Your guide to planning your Leavenworth wedding- including the best Leavenworth WA wedding venues!
Can I just say how excited I am that you are getting married in Leavenworth WA? (Huge congratulations on your engagement too, btw!)
Leavenworth is hands down one of my favorite places in Washington! And It’s quickly becoming a top wedding destination, with couples from all over the state and region deciding to get married there. It’s easy to see why! Leavenworth is a small, charming Bavarian-styled town nestled in the Cascade mountains- about two and a half hours from Seattle and three hours from Spokane. This makes it a pretty central location if you have friends and family coming in from more than one side of the state. It’s a pretty quick drive from SeaTac and Spokane international airports and there’s also a smaller regional airport in Wenatchee, which is only 30 minutes outside of Leavenworth.
Part of the charm, besides the downtown shops and restaurants, is the fact that the town is surrounded by mountains, hiking trails, rivers and creeks and beautiful vistas- which makes the perfect year-round backdrop for gorgeous PNW weddings. There’s also venues for every taste- whether you have your heart set on saying your vows in front of a mountain lodge or with sweeping views in the background.
There’s a lot to consider when planning your Leavenworth wedding, so I put this little guide together to help you explore your options for venues, lodging, vendors and other logistics you’ll want to work out before your big day. Keep reading for all my best tips!
Marriage License and other legal logistics
Let’s start with some legalities- specifically securing your marriage license. Quick note, a marriage license purchased in any Washington county will be valid for ceremonies performed anywhere within Washington State! Additionally, marriage license applicants do not have to reside in Washington State. There is a mandatory three-day waiting period before the license becomes valid and your ceremony must be performed within 60 days.
FYI, Leavenworth is a part of Chelan County- find out more about their process on the county auditor’s website.
Wondering who can legally marry you? Your officiant can be any regularly licensed or ordained minister or any priest, or similar official of any religious organization. Judges can also act as officiant.
When to get married in Leavenworth WA
Now that we have the legalities covered, let’s talk about the time of year you might want to get married. Leavenworth is beautiful year-round! Unlike the wet Seattle area, Leavenworth goes through all four seasons and has about 300 days of sunshine on average. But each season will have its own unique vibe!
In spring you’ll have a lot of blooming flowers and the apple and pear blossoms will be just starting to pop off (which is just so gorgeous!).
Summer will bring more consistent warmth, with highs in the 80s and 90s. Summer also comes with some stunning sunsets! A note about late summer weddings: there is more potential for smoky air conditions due to wildfires. Just be sure your venue has an indoor option or backup plan for getting you and your guest away from bad air quality.
Fall in Leavenworth is a whole mood! If you’re into New England style fall foliage and autumn hues, then a fall wedding in Leavenworth might be for you. And September and early October temps can still be in the 70’s range!
Leavenworth in the winter is also a sight to see! The mountains surrounding the town are covered in snow and Christmas lights are usually on, making it look like the town is straight out of a snow globe or Hallmark holiday movie.
Pro tip: Check your date against any large events happening in Leavenworth, because there are a few each year- Maifest, Oktoberfest and Village of Lights Christmastown to name a couple. I wouldn’t worry if your wedding falls on one of these weekends (more for your guests to do before and after the wedding!) it just means you may need to secure lodging even earlier than you thought.
The best Leavenworth WA wedding venues
Tierra Retreat Center
Tierra Retreat Center is conveniently located just a few miles from downtown Leavenworth. The venue has a handful of great features- including the main lodge and reception lawn, an outdoor amphitheater for ceremonies, sprawling meadows, walking trails (to all the best photo spots!), a dedicated yoga yurt and suites for overnight accommodations. The main lodge has several getting ready rooms in different areas of the building which means both of you can get ready in the same place without worrying about running into each other before the first look or ceremony!
Visit the Tierra Retreat Center website.
See what a real wedding at Tierra Retreat Center looks like on the blog!
Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort
Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort is also just a few miles from downtown Leavenworth and features both outdoor and indoor spaces. Lodging accommodations are available on site too!
Mountain Springs Lodge
Mountain Springs Lodge is a short drive from downtown Leavenworth. The venue has outdoor ceremony spaces and both indoor barn and lodge style reception spaces to choose from.
Pine River Ranch
Pine River Ranch is a bed and breakfast about 20 minutes from downtown Leavenworth and sits on 22 acres! The venue offers outdoor ceremony spaces with a historic barn serving as the reception site. There are also two separate getting ready suites! It is required that you rent all available suites at Pine River Ranch the night of your event.
Brown Family Homestead
Brown Family Homestead is about 30 minutes from downtown Leavenworth but worth the drive! The ceremony site is on the hill slightly above the farm and offers amphitheater-style seating on beautiful wooden benches. Accommodations are available to rent but are completely optional.
Where to stay in Leavenworth WA
Some venues I listed will have accommodation options on site. For those that don’t or for guests needing accommodations, here are some great places to stay near downtown Leavenworth WA.
Leavenworth AirBnB’s
Stones Throw Cottage in Downtown Leavenworth
Leavenworth Wedding Vendors
Leavenworth is home to some amazing wedding vendors! Everyone on this list is either someone I know or someone I’ve worked with personally! I wanted to give you a good start on narrowing down planners, rental companies, Hair and Makeup artists, caterers and more!
Wedding planners/coordinators
Colleen Simpson Weddings and Events
Videographers
Through the Glass Films (They filmed my wedding!)
Florists
Rentals
HRJ Events and Vintage Rentals
Catering
Ravenous (They catered my wedding!)
Hair and Makeup
Cake/Desserts
DJ’s
I hope this guide to getting married in Leavenworth WA was helpful!
Still need a Leavenworth wedding photographer? I’d love to be there for you! If you want a photographer who feels like a friend, who is someone you can rely on not just for beautiful pictures, but to keep your timeline on track, calm your nerves, go with the flow and get you a glass of champagne when you need it, then I’m your girl!
Here’s what some of my past couples have to say:
“I had such a great time working with Tiffany! She made the experience really fun and we felt immediately comfortable with her.”
“Tiffany was fantastic to work with! On our wedding day it felt like a friend was taking our photos- she worked so well with my family and vendor team. It was so much fun.”
So let me be everything you need- a photographer, a friend, a shoulder to lean on (or cry happy tears on) and a steady supplier of good vibes on your wedding day.
Send me a message to see if I have your date available!
[…] helped you! If you’re looking for more Leavenworth wedding planning tips, check out this blog post I wrote full of great tips and wedding venue and vendor […]