Hotels in Gold Bar, WA

“Wallace Falls Lodge is a special place to get married. It’s secluded, surrounded by nature, and we even saw a mama and baby deer during our stay. We, along with our wedding party, stayed in the lodge before and after the wedding, and that time together was so meaningful. Everyone was comfortable (each room has its own bathroom!) and loved the cozy feel of the lodge. A gem of the property is the “spa room”—it’s perfect for wedding day hair and makeup and made getting ready so easy.

The lodge provides a lot of event essentials: a large event tent, live edge tables, white chairs, a permanent bar, and event tables. Not having to rent those items or coordinate deliveries was a huge relief. While I didn’t meet the day-of venue staff myself, my coordinator worked with Adrienne and said she was amazing—thoughtful, thorough, and went above and beyond. Based on our final details call with Adrienne, I felt confident she would take care of us, and she did. Overall, the venue itself was absolutely the right place for us, and we’re beyond happy with how our wedding turned out.

Fair warning, planning a wedding here is complex. You’re responsible for finding, vetting, and making sure each contract complies with the venue’s requirements before signing. This gave us freedom to shape the wedding we wanted with our chosen vendors, but it was a tremendous amount of work. The vendor list provided could have been more helpful if it were updated with more recent recommendations or vendors they have partnership agreements with.

There are logistical quirks worth being aware of. The venue prohibits use of lodge water (including hose water) for event purposes such as filling chafing dishes. It makes sense that they need to conserve well water, but it meant we had to bring in about 50 gallons of water ourselves. On top of that, there’s no event-designated refrigeration or freezer space on-site (the lodge’s kitchen is not available for wedding use). To make it work, we borrowed about 10 coolers from family and friends and arranged for 500 lbs of ice locally (we used all but 20 pounds for a 100 person wedding). While it ultimately worked out, pulling that together took hours of additional planning and was one of the most stressful parts of the process.

The venue manager, Kendra, is warm, upbeat, and a great host when touring prospective couples—she clearly shines at marketing the venue. But in the months leading up to our wedding, we struggled with her communication and management. At times she gave us information inconsistent with our contract (like different “last song” cut-off times), or advice that contradicted venue rules. Meetings took significantly longer than they needed to because of unrelated tangents, and the lack of efficiency became frustrating when we had so much else on our plates. After we’d agreed all communication should route through our coordinator starting the Thursday before the wedding, she messaged us directly instead of respecting that arrangement. For us, it was important to fully disconnect and be present, and that boundary being overlooked was disappointing.

In the end, we wouldn’t change our choice. Wallace Falls Lodge is a stunning, one-of-a-kind venue that gave us the wedding we hoped for. Just go in with eyes open to the extra logistics, plan ahead for water/ice/cooler needs, and ideally work with a coordinator who can help bridge the gaps. With those things in place, you’ll have an amazing experience in a gorgeous setting.”

“Direct access to a Thai Restaurant & Bar with outstanding food and a full Bar!

Nearby activities: Right on HWY 2. Good access to everything you may need before starting the assent to Stevens Pass.”