Wow, where do I start with Maggie and Brian’s awesome, eco-conscious wedding at IslandWood? Well, I guess it’s worth mentioning that we first met these guys last Spring, when they won a giveaway for an engagement session through Wedding Bee. That was when we discovered that they are both also University of Oregon alums (and super cool, to boot). We shot their engagement photos on the Seattle waterfront, the Bainbridge-bound ferry boat, and on Bainbridge Island itself, where Maggie grew up. We were so, so pleased to head back to the Island to photograph their weekend wedding this February at Bainbridge’s fabulous eco-learning center, IslandWood.
If you know anything about the Pacific Northwest, you know that we’re home to very wet winter weather. In fact, the extended forecast predicted rain on their wedding day for weeks and weeks beforehand. Well, Maggie and Brian were blessed with the sunniest weekend ever. That meant that while Maggie and Brian got ready, their guests could explore, and then all of us could golf-cart around the trails for some awesome photos. The only unexpected by-product of the sun was that it was super-cold (like ACTUAL February temperatures) and windy. By Saturday, there were a few trees down on the island and the power even went out a few times that morning! Luckily, Maggie and Brian had planned a beautiful candle-lit ceremony and dinner, so if all else failed (which it didn’t), their wedding would be as beautiful as they imagined.
Family and friends came from all over the country, and Maggie and Brian gave them a weekend of gorgeous, rustic, Pacific Northwest style with delicious gourmet food, lush and lovely surroundings, and an eco-friendly message behind it all. We felt privileged to be there as part of their wedding and are so glad to count them now among our Seattle friends.
It’s fitting that we met Maggie and Brian through Wedding Bee, because now Maggie herself is a blogger there. She’ll be posting detailed recaps on the Wedding Bee Blog soon, so head over there to read her posts if you want to see many more wedding photos! Until then, enjoy this collection of some of our favorites…
The Seattle skyline as seen from the Bainbridge-bound ferry, which all the guests took to get to IslandWood.
IslandWood is a wonderfully unique wedding venue. It was built as a learning center to teach children about environmental issues and has miles of trails, two treehouses, a suspension bridge, a floating classroom, a lookout tower, a garden with greenhouses, eco-friendly systems at every turn, and lots more cool stuff.
Some of our favorite ring shots ever came from Maggie & Brian's wedding. My favorite is a little farther down...
Maggie sent Brian a love note and some SmartWool socks as a groom's gift to open as he was getting ready. Socks were the first gift Brian ever gave to Maggie, and she had to return the favor on their wedding day.
Maggie's dress was custom made by Seattle's own Cicada Bridal and we loved it. Look at that floral texture on her sash!
Brian and Maggie had their sweet first look on the IslandWood suspension bridge. (I laugh, because Maggie and I left Brian waiting "in suspense" with Justin for a little while before we showed up.)
I loooooove this light. So dreamy!
The last few photos were all taken at one of Islandwood's two treehouse classrooms. They're so much fun to play in... but a bit scary when the wind is blowing!
The metal sculpture around the huge, salvaged beam in the IslandWood welcome center is shaped like a saw and forms a Mobius Strip. The inscription reads: “Tug on anything and you will find it connected to everything else.” Beautiful!
Maggie and Brian created a really unique wedding keepsake by picking out a small, square area rug for their living room together before the wedding... and getting married on it! (It's identical to the one in the foreground of the above photo.)
Maggie and Brian are wine lovers, and Maggie comes from a family well-versed in wine. So, naturally, they decided to incorporate wine into their wedding. They created their own signature blend at Dundee Hills winery to feature at their reception!
Wedding Photography: Persimmon Images
Venue + Catering: IslandWood
Band: Vote for Pedro
Dress: Cicada Bridal
Officiant: Weddings by Annemarie
