanged vows in the lower garden, surrounded by all the people who had watched their relationship grow from a study-abroad spark in Australia to a life built together in San Diego.
After the “I do’s,” guests wandered toward cocktail hour, where an oyster bar served as a meaningful tribute to the groom’s late cousin. Dinner unfolded beneath a sailcloth tent, where excellent food (a nod to Alden’s family’s deep-rooted Iraqi cooking traditions) kicked off the evening festivities. Yard games, beach lounging and long conversations filled the early golden hours, giving way to a packed dance floor as soon as the first beat dropped.
The couple’s advice to others: “Doing a first look gave us the chance to enjoy our whole cocktail hour and spend time with each guest. The day goes by fast, so dwell in every moment!”
