Tips for the Perfect Enchanted Forest Wedding
Planning an enchanted forest wedding? Here are some tips to have the enchanted forest wedding of your dreams!:
VENUE + SCENERY
The venue you choose for your enchanted forest wedding is the most important aspect. I recommend looking for outdoor locations that have plenty of pine trees, which stay beautiful all year long and can give you “enchanted forest wedding” vibes no matter when your wedding is. If you opt for a foresty venue with lots of trees that does NOT have pine trees, keep in mind trees change throughout the year. Make sure you look up examples of the area in the month you’re planning on getting married. And keep in mind mid to late October to about April NON-pine trees will look dead and bare. (If you’re going full Tim Burton and love that look, awesome.. but most people like to avoid those months.) Pine trees are a great way to get moody scenery and that enchanted forest feel.
For M + L’s intimate mountain wedding, it ended up SNOWING the day before, which was unexpected, but they still had the enchanted forest wedding of their dreams. I feel so fortunate that I got to be their wedding photographer. I helped M find the location for the ceremony and photos, and helped put together a timeline for the best lighting. I’m so happy with the moody vibes and even happier that M + L got the wedding they wanted. The location was perfect for them. They got an Airbnb 5 minutes from the ceremony location where everyone got ready, did the ceremony in the mountains, that we obtained a permit for, we took photos in one of my favorite areas nearby, and then the reception was 10-15 minutes away at London Studios in Salt Lake City, Utah.
TIME OF YEAR
Time of year is also important if you want an enchanted forest wedding. The best months for an enchanted forest wedding are between July and mid-October. (Don’t push it past October 10th or you’ll risk everything being dead.) Personally, September and early October are my absolute favorite times for ANY wedding, but especially an enchanted forest wedding. The lighting is gorgeous, the scenery is epic, and it’s the best time for the best wedding photos.
Keep in mind, where you live might have different seasons, and I can help you decide the best time for your wedding depending on where it will be. Most areas are still the best between July and early October.
COLORS
The best colors for an enchanted forest wedding are shades that give a pop of “drama”— think deep tones with metallic accents or deep tones with neutral accents or vice versa. Here are the best color palette ideas for an enchanted forest wedding:
For a moody fall enchanted forest wedding, think eucalyptus green, wine red, and complimentary colors.
You might notice a trend with colors that work well in an enchanted forest wedding: earthy greens and browns along with a pop of moody tones, such as burgundy, plum, or copper. If your wedding will be in a forest, the deep greens and browns will already be a part of nature, so choose hues that are complimentary to those shades. Once you have your earthy tones, choose a bold shade that you love, and keep the rest of your colors in a similar family. For example, if you choose plum for your main color, consider adding in accents like mauve, grey, black, silver (or gold), and a few shades lighter or darker than your main plum color, will help your enchanted forest wedding colors pop.
More photos from this gorgeous enchanted forest wedding at Big Cottonwood Canyon in Utah:
Working with M + L on their intimate enchanted forest wedding was an absolute DREAM. I would love to help you plan your enchanted forest wedding and get photos similar to these of your big day. There are so many factors that go into the perfect enchanted forest wedding and I love helping my couples put together a timeline that will be perfect for them and their photos.
Datura Photo | Wedding and elopement photographer in Utah and the PNW and worldwide. Contact me here!