Ready to have a Twin Lakes wedding or an epic elopement even if you’re disabled?
Your wedding day can be everything you love. Swimming, mountains, laughter and not letting any limitation hold you back. This is my favorite thing about mountain elopements here in Colorado. You can get married by yourself and go swimming and camping right after!
I meet Mairead and her partner Lashaw through instagram. When I first meet Mairead I felt like “finally someone who understood the complexities of striving to be yourself, full of adventure and not taking no for an answer as you pursue your dreams despite your disabilities.”
Mairead (chroniczebra), like me has a condition called P.O.T.S. I’ve been hesitant to share any details of my chronic illness because I don’t want clients to loose confidence in my ability to work, though my illness greatly affects my daily life. But today as I share my heart behind this stylized swimming chronic illness elopement I know I must share a little.
People with P.O.T.S. have low blood pressure, that is life threatening and hazards, basically we’re prone to passing out. But thanks to self care and management of symptoms many of us can continue on in life, just a little differently.
Mairead is a part time wheel chair user, for days that her P.O.T.S. isn’t manageable with all her standard protocols her and her physicians have worked through she uses a wheel chair to allow her mobility when the alternative would be bed ridden or home bound.
As I’ve gotten to know Mairead through instagram, following along on her account document and sharing her experiences with multiple, rare and complex illnesses, I knew we’d be able to connect instantly. She too has a passion to pursue her dreams (a dance therapist), a love for dance, living life full of adventure despite our bodies waging war daily, and a love to swim.
I’ve wanted to show case to the world along with many other chronically ill people I’ve encountered that just because you battle with illnesses does not mean you life is over. So when I kept seeing Mairead post that she and her boy friend would go swimming around all of the Colorado alpine lakes, I knew we just had to work together.
I threw the idea out to Mairead, to do a stylized “elopement.” And she and her boyfriend, Lashaw said yes. After trying to coordinate a lot of other vendors in the end it was just us and Tera N Tina hair and make up artists.
After a change of plans I grabbed a dress from my closet. I ran to Trader Joe’s before meeting up with Mairead and her boyfriend Lashaw to attempt to make a bouquet (for the first time ever I might add.) We headed to the mountains to Twin Lakes, Colorado for our stylized swimming elopement.
We took some photos in their “wedding clothes.” I had them write letters to each other and put on a ring. Lashaw knocked it out of the park with his letter, almost put this girl in tears it was so beautiful!
We then all changed into swim suits to go jump in the water. We all had so much fun we didn’t want the day to end. Then above the hill someone was starting a fire and had set up camp. We asked to use their fire for photos. I love this idea though of an unconventional wedding day.
You can do all your favorite things to celebrate your wedding day with and intimate wedding or elopement, especially if you’re anything like me and prefer to skip the big crowds at all costs.
I love how joy filled and playful these two are. They never cease to have fun. Especially and inspite of Mairead’s illnesses she radiates an infectious joy with her smiles and easy going spirit that seem to never end. Lawshaw is quite and tender hearted but the joy he experiences around Mairead is clear that these two are a beautiful pair.
I hope this too inspires you friends, chronically ill or not to go out and pursue your life, viewing your limitations as mountains to climb and not a never ending valley of despair.
Thank you to Mairead and Lashaw for being up for the adventure and to the wonderful hair and make up stylists Tera N Tina!
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