Kiana Lodge Wedding
I don't even know where to begin with this Kiana Lodge wedding, because it had everything we love! Molly and Daniel are an incredibly sweet couple, their families were amazing, and Kiana Lodge is a gorgeous venue. As avid mushroomers, they knew they wanted some forest-inspired, mushroomy, and colorful spring wedding florals. Add in classic Jewish wedding traditions with some modern twists, and you have this fun, fabulous, memorable wedding! We absolutely loved being a part of this totally one-of-a-kind wedding, and were so honored to help Molly & Daniel make their wedding day feel totally true to them.
Kiana Lodge
Kiana Lodge lies about an hour northwest of Seattle on the peninsula, and requires a ferry ride across Bainbridge Island to reach. It always feels magical to hop on the ferry and traverse back roads to arrive at this stunning retreat! (We also love that it's native-owned and operated, and that Twin Peaks was partially filmed there!) Kiana Lodge definitely feels like one of those venues that has it all. On its grounds you can find lush forest trails, a wide manicured lawn, waterfront views, and quintessential PNW log cabin vibes. We loved seeing how the varied landscapes provided the perfect backdrops for photos of Molly and Daniel. Of course, this spring wedding had its fair share of raindrops, but Kiana Lodge has plenty of gorgeous indoor space when needed.
Whimsical Wedding Flowers
From the beginning, Molly and Daniel always knew they wanted their wedding to look truly unique. With so many family members coming from out of town, they wanted to embrace a PNW-inspired look. They are also avid mushroom hunters, and love to forage mushrooms locally in forests. Of course, we knew we had to incorporate mushrooms into their wedding florals! We tested a LOT of options to make sure we could create these unique mushroom pieces that would look gorgeous all day. Ultimately, we went with a bright, whimsical palette that included unique elements like moss, spider roots, and a wide variety of mushrooms. We had so much fun dreaming up and designing their flowers!
Here is what Molly and Daniel had to say about working together:
"We wanted to create unique/natural/seasonal floral arrangements that would make our wedding beautiful and showcase who we are as a couple! Working together throughout the planning process was amazing. You fully embraced our mushroom/foresty vision, guiding us throughout the process, allowing us to be creative and dream big, and came up with incredible ideas. It was such a pleasure getting to work with you. The arrangements you created were unlike anything we've ever seen. They were beautiful, completely unique, and really captured who we are. We got so many compliments on your work - it was breathtaking. You made our day so special."
Classic Jewish Wedding Traditions, with Modern Twists
Naturally, we love celebrating all of our diverse couples and their varied wedding traditions. Molly and Daniel embraced classic Jewish wedding traditions in this Kiana Lodge wedding, while also adding their own modern twists. Per Jewish tradition, both the bride and groom were escorted by their parents. But instead of flower girls, they had some adult family members throw bright orange flower petals down the aisle! We loved how they honored tradition while still bringing their unique sense of playfulness to their ceremony.
They also chose to do a traditional Jewish chuppah for their wedding ceremony. Initially, we had talked about doing mushroom "forests" as floral installations in front of the chuppah. Instead, they settled on doing a "human-powered" chuppah, which was truly lovely. As an alternative to a traditional wedding party, Molly and Daniel chose to adorn their closest friends and family with wearable flowers, too. It was so fun to see new and old traditions combined!
Kiana Lodge Wedding Reception
After the ceremony, Molly and Daniel held a grand reception in the largest indoor space of Kiana Lodge. We love the hanging ferns and star chandelier that grace the ceiling! But we also enjoyed their custom neon sign and the way our bright florals popped against the wood paneling. Of course, we loved making every centerpiece a different mix of flowers, ferns, and mushrooms. Additionally, we placed bud vases and other mushroom vignettes on welcome tables, the bar, and the cake table. We love the way this reception came together!
Dancing the Hora
We loved seeing photos of the traditional hora that awaited Molly and Daniel at their reception! These photos were too good not to share. You can also get a better look at the interior of Kiana Lodge, with its twinkling lights and potted ferns. And we couldn't help but be pleased that Daniel's pocket square looked amazing, even with so much dancing. We love everything about this celebration!
Kiana Lodge Wedding Design Details
We loved crafting this floral palette in a whimsical mix of mushrooms, pods and textures, moss, flowers, and ferns. We used the best of the flowers seasonally available in June, including peonies, poppies, ranunculus, roses, foxglove, and geum. In addition, we used everything forest-inspired that we could get our hands on! This included interesting ingredients like ferns, poppy pods, scabiosa pods, alchemilla, and more obscure botanicals like allium sicilum and cobra lilies. You can also see all of these magical botanicals in Molly's bouquet, below, and Daniel's pocket square. Believe it or not, the cobra lilies - the ones that are veiny pitcher plants you might find in the forest - were an impulse buy! Growers in California and Oregon have mastered growing these in greenhouses. When I saw them, I knew they were the perfect addition!
Kiana Lodge Wedding Tips
Kiana Lodge is a fabulous place to get married any time of year, since it has both indoor and outdoor spaces. As a popular wedding and event venue year-round, it's important to book early! That way, you will have plenty of time to explore all the possibilities the property offers. They only allow in-house catering, so keep that in mind if you have your heart set on a specific catering company.
Since Kiana Lodge is a hike from Seattle, you and your guests can stay nearby at the Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort, which the Suquamish Tribe also owns. The resort is very close to Kiana Lodge, and a shuttle runs between them, so you and your guests won't need to worry about driving. Naturally, you should also find vendors who are willing to make the trek to Kiana, and be ready to pay some travel fees. The ferry ride means earlier starts and later finishes for your vendors, especially if they have to break anything down at the end of your wedding. Your florist and planner will definitely want a hotel room instead of trying to catch the last ferry at 1:30 in the morning!
Lastly, we can't say enough nice things about the team at Kiana. They have all been so lovely and easy to work with!
Are you thinking about getting married at Kiana Lodge? Ready to talk about your wedding? We’d love to chat! You can check your date with us below.
Vendor Team
Thank you to this incredible team of wedding vendors!
Floral & Event Design: Bloom Poet | @bloompoet_
Venue & Catering: Kiana Lodge | @kianalodge
Photographer: Mary Kalhor | @marykalhorweddings