Dark, moody, and oh-so-romantic: Katherine and Matthew’s wedding at Alderbrook Spa & Resort was what PNW dreams are made of! Using a mix of their own artistic skills and the styling expertise of Simply Wed, the couple brought the elegance with a black, white, gold, and green color palette and added a modern flair with handmade arches, terrariums, signage, and photo booth props table. Even their wedding day attire had a moody and modern edge with Katherine rocking an intricate, long-sleeved lace Martina Liana gown and bold makeup and Matthew donning a black-on-black layered look with a thick scarf and custom metal necktie from Angelflie Design. Every moment of this wedding was unique and visually stunning, and photographers Nick + Danée didn’t miss a beat in capturing it all.

The Couple:

Katherine and Matthew

The Wedding:

Alderbrook Spa & Resort, Union, Washington

The moments leading up to the ceremony were very memorable because, once we saw each other, the rest of the day was a swirl of emotions and events. For Matthew, standing with our officiant and watching everyone file in before I came into view was his favorite part of the day. For myself, waiting with my father to walk down the aisle and hearing our guests right around the corner. There was so much anxiety and excitement in those moments that it sticks out.

We worked within a few parameters since most of our guests were flying in from out of state. It needed to be in our desired location of a wooded/forest area, be a reasonable distance from a major airport, and have convenient lodging for all ages. Our venue was actually the first one we visited and we instantly could imagine our friends and family there.

We didn’t have any specific inspiration besides our own darker aesthetics and comfort. From the beginning, I was set on having my dress have a high neck and long sleeves. I love intricate details and Matthew prefers minimalism, so I wanted my dress to reflect both of us. The ability to combine our preferences is the favorite thing about my dress, which was actually 2 pieces. Our party wore dark greys and the bridesmaids have some liberty about the style of dress to choose from.

Most of our wedding felt very DIY! We put together table number terrariums, table decor for the reception foyer, arch, all photobooth props, and menu board. We spent many weeks leading up to the wedding putting everything together. Matthew made our wedding arch, finalizing it on site with the help of groomsmen and bridesmaids’ significant others. We also had a photobooth with handmade paper masks of woodland animals such as a fox, cat, bear, and owl.

Processional – “Wild Child” by Enya
Recessional – “There Will Be Time” by Mumford & Sons, ft. Baaba Maal
First Dance – “Not With Haste” by Mumford & Sons

Our biggest congratulations to Katherine and Matthew, and a special thanks to Junebug member Nick + Danée for sharing this stunning wedding at Alderbrook Spa & Resort with us! Want to see more from this talented photographer duo? Check out this cozy industrial Seattle wedding at Axis Pioneer Square!