DIY Wedding at Redfish Lake Lodge in Stanley, Idaho | Lillian and Joel

bride and groom laugh while standing on a beach in Stanley, Idaho

Lillian and Joel have totally unique personalities, so it’s no surprise that their mountainside wedding at Redfish Lake Lodge in Stanley, Idaho, encapsulated that! Homemade decorations, screamo and metal music, whiskey flasks, and bubble guns were all part of this entirely one-of-a-kind day. 

How Lillian and Joel’s Love Story Led to a Memorable Proposal in Seaside, Oregon

Their love story began in the summer of 2020 when they had their first date with a walk and seafood dinner. Two years later, Joel proposed when they were on a trip to Seaside, Oregon. Joel had originally planned to propose in a helicopter tour over Cannon Beach, but the weather wasn’t good so he decided to wait for a sunny day on the beach. The couple collects water and earth samples from where they travel to, because they like bringing back a little piece of the earth with them. Joel had asked Lillian to go collect one so he could get on one knee. “When she turned around I was on one knee, and I'll never forget the look on her face,” he said. “Disbelief and joy in a way I've never seen. Thank God she said yes!”

Lillian and Joel's Wedding Vision: Fun, Unapologetic, and True to Themselves

For their wedding day at Redfish Lake Lodge in Stanley, they wanted it to be as fun and true to them as possible. “We've decided to just go for full-blown fun, we're not going to take it too seriously and just be absolutely ridiculous about it because that's true to who we are!” they said.  “We couldn't be more excited to be building a life together, so this is just a big ‘ol celebration of how excited we are to be doing this with friends and family there to share it with us!”

They both prepared for the big day in cozy log cabins at the Redfish Lake Lodge. 
Chrischelle Hirano did Lillian’s makeup and Summer Hutchins did her hair, and the Maid of Honor, Hannah, assisted Lillian in getting dressed. Lillian wore a unique, golden crown from Carbickova Crowns and a dress from Margene’s Bridal. With a few last fixes of her crown and some cozy photos indoors, they were ready to go. 

Despite the rain starting to fall, the couple decided to have their first look outside the cabins. They were both clearly so overjoyed, and it showed in the photos! After a moment alone, we headed to the ceremony. 

A Ceremony with Personal Touches

They chose to have their wedding ceremony on the banks of Stanley Lake because “Stanley is one of Joel's all-time favorite places,” said Lillian. “It was a beautiful place he got to live and work with his dad before he passed away so it holds a special place in his heart.”

The ceremony area was decorated with an arch created by the couple adorned with the bride's handcrafted florals. Guests were greeted with a playful sign Joel made, reading “Holy Shitballs today is going to be awesome,” that set the tone for the day. Their unconventional choice of walking down the aisle to metal and screamo songs perfectly reflected their personality. Nicole Foster, a Reiki practitioner, officiated the day. Even as torrential rain poured during the ceremony, they continued on! The guests had bubble guns ready to soak the couples, but everyone was already soaked! 

After family formals and with a stroke of luck, the sun came out for portraits by the lake. The mountains and the lake behind them was absolutely stunning. “The main vision we've had is around the ceremony on the Shoreline with the lake and mountains framing that moment,” they said. “Talk about decoration!” 

A Reception Full of Quirky Details That Reflect Lillian and Joel's Fun-Loving Personalities

The reception was true to their quirky personalities. The tables had funny signs reading, “Live, Laugh, Loathe Entirely”, “We’ve waited 3 years to party with you, please party accordingly” , “Till Death do us party” and on their head table “Shit just got real.” They also had quirky decor all over the tables, like gemstones, tree logs, moss, and antlers. The couple loves to collect rocks and minerals, so those were on display as well! 

Even though they had some unique aspects to their wedding, they still had a classic cake cutting and first dance. They cut the cake from Blondie’s Bakery and performed a choreographed first dance to "Through Glass" by Hands Like Houses, followed by a casual and relaxed evening of dancing and socializing. A friend of the couple even offered haircuts outside the tent, which is something I can say I’ve never seen at a wedding before! 

As the night drew to a close, the couple and I headed to the dock for additional sunset portraits by Redfish Lake, a perfect ending to their unique and wonderful wedding day.

Their goal for the day was, in their words, “Unapologetic, lighthearted, chaotic fun,” and I believe the day fully achieved that!

landscape image of Redfish Lake
bridal party in blue robes stand around the bride, standing in front of log cabin
maid of honor in a blue dress ties the brides dress inside of a log cabin
hand detail of the bride's ring inside of a log cabin
bride stands behind groom, prepping for first look in an outside wooded area
bride taps the shoulder of the groom while standing in front of pond in wooded area
bride and groom see each other for the first time during their first look
bride stares at the camera in joy and happiness while it rains following her first look with her groom
bride and groom stare at each other after their first look standing in front of a pond, and wooded area
groomsmen hug the groom during his wedding party photos
Bridal party in blue dresses and grey shawls hug the bride in a white dress
floral detail of the wedding party
wedding party hugs the bride and groom while standing outside in a wooden area
wooden sign stating "North Shore Picnic Area, Sawtooth National Forest"
wooden sign stating "Holy Shitballs, Today is going to be Awesome"
photo of a candle floating in a tree outside of ceremony site
octagonal wooden arch is adorned with blue Sola wood flowers, sitting on a beach, on top of a blue rug, in front of the mountains, next to a lake
detail shot of Sola food flowers on a wooden octagonal arch
detail arch photo of Sola Wood florals and mountain in the background
the groom in a grey suit and patterned tie watches his bride walk down the aisle on their wedding day
bride in a white dress carrying a bouquet of blue sola wood flowers walks down a blue aisle with two important male family members onto the beach
the bride and groom stand at their ceremonial arch in front of their guests, while it rains during their wedding ceremony
bride and groom share their first kiss in the rain, at their Redfish Lake Lodge wedding
bride and groom walk down the aisle after their wedding ceremony, to a slew of rain and bubbles
bride and groom walk down the beach with mountain in background in Stanley, Idaho
bridal portrait of the bride in a white dress, holding a bouquet of sola wood blue flowers while standing on the beach
bride in a golden crown and white wedding dress stands on the beach
bride and groom share a laugh during their wedding portraits in front of the mountain on a beach
bride in a golden crown and white wedding dress holds the hand of her groom while standing on the beach, in front of a lake and mountainscape
Redfish Lake Lodge sign on the building
a wooden sign surrounded by greenery, that states "Till Death Do Us Party"
a white cake with succulent floral decor
the bride and groom share their first dance during their wedding reception at Redfish Lake Lodge
wedding guests dance during the wedding reception at Redfish Lake Lodge in Stanley, Idaho
black and white image of the bride dancing during the wedding reception
wedding guest dances at Redfish Lake Lodge during a wedding reception
wedding guests dance during the wedding reception at Redfish Lake Lodge
bride and groom sit on a bench at sunset at Redfish Lake Lodge in Stanley, Idaho
the bride and groom sit on a bench at sunset at Redfish Lake Lodge, with a reflection of them in the lake
the bride and groom stare off at the sunset, while sitting on a bench during their Redfish Lake Lodge wedding
bride and groom hug each other while standing on the dock at Redfish Lake Lodge in Stanley, Idaho
bride and groom walk on the dock at Redfish Lake Lodge in Stanley Idaho
the bride and groom exit the dock, with a sign above their head that says "Come Again Soon"

No matter what kind of Idaho wedding day you’re planning, I’d love to capture it. From the Redfish Lake Lodge in Idaho and beyond, let’s document your perfect day! 

Venue : Redfish Lake Lodge
Invite Suite / Florist / Accessories / DJ / Signs : DIY by the bride and groom
Bridal Crown : Carbickova Crowns

Hair Stylist : 
Summer Hutchens
Makeup Artist :
 Chrischelle Hirano 

Bridal Shop : Margene’s Bridal

Groom Shop : Mens’s Wearhouse 

Dessert : Blondie’s Bakery
Officiant : Nicolle Foster


xx,

Jennifer Lourie

WeddingJennifer LourieIdaho, Redfish Lake Lodge, Stanley, PNW