Vendor Team
Planner: @prologue_events
Photographer: @thecardinals.co
Venue: @naturebridge
Photobooth: @pacificshutterbug
Staffing: @premierstaffingseattle
Bar: @barventures.co
Dj: @lollinhard
Rentals: Kitsap event rentals
Cake: @middlenamebaking.co
Hair: @hairandmakeupbyjocelyndechenne
Makeup: @lizkellerman.mua
Phone: @vintagevoicemails
All photos by @thecardinals.co
NatureBridge is one of my favorite venues in the PNW area because your event directly supports youth science programs that connect kids with the outdoors. Your wedding quite literally gives back. Add the summer camp vibe, waterfront cabins, and a property filled with moss and towering trees and it becomes an unforgettable place to gather your people.
NatureBridge is designed for a full weekend together. Guests stay in the cabins and bunkhouses on site which turns the wedding into an experience rather than a single event. The venue handles all the food for the weekend from breakfast to sack lunches to a canoeing activity that is included in their three day package. Couples love it because they get to immerse their guests in the Pacific Northwest and slow down with their friends and family before the wedding day even begins.
This wedding took place in June which is always a little unpredictable in the Olympics. It ended up being a liquid sunshine kind of day. Blue skies and raindrops at the same time. The ceremony setup was an adventure. The venue provided cloth chairs so every time the rain came in I had to break the chairs down and pull the tarp over everything. Then the sun would appear so I would set them all back up. I think we rotated through that process at least three times. If you are getting married here during a rainy forecast, bring extra large tarps. Eventually the sun won the battle and the ceremony took place with glowing light between the trees.
McKenna comes from a family of collectors and her creativity was all over this wedding. The couple crafted hand pressed leather name tags that wrapped around the napkin rings. They used vintage World Book Encyclopedia volumes as table numbers. Vintage teacups with moss as centerpieces. Each table had National Park trivia cards. One of the most sentimental touches was the collection of vintage gas lanterns from her grandfather. They were fully functional and we had about forty of them spread throughout the spaces.
The groom wore a bolo tie that paired beautifully with his boutonniere. The bride rocked cowboy boots that were perfect for the terrain.
The Westfalia van named Ruth made an appearance as well which is where Jeff and McKenna signed their marriage certificate. Love the Rainier beer cans trailing behind!
The pedestal cake stand added a level of excitement!
I can still visualize her dress flaring out when he spined her on their first dance!
In true PNW fashion the fog rolled in during golden hour creating a soft romantic haze over the lake.
Guests enjoyed dinner under the tent and then made their way to the lower shelter near the water where we set up a whiskey tavern with a variety of bottles for guests to sip.
Jeff and McKenna’s wedding was heartfelt, nostalgic, playful, and filled with thoughtful details that celebrated who they are. It was a beautiful weekend in one of the most stunning corners of Washington and I am grateful I was a part of it.
