Although we love our favorite Tacoma-area wedding venues, we do enjoy heading out of town to venues we’ve never been to before. For Amanda and Dan’s wedding, we ventured across the bridge to Cedar Springs, a primarily outdoor venue hidden away in a rural area outside of Port Orchard. We hope our first wedding there won’t be our last, as it’s beautiful!
If I had to pick one word to describe Cedar Springs, it would be BRIDGES. There are no less than four sturdy wooden bridges spanning the tranquil ponds that are fed by this venue’s namesake springs. Those bridges help divide the multi-acre property into separate “rooms” for the ceremony, reception, and parking lot. Those bridges also played an important role in our photos, as you can see from the beginning, as we launched into a tour of the grounds for bride and groom portraits.
The ceremony was on a small island, surrounded by water and encapsulated in trees. The procession brought the ceremony’s participants across one of the bridges to a large arbor. Amanda and Dan have a strong Christian connection, and their sweet ceremony included communion — an uncommon event outside of the church, yet it felt perfectly fitting in such a beautiful location.
The reception was — you guessed it — only a short walk across a bridge from the ceremony spot. Next to a large pond is the white tent, wooden gazebo and restroom facilities that provided welcome shelter from the sun without taking anything away from the outdoorsy feel of the place. Dan, a talented singer-songwriter-guitarist, serenaded Amanda with the song he wrote to propose to her, substituting “you just married me!” for its key line “will you marry me?”. After toasts from every wedding party member, cupcakes and first dances, their many friends packed the gazebo with some wild dancing.
Amanda and Dan left their reception dancing through a tunnel of arms, hopped in their well-decorated car, and set off for honeymoon and married life in a new town, Vancouver. We wish you all the best!
























































































































