Snoqualmie Elopement
Gabriel, Michael, and 20 of their family members all flew into Washington for their elopement. They wanted to prioritize a convenient location for their guests, as well as get married somewhere beautiful in the mountains. Just an hour from Seattle, Snoqualmie was the perfect place.
They chose to do their first look at Rattlesnake Lake — a place known for great views. Gabriel had her hopes set on climbing a stump in the water. After navigating around the lake, we picked out a stump we’d seen others climb up, but we were unsure of how deep the water really was, how easy it would be to climb, and more importantly, how easy it would be to get back down from.
To calm nerves, we asked a few lake goers which way they’d recommend tackling the stump and got insight on the shallowest route to the stump. Gabriel bravely lifted her dress and walked arm-in-arm with Michael to the stump. Michael gave her a boost, and she cheered when she made it atop. She said that she would have regretted not trying, and they were both thrilled to make it back to shore completely dry from the knees up.
From there, we went on to Gold Creek Pond, where their families were waiting. They had a ceremony at the lakeshore. The surrounding mountains had a dreamlike haze, and the lake was a gorgeous deep blue. By the time their ceremony was wrapped up, everyone was in tears.
Afterward, Gabriel and Michael sent their families on to the reception at a restaurant in North Bend, and the three of us wandered around the lake for a few more photos. We took this as a chance to grab some maternity photos as well — they had plans to surprise everyone with this news at the reception!
Overall, it was such a beautiful, fun day. Congratulations again, Michael and Gabriel!
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