Elopements

Gold Creek Pond Elopement With Family in Washington

This Gold Creek Pond elopement in Mt. Baker, Snoqualmie National Forest, WA is the perfect place to plan your micro wedding with your loved ones. Reyna and Froy got ready at Reyna’s parent’s house that her stepdad built himself, and then had their elopement ceremony at Gold Creek Pond.

“We chose Washington as our location because I grew up there. The Pacific Northwest is such a beautiful place, and Fall has always been one of my favorite seasons. My husband Froy is from Puerto Rico, and we wanted his family to be able to experience the Fall beauty of Washington State. Gold Creek Pond is an extremely popular park for good reason. It offers a gorgeous view for a very short and flat walk, which is why we chose this specific park.” [Reyna]

Check out all the details from their wedding day from their first look on the deck of her parent’s house to their picturesque ceremony with their closest family and friends. Are you ready to start planning your micro wedding ceremony? Team up with one of our elopement vendors.

Photography by Emett Joseph – Wedding and Adventure Elopement Photographer & Guide

Details From This Wedding Ceremony at Gold Creek Pond

Reyna’s best friend officiated their ceremony at Gold Creek Pond. They invited their closest family and friends and set up a runner with a couple of chairs. We love how they didn’t include any arch and let their background do all the talking. Washington is one of our favorite places to elope, and it’s so important to consider leaving no trace when you decide to plan a wedding ceremony near national parks and forests.

“Since Gold Creek Pond doesn’t require hiking and is only 3 minutes from the parking lot, it’s an incredibly accessible location – making it very popular on the weekends. Couples should either be aware of this and plan to arrive early so they can secure one of the iconic views of the location, or they should plan their elopement/wedding on a weekday. It’s also only an hour drive from Seattle, Washington’s largest city – making it a very easy location for friends/family to plan visits around.” [Emett, the photographer]

Remember to also double-check with your elopement team to make sure you are adhering to all permits and regulations.

For more places to elope in Washington, check out our Washington elopement packages.

Deciding to Elope Instead of Planning a Formal Wedding

Reyna tells us that eloping fits both of their personalities. They are both laid back and enjoy the simple pleasures in life, instead of all the glitz and glam that come with a formal wedding. The whole idea of planning a formal wedding was very overwhelming for them.

Once they reflected on their values and what they both wanted their wedding day to look like, they decided they wanted something intimate. Unfortunately, 2020 brought some challenging moments into their lives, including the tragic loss of Froy’s father.

“We decided it was crucial that we had a celebration that included our closest family members. It was challenging to think about planning a wedding after we went through such a trying time. We decided to have our wedding in October 2020 as a testament to his father. We learned some very hard life lessons in 2020 like how fragile life is, and we wanted something positive to come out of such a horrible year. It truly was the best of times and the worst of times.” [Reyna]

What are your reasons why you’re both considering eloping? Check out our top 10 reasons why couples elope.

Planning a Micro Wedding in Washington

Planning your elopement, especially somewhere adventurous does require research. That’s why we also recommend you team up with an elopement vendor once you have decided where you want to elope to.

This couple decided to have a Gold Creek Pond elopement mainly because it wasn’t too far from Reyna’s parent’s house. They wanted to have the reception at home because her stepdad built a fairytale-like wood cabin in Carnation WA after his travels around the world years ago.

Besides finding an epic photographer and having delicious food and drinks, each person played a huge role in making their elopement come to life.

“My mother and stepfather for opening up their home for us all the gather. My stepsister for picking up the cake and taking the loose flowers from the florist and arranging them onto the cake. Our officiant and her husband who are also very good friends of ours and who was 7 months pregnant at the time and fearful of public speaking creating this beautiful speech that made us all tear up. Both of my brothers-in-law for going to the ceremony site hours before to set up the chairs and secure the spot. Both my mother and sister in law who helped create a gorgeous centerpiece for our dinner table. It took all of us collectively to make the day happen as flawlessly as it did.” [Reyna]

Check out our micro wedding guide to get more inspiration and tips.

Memorable Moments During This Elopement By Gold Creek Pond

Emett, the photographer, tells us how family is incredibly important to both Reyna and Froy. There were 3 languages fluently spoken, Japanese, Spanish, and English, yet everyone joined together to celebrate Reyna and Froy’s beautiful union.

“Reyna and Froy danced throughout the entire day and felt like good friends as we had conversations between the day’s events. The ceremony itself had a relaxing vibe to it, but the vows shared were still emotional and heartfelt. Afterward, everyone went back to Reyna’s parent’s cabin and had phenomenal food, and danced for hours into the evening. The whole thing was a blast, and I couldn’t have asked to work with a better couple.” [Emett]

Reyna and Froy loved the personal interaction they had with everyone during the Gold Creek Pond elopement ceremony and reception.

“Having the people closest to us and such a small group made the experience unforgettable. I had no expectations about how I wanted the day to turn out. I thought as long as everyone we love is there, and the fact that I’m marrying the most kind-hearted man I know, that’s all I need. There was this overwhelming feeling of love radiating the entire day from everyone. We laughed, we cried, and we reminisced. I think there was so much power in keeping it small and intimate.” [Reyna]

Advice From The Photographer

So the question remains, should you elope? Here’s Emett’s top advice:

“Pick a photographer that feels like somebody you could be friends with. Your photographer should be able to help you plan, and they’ll be one of the only people you’ll be around for the entire day. With that in mind, it’s incredibly important that you two have a solid connection!” [Emett]

What are you loving from this Gold Creek Pond elopement? Are you going to plan an intimate wedding together? Explore some of our favorite places to elope.

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Photography | Emett Joseph – Wedding and Adventure Elopement Photographer & Guide