Forest Elopement at Snoqualmie Falls: Samantha + Calen

Snoqualmie Falls elopement

If you’re imaging a wedding day that’s truly all about the two of you: where you want it to be, how you want it to be, and totally reflective of your relationship, you’ll definitely want to save today’s wedding for inspiration. Samantha + Calen knew from the start that they wanted their day to be 100% unique to them, and that meant they couldn’t worry about what people said about their ideas or be swayed by a pretty idea they saw on Pinterest. They scouted out a small piece of forest to exchange their vows in front of a handful of family + friends, and hiked down to take some incredible (like, REALLY incredible!) photos in front of Snoqualmie Falls with their awesome photog, Benj Haisch. Since we know sometimes sticking to your guns can be easier said then done, Samantha shares some planning insight with us that you juuust might find helpful:

Every little girl grows up dreaming of their fairytale wedding, and my fairytale was to run off somewhere extravagant and be with the man I love. When Calen and I first discussed marriage we knew that we had one thing in common: we wanted our wedding day to be completely centered around our love. The night we made decisions about what our wedding would look like, we shared a bottle of wine, turned on our song, closed our eyes and pictured exactly what we wanted. We wanted our wedding to reflect the essence of our love: simple, pure, and beautiful, and it did. The way we did our wedding was one of the best decisions we have ever made, and we are so glad we chose to do it the way we did.

Washington Forest Elopement

forest first look

Washington Forest Elopement

Washington Forest Elopement

Washington Forest Elopement

Washington Forest Elopement

Washington Forest Elopement

Washington Forest Elopement

Such sweetness captured + in the shot below, but we’re also eyeing the beautiful detailing in Sam’s Mori Lee dress from The Wedding Bell. So pretty!

Washington Forest Elopement

Washington Forest Elopement

Washington Forest Elopement

Washington Forest Elopement

Washington Forest Elopement

We love that Calen’s grandfather officiated the ceremony…

Washington Forest Elopement

Snoqualmie Falls elopement

Mori Lee wedding dress

Our Favorite Memory From The Wedding

Our entire wedding day was absolute perfection to us, and it's hard to choose a favorite moment. If we had to, it would be our post ceremony hike to the waterfall. We were so excited to finally be married and celebrated by giving into our adventurous spirits. The best part of this hike was standing on top of the rock right under the waterfall. On the rock we got drenched by the water coming from the falls, and from the rain pouring down on us from the thunderstorm that broke out. We enjoyed our first moments of marriage with rain beating down on us. We laughed and had so much fun and joy in our hearts knowing we were now joined together as one. The beautiful setting of the waterfall, forest, and rain all around us just added to our happiness in that moment.

Snoqualmie Falls elopement

Snoqualmie Falls elopement

Snoqualmie Falls elopement

Snoqualmie Falls elopement

Wow. Just wow…

waterfall elopement

Snoqualmie Falls elopement

See even more in the gorgeous film by Janssen Powers:

Our Advice To Those Planning Now

If I could give any advice for those planning an elopement now I would say, if you want to, DO IT! Have your wedding be exactly how YOU want it to be. Our society today is predisposed to the idea of having their wedding be like everyone else’s: expensive, big, and catering mostly to other people with the food, music, flowers, etc. This is you and your fiancés day to have everything be exactly what you want. If you want to do an elopement, go for it! If you want to have it just be the two of you, then do just that. If you want a few family members or friends to be there to witness it, then have them be there. No elopement needs to be exactly the same so make yours special to you. It’s a lot more memorable to have your wedding be what you have dreamed of, trust me!

photography: Benj Haisch // florals: Self-made bouquet of 2-dozen white roses // wedding dress: Mori Lee dress from The Wedding Bell // bride's shoes: White sandals from Target // hair stylist: Salon Maison // makeup artist: Arianne Kraker -- [email protected] // groom attire: Brooks Brothers // videography: Janssen Powers // location: Snoqualmie Falls

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