Small wedding inspiration at lake cascade
An intimate gathering of close friends and family at a rented cabin on the shores of Lake Cascade in Donnelly, Idaho...
Driving through the quaint small town of Donnelly to get to the shore of Lake Cascade, you'll pass fish and tackle stores, ski shops, and a small coffee shop. Donnelly is about 85 miles north of Boise with a drive so beautiful it goes by in no time. The highway runs next to the white water of the Payette River and in the summer you can spot rafters enjoying the rapids down the river.
This bride and groom were all in on their quest to find a venue for their wedding and had a special place in their heart for this quiet mountain town. As most people planning their wedding do, they had a very specific vibe in mind. After scouring the local venues around Donnelly and McCall, they decided to look into a cabin they would be able to rent and invite a limited number of guests. Both already agreed on having a "small wedding" (more on guest counts and how that is classified here). They ended up touring a few spots but ended up renting this gem. The hosts were no strangers to weddings at their mountain cabin, and their experience and helpful tips made the whole wedding flow so perfectly.
There are loads of beautiful cabins to rent on the shores of Lake Cascade, but make sure with your host before you book that their house or venue is able to accommodate your guest number and their spot on the beach is approved for ceremonies. This particular cabin was situated directly across the lake from Tamarack, you can even see the chair lifts on the opposite shore!
Some tips on getting married at a location similar to this-
- It can get really windy on the shore near the water, so be careful with your veil if you have one! Ask your hairstylist for some tips on wedding hair in the wind, or look up some styles that tend to be wind-proof. Hold on to and secure any and all loose paper or even ring boxes- at one point a wind gust blew the officiant's ceremony notes right out of his hand. He and the groom had to run down the shore to retrieve them!
- The glare that comes off the lake is really powerful mid-day, so take that into consideration when you're planning where the guest seating will go (or maybe remind the guests to bring sunglasses). Chat with your photographer about positioning the ceremony to reduce the glare. The water can look almost clear or white in certain spots, depending on the sun and the time of day so make sure that you've chatted with your photographer about this and you're okay with how that will look in the photos.
- Photography in the mountains means that "sunset" isn't the go-to time for portraits (like I usually recommend for the happy couple) because depending on where you are, the sunset is blocked by the hills. This spot here on the lake had the sun setting directly behind the mountain, so the bride and groom chose a different time for portraits than my typically recommended time of sunset. They were okay with having their portraits taken when the sunlight was mostly gone from this side of the mountain, but if they had wanted the sun to be out, I would have suggested we take portraits of just the two of them before the ceremony instead of after.
If this mountain wedding near the lake is your cup of tea, I would definitely look into renting cabins or venues like this sooner rather than later. They get booked up really fast, especially on Fridays and weekends.
All around this is a perfect spot to enjoy your friends and family and have a small wedding and a laid-back celebration!
