Some Spokane wedding venues feel distinctly Pacific Northwest, while others lean more classic and elegant. Arbor Crest Wine Cellars somehow manages to bring both together.
Bailey and Matthew’s wedding at Arbor Crest Wine Cellars in Spokane, Washington had the lush greenery and towering trees you would expect from a Pacific Northwest wedding, but the historic architecture, vineyard setting, and elegant details gave the day a more European-inspired feel.
The overall vibe actually reminded me a lot of another Spokane wedding I photographed, Ella and Sam’s wedding at Bozarth Mansion. They are one of my other sweet past couples, and their wedding had a similar romantic, timeless feeling, but Bailey and Matthew’s day felt a little more PNW-inspired and a little less European.
You can see Ella and Sam’s Bozarth Mansion wedding here if you want to see another example of my Spokane wedding photography.
I had also photographed Bailey and Matthew’s engagement session in the Tetons in Wyoming, so this wasn’t my first time photographing them. I traveled for both their engagement session and their wedding, which made getting to document their entire story especially meaningful.
You can see some of my favorite photos from Bailey and Matthew’s engagement session here on Instagram.
Getting Ready at the Cliff House Estate at Arbor Crest
We started the wedding day with the girls getting ready at the on-site Cliff House Estate at Arbor Crest.
One of my favorite things about Arbor Crest for wedding photography is that there is actually plenty of space to spread out. The historic Cliff House is a three-story Florentine-style mansion, originally built in 1924, and it gives the wedding party plenty of different rooms and little areas to use throughout the day.
For Bailey and Matthew, the girls were on the top floor while the guys were on the middle floor, which made getting ready feel really easy and relaxed. There were plenty of cute spaces for photos without everyone feeling like they were crowded into one room.
The bridal suite in particular has the cutest vintage-looking couches and pretty chandeliers that were perfect for displaying Bailey’s gorgeous gown.
We started with the girls, photographing the wedding details and flat lay, followed by plenty of fun pajama photos and candid moments while everyone got ready.
Then it was time for Bailey to get into her dress.
The architecture, natural light, greenery, and historic details of the Cliff House made such a beautiful setting for these images. It gave the photos that elevated, almost European feeling while still keeping all of the natural character that makes Arbor Crest in Spokane so special.
Bailey & Matthew’s Tetons Engagement Photos
Since I had already traveled to Wyoming to photograph Bailey and Matthew’s engagement session, I already knew how much I loved working with them. In fact, ever since we first met on their initial consultation call with me, I knew we were going to be a perfect fit.
Their engagement photos in the Tetons gave us a completely different landscape from their wedding day, which I actually love about traveling for my couples.
Their engagement session was all about dramatic mountain landscapes, while their wedding day brought us historic architecture, vineyards, gardens, and towering Spokane greenery.
It’s one of my favorite parts of being a traveling wedding photographer. Your engagement photos and wedding photos don’t have to look exactly the same. We can make each location part of the story.
First Look & Couple Portraits at Arbor Crest
After Bailey was ready, she and Matthew had their first look before we moved into couple portraits.
The grounds at Arbor Crest are naturally beautiful, which made this part of the day so much fun.
Between the gardens, vineyard, massive trees, historic architecture, and views overlooking the Spokane River Valley, there are so many different places to create Arbor Crest wedding photos without ever feeling like you’re taking the same photo over and over again.
I love giving couples a combination of romantic, intentional portraits and more natural images that happen while we’re walking, talking, or simply taking in the surroundings.
Bailey and Matthew’s portraits had that classic, timeless feeling they love, while the setting gave everything a little more personality.
Wedding Party Photos at Arbor Crest
After couple portraits, we photographed the wedding party.
I always want wedding party photos to feel efficient and fun. We’ll absolutely get the classic photos everyone wants, but I also want people to actually enjoy themselves and not feel like they’re stuck taking pictures for an hour.
Arbor Crest made this especially easy because there are so many beautiful areas throughout the property.
The venue has four acres of gardens and grounds, along with spaces including the Enchanted Forest, Estate Courtyard, Vineyard Tent, and the historic Cliff House itself. That variety gives a Spokane wedding photographer so many options for creating a gallery that feels visually diverse.
A Christ-Centered Wedding Ceremony
Then it was time for Bailey and Matthew’s ceremony.
Their ceremony was deeply Christ-centered, and it was really meaningful to document the moments that made the ceremony personal to them.
While I love creating beautiful portraits, the ceremony is always a reminder that wedding photography is about much more than pretty images. It’s about preserving the people, emotions, relationships, and meaning behind the day.
I was watching for the big moments, but also the smaller reactions happening throughout the ceremony. Those little moments are what help turn a collection of wedding photos into a complete story.
Cocktail Hour & Dinner at Arbor Crest
After the ceremony, everyone moved into cocktail hour before dinner.
This is where I really started to see the entire aesthetic of the day come together. The historic estate, gardens, vineyard, and Spokane Valley views gave everything such a beautiful European-inspired wedding feeling while still being unmistakably Pacific Northwest.
Arbor Crest offers several different areas for weddings and receptions, including the Estate Courtyard and Vineyard Tent, with four acres of gardens and grounds surrounding the historic estate.
Wedding Highlight Videos
I also wanted to highlight something a little different about this wedding because I know not every couple is ready to commit to a full wedding videographer.
I offer wedding highlight videos for couples who want to have some video coverage alongside their photography without hiring a completely separate full-service videography team.
For Bailey and Matthew’s wedding, my second shooter was capturing video throughout the day for me while photographing alongside me. So they’re able to have both their full photography gallery and a beautiful video recap of their wedding day.
If you’ve been debating whether you want video but aren’t sure you want to commit to a full videographer, this can be a really great middle ground.
You can watch Bailey and Matthew’s wedding highlight sneak peek on Instagram here.
A European-Inspired Spokane Wedding
What I loved most about Bailey and Matthew’s wedding was how it combined two aesthetics that I love.
You have the Pacific Northwest side of Spokane, with huge trees, natural greenery, vineyards, and beautiful views.
Then you have the historic architecture of the Cliff House, which gives the entire venue a more European-inspired feeling.
That combination made this wedding so much fun to photograph.
If you love the lush, green feeling of the PNW but want your wedding photos to have a more elegant and European-inspired look, Arbor Crest Wine Cellars is such a beautiful option.
I would absolutely love to photograph another wedding here.
Wedding Send-Off at Arbor Crest
The day ended with their send-off, bringing the entire wedding celebration to a close.
From getting ready in the historic Cliff House, to their first look and couple portraits, the wedding party, Christ-centered ceremony, dinner, and celebration, Bailey and Matthew’s wedding was such a beautiful day to document.
It was romantic, timeless, elegant, and full of the natural beauty that makes Spokane wedding photography so special.
Arbor Crest Wine Cellars Wedding Photography | Spokane Wedding Photographer
If you’re searching for Arbor Crest Wine Cellars wedding photos, I hope this gallery gives you a good idea of just how much variety you can get from a wedding here.
The historic Cliff House, gardens, vineyard, huge trees, and panoramic Spokane Valley views create so many opportunities for beautiful wedding portraits and candid moments.
You can visit the official Arbor Crest Wine Cellars website or learn more about weddings at Arbor Crest.
As a traveling PNW wedding photographer, I love coming back to Washington for weddings. I’ve photographed weddings throughout the Pacific Northwest, and Spokane is a place I would happily return to again and again.
If you’re looking for an Arbor Crest wedding photographer, Spokane wedding photographer, or PNW wedding photographer, I would love to hear about your wedding.
You can inquire about your wedding here, view my wedding photography services, or browse more wedding galleries on my blog.
You can also follow me on Instagram @torielisabethphoto for more Spokane wedding photography, PNW weddings, destination weddings, engagement sessions, and behind-the-scenes moments.
And if you love the lush, natural side of my work, you can also see my Nestldown wedding in Los Gatos, California, another wedding gallery with plenty of greenery and that PNW-inspired feeling I love so much.
I can’t wait to photograph your day.
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