Forest Retreat Wedding with Eco-Friendly Details at IslandWood

Kelsey and Trey invited their mostly out-of-state crew to experience the Northwest the way locals love it: a three-day forest retreat at IslandWood on Bainbridge Island. Their vision pulled from the meadows around Paradise at Mount Rainier — cool, earthy hues with soft ivory and layered shades of violet and mauve — translated into florals that looked freshly gathered from the grounds. Aisles bloomed with meadow-style clusters of astrantia, flowering almond, milkweed, deutzia and sweet peas, while foraged wood stumps became natural pedestals. A light drizzle rolled in — as the PNW does — but clear umbrellas and lush blooms made it feel cinematic rather than soggy.

With the bride and groom being vegan, the venue served a 100% plant-based menu across five meals all weekend — bold, inventive courses that won over even the skeptics. Guests grazed from a DIY trail-mix bar between events, then sat for long-table dinners under boughs of greenery and candlelight. In lieu of favors, everyone voted for one of the couple’s favorite animal-focused nonprofits; the newlyweds donated to the winner after the wedding — fitting for two animal lovers. Signature cocktails nodded to their cats with playful illustrations, and climbing rope with carabiners formed a clever seating chart on a custom lattice structure the couple later repurposed in their backyard. The rope and hardware even made cameo appearances in portraits — elegant, outdoorsy and unmistakably them.

As night fell, pies and berry tarts replaced traditional cake, and Kelsey swapped into a twirl-ready dress for the dance floor. A foxglove border framed the draped backdrop, and candlelight flickered off the lodge’s wood beams as they danced.