Nichole & Andrew’s Intimate Idaho Wedding at Redfish Lake

General, Real Elopements,

4 min read Oct 13, 2020

Fate has a way of bringing two people who may not have ordinarily met together, and that’s exactly how Nichole and Andrew’s love story began. After a chance encounter during their respective jobs, they knew that there was something between them, and slowly began falling for one another. After an intimate proposal, Nichole and Andrew knew that they wanted to keep their wedding day small, intimate and personal, without spending time and money on a large, more traditional wedding. They found their perfect venue at Redfish Lake in Idaho, and on July 1, 2020, Nichole and Andrew said their vows amongst a small group of loved ones. Read all about their big day – and the details leading up to it – below!

How did you meet? What was your first impression of one another?

I was working for a bank, and he worked for our armored truck service, delivering us our shipment of money. It wasn’t always my job to accept the delivery, but all my coworkers knew when they saw him enter the building, I was making it my job that day. When I looked at him, I felt intrigued by him. When he looked at me, he [said he] had no idea that he had a chance.

When did you first fall in love? How did you know?

We fell in love slowly over time. We actually agreed that we would just be friends! We saw each other weekly and each week, the conversations got deeper and eventually, we realized that we were meant for each other. I’m not sure if it was when I caught him spending as much time saying goodbye to my cats as he did saying goodbye to me in the mornings, or if it was when he realized I’d drive through a blizzard just to spend time with him that we really fell in love. But one day we just realized we loved each other in that “you just know” kind of way that people in love can’t explain.

How did you propose or accept the proposal?

Andrew proposed to me in the park where we spent hours getting to know each other. That park is usually crowded with people, but in the middle of the day he got down on one knee and for those few minutes, nobody walked by. It’s like the world stopped for us to have that private moment. We’ve talked about how surreal that was.

What do you love about your partner?

I love that he is playful, thoughtful and willing to adventure through this world with me. He loves that I will always need him to kill the bugs in the house that nobody but me can spot.

What is the greatest strength of your relationship?

Our dedication to one another and shared passion for living a life that is adventurous and meaningful.

Why did you decide to elope?

Our love is special to us and intimate. We wanted our wedding day to be the same way. We didn’t want to spend time, energy, and money on a big fancy party. We wanted to spend our day together, having fun with the people who made us who we are.

How did you find Simply Eloped?

I knew about it because of research I had done. But a close family friend mentioned this company to me, and I took it as a sign that we should pick them and trust them with our important day.

How did you know Simply Eloped was the right fit for you?

I spent months trying to find the perfect location. Simply Eloped was great at communicating with us and they found us the PERFECT spot to get married, in a state we never thought of, in a place nobody ever heard of.

What attracted you to the venue you eloped at?

The mountains, the scenery, the fact that it was off the beaten path. It allowed us to have what we called an “adventure wedding.”

What activities did you do before the wedding? How did you prepare? How did you feel leading up to the moments of your elopement?

We spent the week horseback riding, white water rafting, exploring in an ATV rental, and relaxing under the stars next to the river. We spent our wedding morning out on a pontoon boat with all our friends. And leading up to the elopement, we felt energized and high on life. We felt ready.

Tell us about your experience with Simply Eloped leading up to and on your big day!

They were great with communication! We needed that because we didn’t live anywhere near where we got married. We had no idea what to really expect. We took a chance and it paid off!

How did you celebrate after?

We had dinner at Limberts and went back to our cabin to celebrate with all our guests.

What words of encouragement do you have for those considering eloping?

You need to do it. A wedding day should be about you and the love of your life and the fact that you found each other in this crazy world, and all the decisions in your life led up to this moment. Focus on how rare that is, and create a day for yourself that you will enjoy. You won’t regret it, and everyone will understand.

Planning: Simply Eloped
Officiation: John Moreland
Photography: Christine Hansen

General Real Elopements

Written by Karen Norian

Karen Norian is an elopement photographer and has photographed over a hundred elopements. Karen has also worked as an elopement planner for Simply Eloped. She's been quoted in the New York Times, Brides, Hello Giggles, Bustle, Yahoo, and more.