Over the past 5 years, I’ve met some incredible people–especially my beautiful girlfriend and partner in crime, Emma–and have had my mind blown on numerous occasions by the beauty of the Rocky Mountains.  I have met so many wonderful brides (one of which further inspired me to look towards Oregon–thank you Joscelyn!), and have worked with so many talented wedding vendors to capture all the beauty, creativity and love that goes into each and every wedding.  My adventures and experiences in Colorado over the past 5 years will truly be cherished.

 

Bend, I’ve had my eye on you for some time now.  Your undeniably welcoming community of close-nit entrepreneurs and people wildly passionate about the outdoors; the level of excitement and pure stoke that your townspeople wholeheartedly share with perfect strangers; the sheer diversity of mountains, rivers, waterfalls and deep, mysterious forests full of wonder and awe;  500inches of powder blanketing Mt.Bachelor this year; your continuous statement of putting outdoor access above all else, of creating a network of mountain bike trails that have branded you the number one town for mountain biking in country; to the ruggedly beautiful 363 miles of publicly accessible coastline only a few hours away; Bend has captured my heart.

 

On the trip we took to Bend this past January, our breaths were taken away by sheer diversity of natural beauty Oregon possesses.  The people of Bend were so eager to share their excitement for this incredible gem of a town,  and couldn’t speak highly enough of the lifestyle that they’ve discovered there.  Over the past decade, I’ve lived  by beautiful Laguna Beach, in the Gaslamp District of downtown San Diego, in Las Vegas,  Boulder,  Denver and Golden, Colorado.  I’ve been refining my search for the ultimate place that best suits my outdoor lifestyle and discovering myself in the process.  After spending a brief 4 days in Bend (and stalking anything and everything about Bend and Oregon online), I simply did not want to leave.  I have never experienced such a concentration of natural beauty on this level, and a town that turns this outdoor wonderland in a daily lifestyle, as I have in Bend, Oregon.

Now disregard everything you’ve just heard.  Bend is a terrible, horrible place, and you’d never, in a million years, want to call it home 😉