Written by our rad team member, Jessica Dastous
Stunning Gold Creek Pond Elopement
If you’re looking to plan a wedding that is accessible for guests and still has the mountain views you’ve been craving, you’ll want to have a Gold Creek Pond elopement! Imagine yourself standing at the edge of the pond as the mountains reflect across each ripple, saying your “I dos” to your best friend. You’ve just imagined Gold Creek Pond! This is the perfect mountain wedding location, with gorgeous views, an extremely accessible pond overlook (literally five minutes from the parking lot) and so much more! I am so excited to share the beautiful brides of this Gold Creek Pond elopement with you and I’m pretty sure after reading this blog (and seeing these photos!) you’ll be inspired to start planning your own mountain wedding of your dreams!
Meet Autumn & Danielle: the beautiful brides of this Gold Creek Pond elopement
Gold Creek Pond in Snoqualmie Pass is one of my absolute favorite accessible locations in all of Washington! When Autumn and Danielle wanted to have a Gold Creek Pond elopement, I was so excited (typical Mollie)! This location is perfect for couples looking to stay close to Seattle and is ADA accessible — talk about a win win! Plus, it just happens to be in my hometown and I couldn’t wait to share all of the things to do in the Snoqualmie Pass area!! This is just a few of the reasons why I’m beyond stoked to share Autumn and Danielle’s beautiful mountain wedding day with you.
Autumn and Danielle met in Washington state, and although they no longer live here, they knew they wanted to tie the knot in the dreamy Pacific Northwest (I mean, who wouldn’t?!). They reached out to me to plan their perfect mountain wedding and as we started talking Autumn and Danielle told me about a few must haves for their best day ever! On their list: adventuring in the forest, surrounded by moss, and standing between the pines (you know this is always a yes for me! see what I did there, LOL). They also wanted to have a mountain wedding ceremony that included all of their friends and family. Finding a location that is accessible for all can be difficult in the mountains, but not to worry, there are several really awesome trails that are ADA accessible, making them perfect for any mountain wedding. I recommended having a Gold Creek Pond elopement for Autumn and Danielle’s special day, because it is so close to Seattle and is ADA accessible, plus it has those stunning mountain views that they were looking for! (Psst.. if you’re looking for more ADA Accessible elopement locations in Washington check out this blog!)
We started the morning of Autumn and Danielle’s Gold Creek Pond elopement at their Airbnb cabin in Suncadia (which we will get to later in the blog). While the brides got ready, family and friends shared a GIANT charcuterie board. After their first look photos at the cabin, we headed out into the forest to take in all the beautiful elements of Snoqualmie Pass. We walked between the pines (there it is again, haha) and through the trails to capture intimate forest photos on Snoqualmie Pass of their special day (looking for more forest elopement insop? Click here!)
After our dreamy forest adventure, we drove over to their ceremony location at Gold Creek Pond, to meet their guests and hike to the final destination of the day! (Sunset photos.. my FAVE). It was only a short five minute walk from the parking lot to where we planned on doing their sunset ceremony. Autumn and Danielle ended their Gold Creek Pond elopement day taking in the beautiful mountain views as they reflected off the pond. It was truly a dream seeing these two brides exchange vows surrounded by friends and family celebrating them on their best day ever!
Three reasons Gold Creek Pond is perfect for your elopement
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It’s ADA accessible & family friendly
Gold Creek Pond, located on Snoqualmie Pass, is the perfect location for any mountain wedding, and even more so if you are looking for a spot to accommodate everyone’s abilities. If you’ve never been to Gold Creek Pond before, this is an absolutely incredible location where the mountains reflect off the pond and it’s only a five minute walk from the car! What makes this location so accessible is the trail is paved for most of the walk, then it transitions into packed dirt. It’s a pretty flat trail to the jaw-dropping views of Gold Creek Pond, which makes it super easy for friends and family to get to this location! Having a Gold Creek Pond elopement will truly be a dream day that you will never forget!
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The proximity to Seattle
Just over an hour from Seattle, Gold Creek Pond is the perfect Washington mountain wedding ceremony location for those wanting to stay close to the city! The proximity makes this an ideal location for couples waiting to make their elopement a day trip, then head back into Seattle for the evening. Plus, if you have family traveling in for your Gold Creek Pond elopement, it’s perfect for them because it gives them the option to stay within the city or head out to the mountains!
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The views!
Oh my gosh… the view at Gold Creek Pond is absolutely insane! It is seriously so stunning for such a short walk on the trail. There’s the most well-known view of the pond reflecting the mountains (which is totally epic), but there’s also so many more views all around Gold Creek Pond (we’ll get to these later in the post). The views are definitely a top reason why you might want to plan a Gold Creek Pond elopement!
What to keep in mind for your elopement at Gold Creek Pond
This location is popular! Plan a week day at sunrise or sunset
Gold Creek Pond is an extremely popular location because it is so accessible and is only a little over an hour from Seattle. I highly recommend planning your Gold Creek Pond elopement on a weekday during sunrise or sunset to avoid large crowds! Even if you do plan your mountain wedding for a weekday at sunset, you should go in with the mindset that there will most likely be other people there (which is totally okay, we are here to enjoy Mother Nature’s beauty, together). This location has so much space, there will be tons of room to spread out and share!
Hire a photographer who is experienced with photographing elopements here
(there’s more spots than just the pond overlook)
Gold Creek Pond offers so much more than just the overlook at the pond. There’s nearby trails, a loop that goes around the pond and even access to the river! (So many options for your perfect day!) I’ve done several Gold Creek Pond elopement ceremonies in different locations, and they are absolutely stunning!! By hiring someone who has experience photographing mountain weddings at this particular location, they will be able to provide you with a variety of photos in your gallery. And if for some reason the pond area is crowded with tons of people and there’s no space, they will have a back-up plan prepared because they know the area well. (Hint, hint, I know a photographer who has shot here many times.)
Weather can move quickly – embrace it all!
In the mountains especially, weather can move in and out very quickly. Within 10 or 15 minutes it can change from a beautiful sunny day to cold, drizzly or cloudy. If you are planning a Gold Creek Pond elopement in Snoqualmie Pass or anywhere in the mountains and are envisioning a 75 degree sunny day, you should probably be prepared for it to change at a moment’s notice! So make sure to pack those clear umbrellas and have layers handy to keep warm once the sun goes down. Embracing it all will ensure you have the best mountain wedding ever! And if you need some inspiration to help envision a dreamy rainy day elopement, I’ve got you covered.
Where to stay for your Gold Creek Pond Elopement
When planning a Gold Creek Pond elopement there are a few options I’d recommend on where to stay if you would like to be in the mountains. Staying in Seattle is a great option for couples and families looking to stay in the city and only want to make a day trip out to the mountains. For those looking to have more of the mountain experience, I’d recommend the following:
Snoqualmie Pass
Gold Creek Pond is located on Snoqualmie Pass making it the ideal location for those couples looking for the least amount of travel! You have the option to stay in one of the gorgeous A-frames or a condo nearby. And if you are worried about things to do, there is an awesome brewery (that I love) called Dru Bru. There’s also The Commonwealth, which is a restaurant I highly recommend you check out (it’s seriously so so good!). Just recently, Snoqualmie Pass announced it will be opening a Co-op grocery store and I couldn’t be more excited! This is such a fun place to stay, especially if you are wanting more of that mountain feel.
Suncadia
If you are looking for a place with more amenities but that is still near Snoqualmie Pass for your Gold Creek Pond elopement, Suncadia is the place for you! Suncadia has more of a resort feel and is located just over the mountains in central Washington. Autumn and Danielle chose this location because it was perfect for accommodating all their friends and family. There are a variety of cabins you can rent, ranging in size and style, that can be found on Airbnb! There’s also so much to do at this resort that will keep your friends and family entertained. You can often find food trucks here on the weekends, go for a swim in the pool, play a round of golf at their golf course, book a massage at the spa, enjoy a wine tasting or head over to their restaurant for an incredible meal. I really love this location because you can still have that rustic mountain feel, while enjoying all of the amenities the resort has to offer!
Meet your Gold Creek Pond elopement photographer
I named my company Between the Pine because I am happiest when I am outside, surrounded by pine trees. I feel most at home outdoors, so it is no surprise that is where I gravitate towards as a mountain elopement photographer. In college, I was known as the “granola girl” because my outfits were always fit to go to class or hiking (not that I ever skipped class to go to the mountains, lol). From my days of exploring the hills of the Ozark Mountains, I am now hiking mountain trails across the Pacific Northwest, exploring the bases of waterfalls in Kauai and experiencing as many mountain top sunset views in Washington as possible. I am passionate about this job of mine and adventuring to the most beautiful locations to document mountain elopements. I’m a Pacific Northwest-based elopement photographer who knows the state of Washington, the national parks, forests, state parks, and other mountain elopement locations well. Basically, I’m dying for a reason to head back to the mountains, and I’d love for your adventure to be the reason! Click here to learn more about me, your Gold Creek Pond elopement photographer!
Ready to explore more elopements, weddings and adventures? Wander away below!
Between the Pine is an adventure elopement and wedding photography brand created by Mollie Adams. Based in the Pacific Northwest, Mollie travels with her camera in hand to document “I dos” in epic landscapes including Washington, Oregon, California, and Hawaii.
Craving this PNW greenery 🙂 Beautiful work!