Stephanie & Jordan's Fall Wedding at Willows Lodge | Woodinville
This is just one of a dozen+ weddings I've shot at Willows Lodge — see more.
Stephanie and Jordan met on a dating app while they were both living in Nashville — funny enough, given that she's a Seattle-area local and he's from Louisville, and neither of them ended up staying in Tennessee. These days it's walks with their dogs Coa and Kai, trying new restaurants, travel, and Jordan dragging Stephanie out to watch him snowboard while she'd honestly rather be home with a book. Their September wedding at Willows Lodge was modern, glam, and about as editorial as a PNW garden wedding gets — sage green, black, and white, 79 guests, and a bridal party of six on each side seated through the ceremony instead of standing up front.
Getting Ready
The day started early, hair and makeup wrapping by 1:30 so everyone — especially Stephanie — had breathing room before things kicked off. The bridesmaids kicked things off in matching black pajama sets for one shot before getting dressed, which is one of my favorite kinds of getting-ready photos: a little playful before the day turns formal.
Stephanie wore a fully beaded gown — the kind of modern-elegant piece that's going to look just as stunning in twenty years as it does today — and her earrings were a quiet, meaningful detail: pearls with small diamonds, originally a gift from her dad to her mom. Little things like that are exactly what I go looking for on a wedding morning.
First Look & Private Vows
Both Stephanie and Jordan told me the first look and their private vows were the part of the day they were most looking forward to, and it showed. We did it in the garden, then walked down to the entrance sidewalk where the hills roll out behind the property — one of the best backdrops Willows Lodge has to offer if you want green on green on green with zero distractions. Jordan's about ten inches taller than Stephanie, which made for some genuinely great composition once we got into portraits — that kind of height difference photographs beautifully when you lean into it instead of fighting it.
They're both a little introverted, and it showed in the best way: a little nervous in front of the camera, but responsive to posing guidance, and the private vows moment in particular gave them room to just be with each other before the day opened up to everyone else.
Portraits in the Gardens
Stephanie and Jordan wanted this day to feel as outdoor and garden-focused as possible, and Willows Lodge delivered — we shot bridal party portraits on the gravel with the pergola in the background, full group shots, bridesmaids with Stephanie, groomsmen with Jordan. True to their request, I leaned hard into glam, editorial posing throughout and kept us out of anything too shadowed — this property gives you so much usable light in the gardens that there's rarely a reason to go dark.
The Ceremony
Thirty minutes, 5:00pm, and exactly the kind of quiet, present ceremony Jordan had hoped for — he specifically mentioned how much it meant that their officiant asked everyone to put their phones away. No sea of screens between me and the couple, just real reactions from family and friends, which is always when the best candids happen.
Reception Details Worth Knowing About
This is where Stephanie and Jordan's personalities really came through:
Their dogs, Coa and Kai, didn't make it to the wedding in person — but they were everywhere anyway. Little figurines of both dogs sat on top of the wedding cake, the signature drink and bar sign featured their faces, and even the cocktail stirrers were printed with their pups.
The Waterford crystal cake cutter has been in Stephanie's family for generations — gifted to her at her bridal shower, it's the same piece her parents used at their own wedding, and every bride in her family has cut their cake with it since.
Stephanie's bouquet and the bridesmaids' bouquets were Costco flowers — white with soft greenery — later repurposed into the reception centerpieces. Stephanie's planning to preserve her bouquet, so this florals budget did triple duty across the ceremony, reception, and a keepsake.
After dinner and their first dance, Stephanie changed into a second look for the dance floor — the PERLA Flared Mini Dress in ivory from NB Luxe, a soft crepe piece built for actually moving.
Guests took Polaroids throughout the night and built a photo wall together — a 30x40 inch piece made from 800 wine corks, DIY'd by the couple, a bigger version of something they'd built together during COVID. It's headed straight into their home as a permanent piece, which might be my favorite kind of wedding detail: something that outlives the day itself.
The night ended with a grand exit under bubbles into a decorated Rolls Royce, with a few extra minutes for portraits with the car before they took off.
A live caricature artist worked the room all night, sending guests home with a hand-drawn sketch of the couple under the arch.
The Vendor Team
Bridal Shop: @bridetobebridal
Gown Designer: @cizzy_bridal
Bridesmaid Dresses: @birdygrey
Beauty Team: @kandhart
Planner: @prologue_events
Venue & Catering: @willowslodgewa
Cake: @floridapeachsweets
DJ: @grooveonhyde_dj
Photography: @bjonesphotos
Stephanie & Jordan's day is just one of a dozen+ weddings I've had the pleasure of shooting at Willows Lodge — if you're planning your own wedding in Woodinville wine country, see everything I love about this venue here.
