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.
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!
We love that Calen’s grandfather officiated the ceremony…
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.
Wow. Just wow…
See even more in the gorgeous film by Janssen Powers:
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
What a stunning setting! The wedding film is absolutely gorgeous!
So pretty! I live in the Seattle area and Snoqualmie Falls is a great place to visit all year round. The photos from their wedding make it look even better! Congrats!
Such Beautiful pictures!
This is so beautiful! My fiance and I were planning a small, intimate courthouse wedding for later this year, but the judge called me last week and is no longer able to marry us. I came across this post and I am completely obsessed with this! This is absolute perfection.
So, this may sound crazy, but if someone could please put me in contact with this bride, I would truly be forever grateful. I have a few questions I’d like to ask her.
Thank you for posting this amazing ceremony!
Hi, I’m eloping in Snoqualmie falls and need to know where exactly the ceremony took place. Could anyone get in contact with the bride? Or does anyone know somewhere similar?
Hello, this is stunning! My fiance and I are looking to get married by snoqualmie falls… Does anyone have any info. About where this was exactly? I am interested in having my wedding here and need to book soon!!!
I would like to start by saying, this is absolutely beautiful!! My Fiance and I are planning an elopement and after looking out of the country we have decided staying in the US will be the best option. I am IN LOVE with your location! I would love to know what the date of your wedding was. It looks so intimate and private I can’t imagine it was on a weekend. We are not from the Washington area so I would love any additional information!! This is definitely the direction we will be taking!!
Did you guys ever find out exactly where this was off the trail at the falls? I’m having a destination wedding there in a couple months. Trying to get everything planned and this spot looks perfect!