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a couple holding each other, the bride with her bouquet wearing white furs

Real Weddings, Wedding Venues, Weddings

Winter Destination Wedding at Mountain Springs Lodge | Pacifica + Evan

Winter Destination Wedding at Mountain Springs Lodge

From the moment I met with Pacifica, I knew this destination wedding would be absolute perfection. This winter wedding at Mountain Springs Lodge had it all - drama, glamour, and sweet, intimate moments. Pacifica was inspired by the snowy landscape, the towering mountains, and creating a refined and elegant experience for her intimate wedding. Of course, we leaned into all of the luxurious details to ensure that this romantic destination wedding would be unforgettable.

A couple embracing at sunset on their wedding day, in the snow, holding bouquet

Mountain Springs Lodge

Mountain Springs Lodge sits in a valley just outside of Leavenworth, WA in the Cascades. We love the way the landscape transforms across the seasons. In winter, the lodge receives a generous blanket of snow, allowing them to offer sleigh rides, cross-country skiing, and more. (You'll see why this detail matters later!) Naturally, it was a wonderful choice of venue for a destination wedding!

A white bouquet with evergreens and pops of blue flowers, sitting in the snow

Romantic Winter Wedding Ceremony

To begin, Pacifica and Evan chose to hold their ceremony outside to embrace the incredible views of the mountains. The wedding ceremony took place just outside of Mountain Springs Lodge, next to their large fountain. We installed a lush floral wedding arch for the ceremony, complete with blooms and evergreen foliage. In addition, we lined the aisles with evergreen garland, all framing the view of the mountains perfectly. Amazingly, the lovely couple even got sunshine while reading their vows - perfection!

Wedding floral arch at Mountain Springs Lodge

The couple saying their vows in front of wedding floral arch

The couple standing at their wedding ceremony with mountains in the background

Of course, one of my favorite parts of this winter wedding was the handfasting ceremony. This ancient tradition is where “tying the knot” comes from! In this instance, we used luxurious hand-dyed silk ribbons from Silk & Willow for this handfasting ceremony. Pacifica and I were both obsessed with the one-of-a-kind blue botanical print ribbon, made with flower petals. You can see this stunning design in the second and third photos, as well as in her bridal bouquet.

The beginning of the handfasting ceremony with hand-dyed silk ribbon

The botanical print hand-dyed silk ribbon being used in handfasting ceremony

Final handfasting ribbon for wedding ceremony

The couple literally ties the knot with silk ribbon from their handfasting ceremony

After the ceremony, Pacifica and Evan had the perfect "just-married" smiles! Obviously, we love seeing how happy couples look right after their ceremony! Pacifica and Evan also made a particularly glamorous exit on a horse-drawn sleigh. Mountain Springs Lodge offers sleigh rides in the winter, which these two took full advantage of. I don't think we've ever seen a wedding exit quite so glamorous!

The couple have their first kiss as a married couple

The couple, just married, walking down the aisle smiling

The couple exiting their wedding ceremony towards a horse-drawn sleigh at Mountain Springs Lodge

The happy couple waving from their sleigh ride

A stunning image of the happy couple's horse-drawn sleigh in the snow, with mountains in the background

Elegant Winter Wedding Reception

Mountain Springs Lodge has a stunning rustic wood interior, which we transformed into an elegant, romantic experience for their guests through floral and event design. With event design, we help couples think through all of the aesthetics of their events. We source linens, place settings, and other rentals to create a cohesive design like this. Of course, for this wedding, no detail went unnoticed! From luxe velvet table linens to gorgeous wedding centerpieces, we ensured that Pacifica and Evan’s destination wedding would have an elegant and refined look throughout.

Wedding reception tables at Mountain Springs Lodge

Sweetheart Table settings at Mountain Springs Lodge

The sweetheart table and mantle floral installation

A close-up image of the plating for wedding guest tables

The hand-lettered menus on top of velvet green napkins

The cake table with stunning sugar flowers

Wedding reception setup with focal point of the fireplace and mantle for speeches

Destination Wedding Design Details

Pacifica and Evan asked us to do both floral and event design for this destination wedding, which we loved! For this winter wedding, Pacifica knew she wanted to incorporate evergreens and anemones in her designs, with a pop of blue. We used white flowers like anenomes, ranunculus, roses, and stock for all of our florals. Additionally, we incorporated touches of silver brunia, touches of blue delphinium, and lots of Pacific Northwest evergreens. And for her bouquet, we used the same stunning hand-dyed botanical silk ribbon that was used in the handfasting ceremony. Personally, I am obsessed with her hairpiece - I would wear this every day if I could! We also have to note here that both Pacifica and Evan have amazing hair and style!!

A bride with red hair and gorgeous flowers in her hair

The couple embracing in the snow, holding the bouquet

Evan with a boutonniere, smiling in the snow

The couple standing at their wedding ceremony

The couple holding hands in the snow, in a black and white image

In addition, we designed all the details of the wedding reception to create elegant, romantic tablescapes. We used navy velvet linens and gauzy white table runners as a base for these lush floral arrangements. Then, we also added romantic taper candles on antique silver bases. Along with candles, we used several rentals from CORT Party Rentals for the place settings, including silver beaded chargers, silver-rimmed glasses, and chic silverware. Lastly, we added green velvet napkins, floral touches, and the gorgeous menus and customized name cards to every plate. We love the way the overall look came together!

Sweetheart table details like candles, menus, and wax seals for this romantic wedding reception

Destination Wedding Tips

First, if you are planning a destination wedding, make sure you visit your venue before booking! You will want to be able to envision your wedding day. Plus, it’s a great excuse for a long weekend away.

Of course, destination weddings are also more logistically challenging for your vendors. Make sure you choose vendors who love to travel, and are willing to do so. It’s also a great idea to have a wedding planner who can help with all the moving pieces.

Lastly, we highly recommend that you stay at your destination for several days before the wedding! You don’t want to worry about jet lag, travel times, or other logistics right before your wedding day. Instead, arrive early enough to enjoy your destination for a few days and unwind before the big day.

Ready to talk about your destination wedding? We’d love to chat! You can check your date with us below.

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A couple standing in the snow, with the night sky above them

Vendor Team

Thank you to this incredible team of wedding vendors!

Floral & Event Design: Bloom Poet | @bloompoet_

Venue & Catering: Mountain Springs Lodge | @mountainspringslodge
Photographer: Jamie Buckley | @jamiebuckletphotography

(Check out Jamie's blog post about this wedding here!)
Hair & MUA: Chelan Glam | @chelanglam

Cake: Honey Crumb | @honeycrumbcakes⁣⁣

Rentals: CORT Party Rental | @cortpartyrental⁣⁣

Linens: BBJ La Tavola | @bbjlatavola

Silks: Silk & Willow | @silkandwillow

Ready to talk about your wedding vision? You can check your date with us by clicking the button below.

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Real Weddings, Weddings

Willows Lodge Wedding with Fall Colors | Cassie + Ali

Willows Lodge Wedding with Romantic Fall Vibes

If you have followed along with us for a while, you know we absolutely LOVE to design with seasonal flowers that embrace a particular time and place. So when I first spoke with Cassie about her plans for her Willows Lodge wedding, I knew it was going to be such a gorgeous wedding day!

Cassie and Ali are Seattleites who absolutely love to travel. In 2020, they had booked a trip to Jamaica for the end of the year – and decided to turn that into a honeymoon. I absolutely loved their spontaneity and sense of humor about “getting married on a deadline.” (Especially because my husband and I did something very similar to join the Peace Corps together!) So right from the start, I knew these two would be adventurous and ready to try some new ideas.

Wedding Design Inspiration

From the beginning, Cassie and Ali knew they wanted their wedding to be romantic, soft, and intimate. Cassie told me she loves neutral tones with some fall and seasonal influence, which was music to my ears. She also told me that she loved intimate weddings that were not overdone – no glitter, no neon, and no kitsch! In her words, it was all about “quality over quantity,” which is a key focus for us as well. Clearly, we were a great fit from our very first meeting!

a seasonal wequet with roses, heirloom mums, grevillea foliage, and orchidsdding bou

Seasonal Wedding Flowers

We were inspired to look at the best of what is locally available in November, which includes stunning heirloom mums. Our color palette was a mix of fall colors inspired by these mums, like taupes, burnt oranges, and burgundies, paired with classic neutrals. We kept their whole design very understated and elegant to accentuate the warm wood details and muted, wintery garden backdrop of the Willows Lodge gazebo.

We were so honored to bring seasonal beauty to Cassie and Ali for their gorgeous Willows Lodge wedding day! Scroll below to see all the beautiful photos.

a groom awaiting his first look at the Willows Lodge

floral details of the wedding arch at the Willows Lodge

a bride and groom smiling as the bride holds her bridal bouquet

Willows Lodge Garden Gazebo

The ceremony took place in the garden gazebo, which was tented for the winter. There were plenty of heaters that kept all of the guests nice and toasty! The gazebo is surrounded by lush gardens that provide so much beauty throughout the year. We loved bringing such seasonally-inspired blooms to a cozy winter space like this.

the gorgeous wedding ceremony setup at the Willows Lodge gazebo tent, with triange floral arch

November Wedding Flowers

The focal point of this Willows Lodge wedding design was the triangle arch within the Gazebo tent. We loved having the garden in the background, with so many gorgeous fall-inspired wedding flowers in the foreground. Our bride chose a triangle arch to add a little bit of boho flair to this elegant, timeless design.

We enjoyed sourcing local flowers in November, despite the challenges! We used locally grown heirloom mums, roses, and dried elements like lunaria in all of these wedding florals. We also sourced some beautiful white snapdragons, grevillea foliage, and eucalyptus from our friends in California. As a luxurious finishing touch, we added burgundy orchids to all of these designs. We love the final transformation!

wedding arch flowers at the Willows Lodge in the garden gazebo

the bride and groom embracing in front of the floral arch for their first look

the bride and froom standing and smiling in front of a garden fountain at the Willows Lodge

No Reception? No Problem!

We encountered a few challenges during this wedding. Most importantly, we had planned for a full reception with centerpieces on round tables. But the week before the wedding, all of the COVID rules changed! Couples were no longer allowed to have any receptions, so we scrapped that plan altogether. However, I love that Cassie and Ali took the opportunity to be photographed with some of the local residents of the gardens at the Willows Lodge. Talk about a one-of-a-kind wedding photo!

a groom with the resident pot-bellied pig

the couple holding hands in front of their ceremony florals in the tented gazebo

the couples first kiss at the garden gazebo tent, in front of their ceremony arch

Fall Foliage at the Willows Lodge

We also have to mention how stunning the fall foliage looked in Woodinville in November. The Willows Lodge has so many beautiful plants and trees on the grounds, and these images took my breath away. It’s no wonder that fall weddings remain so popular!

the bride and groom standing in front of their floral arch, with the bride holding her bouquet

We had so much fun creating this intimate, romantic, fall-inspired wedding at the Willows Lodge! The space was perfect for the wedding that Cassie and Ali had imagined, and we loved flowering it. The Willows Lodge wedding and catering staff were also super helpful, easy to work with, and resourceful during all of the challenges of 2020. We can’t wait to work there again!

Vendor Team

Floral Design: Bloom Poet

Venue: Willows Lodge

Photographer: Luna + Lion

Ready to chat about your wedding flowers? You can click the button below to check your date and tell us all about your plans!

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