We Chased Waterfalls

Waterfall ceremonies surged for us this year, from hidden Poconos drops to popular park spillways, and each one taught us how to balance beauty with access, rules, and sound. We share real venues, what worked, what failed, and the simple choices that keep vows audible and guests safe.

• why spring flow and fall color create different risks and rewards
• managing sound near loud water without overpacking tech
• permit rules, deposits, and venues that ban weddings
• accessibility, footwear, and realistic guest planning
• when to step back for vows and move close for photos
• lessons from Marshall’s Falls, Illick’s Mill, Nolde Forest, Hawk Falls, Dry Run Falls, Sweet Arrow Lake
• backup plans for no cell service and limited parking
• nearby dream locations to consider across the region
• concise ceremony pacing to respect public spaces

If you haven't already, please subscribe, like, comment, and share to help us reach even more listeners who might laugh a little at the wedding wear
For the links referenced in the show, visit Linktree at OfficiatingByamanda
If you have a question you'd like me to answer on the podcast, just send an email to theweddingwear podcast at gmail.com
If you're ready to inquire about officiating services for your own big day, you can reach me at officiatingbyamanda at gmail.com

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome And Waterfall Trend
• 2:40 Pros, Cons, And Seasonality
• 5:30 Sound, Tech, And Permit Rules
• 8:20 Accessibility, Safety, And Weather
• 10:05 Marshall’s Falls Elopements
• 14:20 Illick’s Mill Park Spillway
• 17:00 Nolde Forest Lessons Learned
• 19:10 Hawk Falls Hike At Hickory Run
• 21:10 Dry Run Falls Logistics
• 23:10 Sweet Arrow Lake Strategy
• 25:00 Dream Venues To Consider
• 26:30 Final Tips And Takeaways
• 28:10 Closing And Listener CTA

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:04

The wedding wear with officiating by Amanda. The wedding where we chased waterfalls. Welcome back to The Wedding Where. This is Amanda, and this is a podcast where we listen, we don't judge, and we sometimes find ourselves saying, Yes, I will officiate your wedding at a waterfall. Today's episode is focused on waterfalls and not the TLC song. I'm going to put that disclaimer out there right now. 2025 really was the year of waterfalls in my realm. It was one of the most popular venue choices that I had seen all year and different waterfalls at that, not all the same. I'd gone 11 years of officiating weddings and never did a waterfall. I to be fair, I did a few that had like a water feature, or we were next to a river or a creek, and there were some like babbling, and I'm sure that there were some great pictures, but not the same as up in a mountain, the water cascades down and falls. And then bam, six of them in 2025. And honestly, they've all been magical in their own way. But like any outdoor wedding that we've talked about in the snow and the heat and the rain or the wind, waterfalls as a venue does come with its own pros and cons. So we're going to cover some of the places that I've been to, some of the seasons, the noise you got to take into account, safety. But is that outweighed by the beauty? Are there certain rules in place that you got to be aware of and practical tips that you really should think about if you are looking at doing one of these waterfalls? And I'll have a few that I'll mention in the podcast as the venue for your wedding. So this trend. Again, I grew up in Northeast PA. We've had these falls. I grew up knowing about Bushkill Falls and Marshalls Creek. It was called that because of the Marshall Falls leading into Marshalls Creek and Dingman Falls and just falls for days. But I had never officiated at Waterfalls. And there were six this year. Six. That's crazy. Some were simple elopements, just myself and the couple. So that changed up things a little bit. A few had like a bridal party with them, and others were full ceremonies. Everybody's driving their car up to the top of a mountain with no surface and really just digging in. And for couples who really want like nature, movement, tranquility with noise, though, greenery, unique backdrops, and just some wow aesthetics for their pictures and their vows. You can't be a good waterfall. You can't. And I know I have friends who go up to, oh gosh, it's Glenn, Glen Rooket National Park, and they love the falls there. I can't even imagine if this was that. But you have to remember that waterfalls, while they are pretty, they're also loud. There is water. So there can be moisture and dampness and cold. There's opportunity for slipperiness. And anytime you're outside, you have to remember that nature does whatever it wants. So before we get into some specific spots, here are some main things just to keep at your forefront while we dive into some of these falls. There are really great seasons and then there are really bad seasons. And I don't just mean for like the greenery of pictures, I also mean for water levels. So obviously, spring and fall are going to be really nice, but spring might be a little bit better because of recent snow and ice having melted. There's more water coming down through the mountains. Fall, you could blink and miss the greenery. And if there hadn't been a lot of rain towards the end of the summer and into the early fall season, you might not have much coming through your waterfall. It might just be rocks with a trickle. So while the overall setting might look perfect if you really are like that waterfall is the piste de resistance, you might want to think about a time when it's likely that the water will be flowing. But on the flip side, do you want too much water flowing? I mean, you could risk a lot if it is really pouring over. Sound is a key thing. So if you are planning to be right up near the falls, next to the falls, so close that you could get the mist off of the falls, you might want to plan for a mic, or if it's just the two of you with your officiant, knowing that your officiant's going to be real close and real loud just to combat the sound levels. I would recommend maybe thinking about taking like five bunny hops away from the falls. You're still going to get them in every picture. You're still going to get them in the background for the ceremony. But from a talking perspective, and I say talking and not yelling perspective, it's a lot better. And I say that because a lot of these places do not have great service, cell service at all. So let alone Wi-Fi or connectivity. And most mics that are brought these days are wireless and Bluetooth connected. And there's certainly no electric electric outlet to plug into to get you like an amp or a speaker. So tech is really fun. You definitely these places lend themselves to being low tech, but that also means that you have to make some concessions in terms of sound. Look at the rules for permits. Yeah. One of the weddings that I did at a waterfall is now the reason that I have a clause in my contract about the couple being responsible for getting all needed permits for the venue that they are seeking to get married in, because some of these are not actually allowed to be wedding venues and not even for elopements. So look up the rules, look up the regulations. Some of them just need that you put in a little reservation. Some want a light, a very light donation or deposit that just helps to maintain the cleanliness, the accessibility, and the beauty of these areas. Just do it. Don't. Yes, we're balling on a budget and I get it, but don't be the person that risks a hundred and hundreds and hundreds of dollar fine because, oh, it's only the two of us. It doesn't apply. It does. If it says it on the website, it does. Please just follow along. Because if not, they're gonna make it like locked up all day, every day for everybody. Think about accessibility and parking. Some of the waterfalls, I mean, you could drive past in your car. And so they're really easy to see and really easy to get to. But there's others that are off a ways, or as I mentioned before, up in the mountains without service and Wi-Fi. Be thinking about how far you want to go and if you're actually like dressing for a wedding with a dress and some heels. Is that walk safe in your intended attire? And to that end, your guests and safety. So if you've got more than just the two of you, a photographer and an officiant, you gotta think about other people, wet rocks, wetness anywhere, uneven paths or trails, proximity to water. Those are the biggest things. You know, don't just be, ooh, ah, the pictures. There's a lot more to keep in mind. And knowing that, once again, you're outside. Nature picks its own things every way. It could be as accessible of a path, you could get it for no money, all the parking scare. But if it rained the day before and overnight the temperatures got low, now suddenly there's ice where you didn't think that there would be ice and the water might not be flowing as much as you want it to be. And that's all nature. We can't change that. So let's dive into some waterfalls I was at this year, as well as some waterfalls I would recommend people to check out. Cough, cough, wink, wink. I would love to do a wedding in that area very, very soon. So the first one I want to highlight was actually the first waterfall one that I did this year. It's just a very simple elopement, and it was at Marshall's Falls in Marshalls Creek, Pennsylvania, up in the Poconos, very much a hidden gem. It's a waterfall drop through a narrow, rocky chasm into a small gorge with a rock wall, framed absolutely beautifully. And I grew up in the area and never, never knew that this existed. And I don't know what it looked like back in the day when I was growing up, but it has recently been totally redone, the walking path, that is. And it is very ADA friendly in most spots, very easy access for guests. There's a gorgeous wooden bridge that has been reinforced and now more supportive that goes over the spill-off from the waterfall. And really, really beautiful. They've also added a lot of benches and viewing spots that make for a nice natural like amphitheater, perfect for photos, as well as perfect for if there's people who don't have the means to get all the way to the falls, but they want to still see what's going on. They can, they can sit up before you start kind of curving down. Again, back to sound, they might not be able to hear anything without a mic, but it's still really nice. Things to keep in mind is that the best view is along the main walking trail. And it's not a super wide trail. And there's really only like one option, the way in, and one option the way out, which is over that little wooden bridge. It can get crowded if you tried to bring more than a small group in for that spot. So the most I saw with a wedding here was eight people plus the couple and myself. So 11. Parking is limited. And it's just kind of a quick turn off of the road that's on. And you go down a little steep driveway and there's like 10 spots. And if they're booked, they're booked. And then you'd have to climb back out. There's not a great way of like turning around. Definitely plan ahead. If you've got a fair amount of people, maybe even like a van, a shuttle, like a drop-and-go situation so that you're not tying up parking. And because it is a public park, you really need to be respectful of other visitors. So I would say, like, as soon, like, don't plan for a half-hour long ceremony. Go with something shorter. Get in, get the ceremony done, get your pictures taken, and aim to take more pictures as you're leaving out. Or if you are a hiker and want to continue on the pathway, get more pictures on the pathway. Leave the main spot that is right by the waterfall open for other people to do it. So the first one I did there was a very simple woman. It was just myself and the couple. And it had been a little cold, it'd been a little rainy. We had actually driven by a few other waterfalls on the way to this one. And because of the recent wetness and rain that there had been, they were not going to be accessible. So was really happy to stumble upon this one. And the walkways that they had were very, very feasible. The next one I did there was really cool. The couple did their own vows, but they used the waterfall to their advantage. They only wanted each other to hear the vows. So when we got to that point in the ceremony, they left where we were kind of congregating at a space about four bunny hops from the falls, so that everyone else, they had the party of like 10, everyone else could hear them, or could hear us, I should say, during the ceremony. And then they walked really up next to the waterfall for their own vows and they went by themselves. I was not with them, nobody else was with them. They did their own vows, their cute way, no one else could hear them, dried their eyes and came back when they were ready. Really a well play, if you do ask me. A slightly different take, but when I was putting together this episode, I'm like, okay, this looked like a waterfall. Kind of shits, I guess. So that is the Illicks Park in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. So again, not a traditional forced waterfall, but there's a spillway and a stream at the park near the historic Illic Mill, which gives you that like water feature backdrop. And without having like a long hike, a muddy trail, plenty of parking, really easy to get to, and really easy to walk around. I mean, it's it's a park. The mill itself is really historic. It's a stone-gristed mill from the 19th century in Monacassi Park, and the water rushing over the rocks near the mill creates a really nice, beautiful scenic spot for photos, smaller ceremonies. The day we went, it had been raining for about a whole week before. The water was high. The water was rushing. It was not as picturesque because it was that fast. And it was incredibly loud where we were possessioned. I was yelling the entire wedding. On look back, because it had been at a park, I really wish someone would have brought a portable mic and speaker system. That would have been really, really fantastic. But I work with what I get. So I really liked it. Again, it was less of a hike. Older relatives were able to park and within five steps, all on an even path, be seated in a chair where they need to be. Things were able to be quickly dropped off and provided and not like traips through the woods. And the backdrop had that natural flowing feel. I will say it wasn't as wet as some of the waterfalls I've been at because the water's not dropping from as high and the splashing as far. But because it was still a very wet season, it was quite loud. But much like any park or any really outdoor setting, you're going to want to check on regulations ahead of time. There were gazebos there that had been booked by other people. There were lots of people walking through as well that we had to be mindful of when we were going through the ceremony. And thankfully we weren't super, super lengthy, but you know, I'm sure I wasn't paying much attention. I faced forward and presented to the people. I wasn't paying attention to the photo bombers behind me walking through the ceremony. Another place I was at this year with some small falls is Nilby Forest Environmental Education Center in Coomery Township in Burks County, really close to Reading. It is a beautiful woodland park with streams, small falls by the old sawmill. Absolutely perfect for nature lovers. But here's the key, direct from their website. Weddings are not currently permitted there. That's the one that has now caused the clause of my contract. I had done a wedding there during COVID, high to COVID. And because it was an outdoor space, and because it was myself and the couple, we were, we actually did the outdoor wedding while up on a hike outside, unmasked by the Nature Center. And there wasn't really a soul around, and no one said boo. And in COVID, I don't think that we really checked the website or that we really cared all that much. But yeah, we should have. We should have. Because when we pulled up for this wedding this time, we were informed that this is not a venue that you can do weddings at, despite the fact that I'd done one there. So we found kind of a happy medium a little further down at the sawmill, which is actually where this waterfall I'm referencing was. That is the only place that would allow elopements and bits of wedding. But again, really only by permit and lots of other stipulations and clauses, which the couple had not gotten. Hope there's no law enforcement listening to this, but uh we scooted down there because we were there and ready, did it anyway, and then left out. But that is not what the practice will be going forward. And I really recommend for everybody, anytime you want to, you think, oh, it's an outside space, it's free, check online just to see. If there is paperwork you have to fill out, if there's a simple deposit, it might not be free. But that shouldn't stop you because these places are beautiful and they're worth a donation or a deposit to make sure that you don't destroy the natural beauty of these settings. Always check the rules. Another fall that was visited this year was at Hickory Run State Park, and it's known for Hawk Falls Trail. So Hickory Run itself covers 15,000 acres in the Poconor Mountains, and it's known for its trails and its natural features. The trail that we went on to was a hike, and there was no cell surface. And we walked it, and it was not paved. It was single file line, not really super accessible. Absolutely beautiful. Loud. Gorgeous day, though. Gorgeous day. The right amount of sunshine, the right amount of heat. The bride's footwear was not good. If I had to do it again here, I would do the ceremony. Again, a few more steps back from the falls. We literally were on a rock at the edge. Like if I did a half leap from this rock, I would have been in the water. We were quite close. It was loud. I know I yelled in the ear of the couple for the entire ceremony. I would have recommended stepping back a bit for the ceremony just for ease of hearing and sound. And then for pictures, go ahead, go wherever you need to go. But we kind of did a little different. But it was beautiful, absolutely beautiful. I think that I took the most pictures there this whole year of all the weddings that I did. It was gorgeous. An interesting one that was done this year was at Dry Run Falls near Forksville, Pennsylvania. Really pretty, picture-perfect waterfall. Lots of good parking. A little, how do you get there? Because it's up one way, a windy-windy road, and you're not sure if you're supposed to turn left or right, but you just keep going until you hit it and you'd figure out once you got there. And the ceremony location, like the falls are further back, and you really can't get to them. So it kept us back without the water screaming over top of us. And once again, this was fall, early fall. Really good water flow. Not too much, not too little. The greenery was perfect. It wasn't, it was all still green. It wasn't yellow and orange yet for all the leaf peepers. Very Instagram worthy. But no place is perfect. Absolutely not. And the issue with this place is that there's absolutely no cell service, which meant there was no live streaming possible for a few guests that couldn't make it. There was no quick check-ins between myself and the couple to make sure I was headed to the right spot. And in my questioning, did I make it to the right spot? I couldn't even check my map. So plan ahead. Recommend that people do the old map quest thing and print their directions or download them. And really just let your vendors and guests know what to expect. But really a wonderful place. I think it was it's nearby, like at World's End. And I'm like, World's End? That's amazing of a name. One of the early waterfall weddings of the year that made me think this might be a trend was at Sweet Arrow Lake in Pine Grove, Pennsylvania. And this one might take the cake for being like a really great feel. It was a lovely path to the creek and the falls. A couple spots that, you know, a little off kilter, but again, when I compare to the hikes I did this year, this is nothing. Easy to get to. And we positioned ourselves again, not immediately upon like when you get to the one path, you can either go left, which is more up towards the falls. We went right a little more down and curved so that you could see the entirety of the falls in the background of the shot. But it also meant that we were far enough away for sound. And given that it was March, it was a little cold. So not being directly on top of the water, big, big plus. So it wasn't loud, but the beauty of those falls with the couple in the background, and it was them, a photographer, the bride's mother, and a few other people. I moved myself out of the way. I don't have to be in the middle. And for the pictures, I certainly was not. It's the couple holding each other's hands with the waterfall. It's beautiful. And it's really important to think about it. You don't need to be up next to it. You don't need the full force of the roaring. Sometimes you just want gentle. And the background of it is enough. So six, six waterfall weddings. Six. And there's other falls I would love to do weddings at in the region. Some are really popular and good for hiking and very scenic spots for locals and visitors alike. So if you are thinking about some of these for your wedding, hit me up. Would love to be in consideration to do a wedding at one of these spots. So there is Bushkill Falls, the Niagara of Pennsylvania, it's called. And it is a complex of eight falls with trails and bridges that make for really spectacular photo ops. Dingman's Falls and Silver Thread Falls are tall, iconic falls in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, aka My Backyard. Come on up. Bush Buttermilk Falls is a 45-foot waterfall in a natural park with woodland views. I do know that it's been under some like construction recently. The stability around the falls isn't great. So really, we gotta take account to that. That might be one we are not at for a little while. Luke's Falls and other gorge waterfalls are around the Lehigh Gorge Trail. And they really combine natural beauty, distinguishing character. And if you're an adventurous couple, might be kind of perfect for you. So, tips and takeaways. We're gonna get this through. Let's go. Please check for regulations and permits and make sure that you have permission for anything that you're looking to do there. Even an elopement with just a photographer and officiant, you might need a permit. And those permits are worth it. They help maintain the beauty of the venue. They help with cleanup, they help with trash, they help with dumping porta potties. You know, please just do it. Check ahead. Scout out what sound looks like. Think about if a microphone or sound system is going to be possible or worth it. Or if you might want to take a few, as I said, bunny hops away from the falls while there's talking going on and then move closer for when you don't have to hear. Think about safety. Water and rocks make for slippery surfaces. So warn your guests: proper footwear. Don't be afraid to not be in a flowing white gown. It's okay. You can wear whatever you want. Be safe and have a plan. Know that weather always plays a factor and water flow really matters. So a spring snowmill and rain can enhance a waterfall, but it's a very fine line between beautiful enhancement and like rushing, flowing, dangerous, scary, or, you know, the water's just going so fast that it doesn't really look nice. It's kind of like brown and turned over. You can't really change that though. Think about parking and accessibility and cell service. Make some plans for whoever you got coming. So that, yeah, especially if there's no service, you're not left thinking, gosh, am I just driving down a road where I'm going to die someday? And always remember that nature is beautiful, but it is unpredictable. No matter what, though, there will be unforgettable photos and unforgettable moments. Some of my best weddings, beautiful weddings, have had so much rain. You just might have to plan a little bit or be okay with not every piece coming in as you thought it would. So we chased waterfalls. I chased waterfalls this year. Six waterfall weddings, wonderful adventures. And if waterfall backdrop is what you've always dreamed about, just keep in mind some of these simple things and let me know how it goes for your beautiful day. Thank you so much for listening to The Wedding Wear. And until next time, this has been Amanda. Thank you for listening to The Wedding Wear with Officiating by Amanda. I hope you enjoyed today's episode and found some inspiration or insight for your own special day. This podcast is hosted on Busfrap and can be found on all major platforms. If you haven't already, please subscribe, like, comment, and share to help us reach even more listeners who might laugh a little at the wedding wear. For the links referenced in the show, visit Linktree at OfficiatingByamanda. You can also follow the business on Facebook, WeddingWire, and the Knot to stay up to date on everything going on. If you have a question you'd like me to answer on the podcast, just send an email to theweddingwear podcast at gmail.com. And if you're ready to inquire about officiating services for your own big day, you can reach me at officiatingbyamanda at gmail.com. Thank you so much for tuning in. And until next time, this has been Amanda.