Madison + Shawna’s Wanderlove Story

Her Full Name: Madison Schreyer
Her Birthplace: Redmond, Washington
Her Full Name: Shawna Wright
Her Birthplace: Lancaster, California 

Madison and Shawna opted for an intimate forest elopement on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. They chose a medieval handfasting ceremony and wrote their own vows to exchange in the Hoh Rainforest of Olympic National Park. 

Describe the very first time you met: The very first time we met, I walked into a party in Seattle and saw Shawna in a black leather jacket with a casual white tee and jeans. She was roaming around our friend’s living room holding a drink and she came up to me in the kitchen and commented on how tall I was. We went out to the bars and hung out all night. I got her number at the end of the night and we hung out a week later (she’ll tell you I was playing hard to get haha).

Can you identify specific decisions or life events that brought you together? Shawna came to Seattle from California to play softball at the University of Washington in 2009 and graduated in 2013. I originally left Washington to play softball at Stanford University, but came back home and transferred to UW in 2015. We met in January of 2016 when she came out to a party with some of her friends that were also my teammates. The funny thing is, I almost didn’t go to the party that night because I was dealing with some personal issues. She happened to come out that night too. We’re both strong believers that everything happens for a reason.

What were your first impressions of each other and what initially attracted you? Shawna loved how tall I was and the 80’s-vibe shirt I was wearing. I loved her simplicity and boldness. I have a weakness for her in a leather jacket.

As you saw more of each other, what really made you fall in love? How easy it was to talk to each other, our mutual love for adventure and companionship and morning cuddles.

Did your love face any big challenges? Any differences you had to work through? Our love hasn’t faced too many big challenges. We have our bickers here and there and we always work through it. We’re both great communicators and our love for each other takes over. Sometimes we may get upset or mad at the other, but our love will always win.

Where do you live now? We live in Tacoma, Washington

What brought you from where you met to where you live now? Shawna had been working in Tacoma for 4 years, while living in Seattle and the commute was getting to be crazy. When I graduated, we moved down to Tacoma and now we live 5 minutes from work. I ended up getting a job at the same company, so it worked out and now we don’t have to commute so far!

How do the places you have been together help define or shape your relationship? I feel like our journey of moving apartments and houses in Seattle and then to Tacoma are pages in our story. Every move and every trip we take together and every coffee shop we visit is another sentence or paragraph in our love story. We move and we grow together. We take strides individually and as a partnership. I learn so much from her every single day and I can’t wait to continue learning and growing beside her and with her.

Are there any locations that are special to you as a couple? We love spending afternoons together at Pike Place Market and Chambers Bay on the water. We traveled to London last year and had an amazing time roaming around there. Anywhere we go together is my favorite place because I’m with her. It’s always an adventure.

Do you see your location changing in the future? Why or why not? Possibly. Maybe down to Los Angeles through work. We’ll see. I’m happy as long as I’m with her.

Who proposed and how? When? I proposed on New Years Eve morning last year (Dec 31, 2017). It was really cute actually because we were staying the weekend at a snowy cabin out in Cle Elum, WA with my family and she wanted to go take photos out by some trees down the road where we were staying. She set up her Go Pro and couldn’t figure out how to set the timer for photos so she started filming a video to cut and capture clips. We started holding some candid poses in hopes of getting a few photos out of it, and then I asked her if I could read her a poem I wrote. I read her the poem, facing her, and the last line of the poem stated that I had a box in my pocket. I pulled out an engraved wooden ring box, got down on a knee, and popped the question. She didn’t even know she had planned her whole engagement! It worked out perfectly.

In your own words, describe your style as a couple: Our style is laid-back, organic, adventurous, supporting, loving, hippy, calm and soothing, natural, easy-going, simple, wonderful and extraordinary.

What interests or passions do you share? We love traveling. We have a long list of places we want to go together, especially out of the country but also around the states. We love spending time together and with our loved ones. We both coach softball. We are obsessed with our two dogs, Luke and Cedar. We both love skiing, camping, hiking, and road tripping. Pretty much anything outdoors. We love the sun and warm weather. We like to try new restaurants and enjoy a lot of food together.

Anything else I should know about you two? We have so much love for each other. It’s the most incredible feeling every single day.

Cake: Sift and Gather
Elopement Announcements: East Avenue Press
Dresses: @reclaimationdesigncompany
Videography: Without End Films

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Melody is a full-time nomad who calls an RV home while roaming all over the western US and beyond for couple’s adventure photography in the wilds of nature. Her style is cinematic, romantic and richly colored and she believes that the beauty and chaos of nature, with its twisting paths, coarse landscapes and breath-taking wonder is a poignant analogy for relationships. The Pacific Northwest will always hold a special place in her heart but, life is short and the world is wide so check out the travel schedule to follow along with her adventures.

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