Brandis & Grant

August 24, 2013

 

Photography: Ryan Duclos
By: Dakota Mackey

 

 

 Like something out of a movie, Brandis walked right into Grant’s life, turning up on his doorstep. She had just moved from Minneapolis to Seattle when a friend of hers encouraged her to visit Bellingham. She visited her friend, who was renting a room in a house Grant owned. “I knocked on the door, Grant answered and the rest, as they say, is history!”

  During their courtship, they decided to take a trip to Belize where they sought SCUBA certification. On their last dive, they were at a 15-foot safety stop when Grant motioned for the diving instructor’s sketch pad. Brandis thought Grant was going to ask about the shark they had just swum with and Grant had held.

 

   “I didn’t know why he couldn’t wait 3 minutes until we got to the top to ask.” While Brandis was panicking about the shark that was circling nearby, Grant was busy writing. Just before Brandis took off for the surface, she saw that Grant had written “Will you marry me?” on the sketchpad. “I was so excited, that I started to nod my head yes, resulting in water gushing into my regulator and goggles.” After situating her equipment, Brandis replied “Yes” on the sketchpad.

  “Our wedding was a Bay-to-Baker wedding,” Brandis said. Grant is a professional ski photographer on Mount Baker, so Baker is a second home to him in the winter.

  It had also become a special place for both of them, and they wanted to share it with their friends and family. The wedding was held on Mount Baker.

 

 

  The weather didn’t cooperate for them to hold it outside, so they held it in the upper lodge. “We felt it was the perfect place to share with our friends and family and begin our life together as husband and wife.” Brandis’ friend Doug Little, whom she had met climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, officiated. They celebrated with 50 family and friends. Water is also important to them, which is what drew them to Belize, so they held the reception and party at the Bellingham Ferry Cruise Terminal in Historic Fairhaven.

  Brandis wore a chiffon sheath with a beautiful open back design and ruffled shoulder straps. The guests dined on lasagna, salad and appetizers from Milano’s in Glacier. They danced to “The Shape of Us.” They currently make their home in Bellingham.