An Enchanted Forest Backyard Wedding in Carnation, WA

bride kissing groom in vintage truck

To say I LOVE backyard weddings is an understatement. I attribute this to the fact that for the longest time, whenever I envisioned my own wedding, it was a backyard wedding. Early in high school I threw summer parties at the house I grew up in. The nostalgia of those celebrations combined with magical feeling of summer fueled the vision for my someday wedding. In my head, it was an even grander, more vibrant version of those end of school year parties – including a live band, bistro AND globe lights, and dancing into the wee, wee hours of the morning. When I finally did get married 20 years post high school, while my husband and I didn’t have a backyard wedding at our house, we did, however, tie the knot in the yard of a house we rented on VRBO. While technically it was a “front yard” wedding, our venue had warm and hospitable vibes that can only come from the intimacy of a backyard setting. It was absolutely amazing.

So when Amanda and Anthony reached out about flowers for the backyard wedding they were planning on Joy Lake in Carnation, WA, I knew it was going to be magical. And it was. The day of their wedding was slightly overcast and the wind was incredibly still, so the lake reflected the sky like a mirror. A circle arch stood on a wooden platform next to the lake, which my team and I adorned with a lush, asymmetric covering of muted pink flowers, white flowers, and PNW greens. After the ceremony, guests were transported by shuttle to a secondary private residence just a few blocks down the road for the reception. The enchanted forest feeling was created with beautiful cloche centerpieces filled with moss, ferns, flowers and fairy lights and glass globe terrariums with fairy lights hanging from the trees. It truly was the perfect setting for a Pacific Northwest backyard wedding. I told my husband that if we were to ever have a second wedding, it would be the wedding that Amanda and Anthony had. Pure magic.

Amanda and Anthony, you are the kind of clients that remind me why I love being a wedding florist. Thank you for being wonderful to work with. I wish you both the very best! And thank you to my two flower friends who helped me set up, Cathy of Lamb & Twig and Sandy of Verbena Floral. And thank you to Gaby, the on-site wedding coordinator, who made me feel seen and heard, and provided immeasurable support while we problem-solved the stability of the arch. Your kindness was felt and will always be remembered.

large cabin house in Carnation, WA a circle wedding arch next to a lake with pink and white flowers a circle arch with pink and white flowers a backyard where people are gathering for a wedding flower girls walking down an aisle bride and groom in front of a circle arch with flowers bridesmaids in dusty pink dresses holding pink and green bouquets bride and groom in front of lush floral circle arch bridal party with men in grey suits and ladies in dusty pink dresses bride and bridesmaids with lush pink bouquets a husband and wife signing a marriage license cloche floral centerpieces pizza oven and a heart shaped pizza a groom and bride enter the reception in a back yard people toasting champagne at a wedding reception a bride and groom dancing bride and groom under a floral arbor a bride kisses a groom next to lush dusty pink and green florals hanging fairy lights