WEDDING BLOG

Victoria and Drew’s early summer wedding on Washington’s stunning Orcas Island, captured by talented Seattle-based photographer Jenny J, was a true Pacific Northwest celebration. Relaxed, rustic and outdoorsy, I am charmed by the country-feel of this sweet Real Wedding!

The Goals: For Victoria and Drew, the most important aspects of their wedding day were the location and the music. They wanted their big day to have a woodsy, vintage feel to it, so they chose the old-fashioned, quaint Victorian Valley Chapel for their ceremony, where every wedding is still lit by candlelight. The reception was held at Odd Fellows Hall, a historic dance hall with tall ceilings, an outdoor deck and a waterfront view of the Sound. It’s a location that is quintessentially Northwest in its design and style.

The Design: The emotional wedding ceremony was “short and sweet”, presided over by a Buddhist officiant who recited both a Celtic psalm and a poem written by William Blake.

Victoria chose a wedding color palette of gray, green and ivory, with a few bright pops of purple in the flower arrangements. Keeping with the rustic country feel of the wedding, flowers and centerpieces were kept casual and organic, in vintage wooden boxes. Guest’s place cards were made from distressed paper tags, tied with green ribbon, and table numbers were made from vintage playing cards. As evening set in, hanging lanterns and string lights lit up the room, along with twinkling tea-lights in mason jars. 

Their raspberry-filled wedding cake was decorated with sprigs of ferns and pine needles and topped with a ceramic wedding topper found on Etsy. An image of a bride and groom with owl and antelope heads–the perfect choice for this couple’s woodsy Pacific Northwest theme!

The Style: Victoria’s bridal style was soft and feminine with bohemian-inspired touches. Above all, she wanted her look to blend with the beautiful natural elements on the island. Clad in a romantic and floaty Vera Wang dress, Victoria accented her look with a hair wreath by Patina Floral. Bridesmaids wore gray above-the-knee dresses from Nordstrom Bridal Boutique, accessorized with old-fashioned pearl necklaces to give their look a more vintage feel. The groom and his groomsmen were casual but stylish in their J.Crew suits.

The Moments: Victoria and Drew entered their reception to “Sweet Child of Mine” by Guns and Roses, a unique way to kick-start the party portion of the evening! They followed it up with a romantic first dance to “Harvest Moon” by Neil Young. Toasts from their wedding party throughout the night were “more emotional than we expected them to be…it was hard not to cry!”, says Victoria.

The couple spent the rest of the night dancing to great music and playing in the photo booth set up by Jenny J. It was filled with wacky props like mustaches, glasses and more–a big hit that everyone loved!

The Pros: To learn about all of the incredible wedding professionals who helped to make this wedding a reality, please visit our Real Weddings section.   

Thank you so much for sharing your charming Pacific Northwest wedding with us Victoria and Drew!

If you’re planning a wedding in Southern California or Seattle, don’t miss our trusted Plan Your Wedding Hotlist, and to find your dream wedding photographer for weddings anywhere in the world, be sure to visit our World’s Best Wedding Photographers Hotlist!