Maddie + Keegan
(August 14, 2021 in Long Lake, WA)
In this blog post, we dive into the wedding day of Maddie and Keegan, who had a change of heart about their wedding vision throughout their engagement. From an intimate downtown wedding to a rustic, boho vibe by the lakefront, the couple ended up having a picturesque outdoor wedding at a family home on Long Lake. Despite the unexpected hot and foggy weather, their wedding was filled with love, support, and unique twists, including a paddle-boat ride after the ceremony and using an old dock as an elevated dance floor. The bride's #1 tip for future brides is to stay true to their vision and values, while the groom's advice is to set aside time to enjoy the food on the big day.
By our real bride, Maddie:
What was the vision for your wedding?
Our wedding vision changed so much over the course of our engagement. We initially wanted a romantic, intimate wedding at a downtown building. The location was fabulous, but we realized we wanted more freedom with the choices and decided an outdoor wedding was more of our style. Our vision quickly changed once we decided to have the wedding at a family home on Long Lake. We wanted a rustic, boho vibe with lots of greenery, which is exactly what we got on the lakefront. Most of our vendors were recommended by friends and family or found through social media. We used beautiful farmhouse tables and chairs from a local vendor, 15 Tables. My husband's only request for the wedding was to have Hello, Sugar cater donuts so we chose to do dessert a bit differently. Our vendor for dinner was found through the Greater Spokane Food Truck Association, the Roamin' Pizza Chariot. Hair and makeup were also found through friends who had used their services before. We had great experiences with all our vendors!
How did it go the day-of?
You know something isn't quite right when you wake up in the middle of August and it looks like there's a thick fog outside. On our wedding day, the air quality was up in the hazardous range! It was hot and sticky and we could hardly see across the lake. Needless to say we had not planned for that, but once we all had our coffee and started playing our bridal party pump-up playlist, the worry slipped away. One of the best parts of getting married at a family home was seeing how much everyone truly stepped up and helped make it everything we could've dreamt. We had family from all over; some were just a few miles away while others took multiple flights to get there. Being able to gather and have everyone in one spot for the first time since the pandemic began was so special.
We decided to take a traditional route with some unique twists. We had a longer engagement which meant we had almost too much time to go back and forth on decisions. Once we decided to be at the lake, everything started to fall into place. Our ceremony was right along the beach and it was a picturesque sight! Right before the ceremony, we did our first looks. My grandparents have always played a big role in my life and I did my own special first look with them. I had always wanted my grandpa to walk me down the aisle. With the heat and long walk, we decided that my uncle would walk me down and pass me off to my grandpa right before reaching Keegan. This was a huge tearjerker and something really special to me. After our ceremony, we boogied our way down the aisle and into a paddle-boat! This was a spontaneous choice and one we were really thankful we had made! I was a little nervous about crawling down into a shaky little boat in my wedding dress but it was SO worth it. Being able to spend a moment alone after the ceremony, just soaking it all in was the best part and it gave us a chance to take a breath before heading into the reception.
Our reception was filled with cheers, sweet dance moves, great food, and plenty of happy tears! We used an old dock as an elevated dance floor, decorated with a beautiful rug and string lights hanging from the trees all around (shoutout to my maid of honor, Baylee, for hanging them all on her own). It was truly a beautiful day filled with so much love, celebration, and support around us. It went by so fast and we are thankful that our photographers captured every special moment and detail.
What is your #1 tip to future brides?
My advice would be once you know what you and your fiancé want on your special day, stick with it. Do what you and your future spouse want to do! At the end of the day, it is all about the two of you, no one else. Be authentic to each other and make choices that align with your vision and values. When Keegan was asked if he had any advice...his response was, "set aside time to make sure you actually eat the food you paid for."
