For many couples, the food is THE most important part of the wedding celebration, so they will only consider venues that allow outside catering. I often hear from them: “The food HAS to be good”…”We like the Portland food scene and want to integrate it into our wedding”…”We want to give our guests a taste of Portland and the Pacific Northwest”. Often, they already have a caterer in mind when they start their venue search, and are challenged when they keep running into venues that have strict exclusive lists.
That got me to thinking. What Portland wedding and event venues allow unrestricted outside catering? Here are just a few as of January 2020. Keep in mind that policies do change, so check with the venue first before making any plans or appointments. Know any others? Let us know by sharing in the comments below!
Horning’s Hideout is a great outdoor venue in North Plains, Oregon, only about 45 minutes from downtown Portland. The venue features covered pavilions, a relaxed vibe, and the ability to use any caterer you like.
Here at EJP Events we’re constantly searching for interesting and unique wedding venues. This means loads of google searches and digging around websites. It’s an ongoing concern, something we’ve been doing for 20 years. We’re on the lookout for information on the newest, coolest wedding venues.
We love it when venue websites make it easy for us to figure things out. We can easily figure out what the venue can provide, when all the nuts and bolts are displayed properly. Photos of the space set up for an event is a definite plus, so we can get an idea what a ceremony will be like. Take a look at this photo below of The Saltbox Barn in the Skagit Valley.
But there’s a trend with some venues to lean towards the artistic. We can understand that bent in today’s Instagram-saturated world. Plus, there’s a line of thought that the best way to sell an experience is to be vague. So what can we gather about a wedding venue is full of only well-staged pictures of a bride’s hand clutching a bouquet, polished shoes, and Mason jars and Edison bulbs?
Well, we can probably guess that this looks good on Instagram. But we’re still wondering:
How many people can the venue hold?
Do we need to work with a preferred caterer vs. one we choose ourselves?
What’s the parking situation like?
How the heck do we contact you? (Hint: DON’T use a contact form, or if you do, please also include address, phone, and email.)
What about alcohol? Can we bring our own, is there in-house bartending? Corkage?
And so on. So then we have to contact the venue for more information. Depending on how busy the venue is, it can take a while for a response. Even if there is a prompt reply, it still adds another step into the whole process, and causes delays for the couple eager to close out their venue search and start the real planning! (Design! Pinterest! Tastings!)
So venues, include as much info about your venue as possible on your website. Please make it easy on us event planners to find information on your wedding venue! And make it easy for couples to book you.
And please don’t interpret this as an either/or: You CAN have lovely Instagram-bait pictures AND plenty of info on a wedding venue website! Take a look at The Saltbox Farm’s website for a good example of beautiful images plus all the pertinent info we wedding planners need. But it’s a good idea to have the pertinent info prominent and by itself, not buried deep beneath a bunch of photos.
Today’s guest post was contributed by Andee Schmidt. It may seem hard to think about winter weddings in July but now’s the time to plan a last-minute winter 2019 affair, or start dreaming of 2020! – EJP
From sandy beaches to stunning mountainsides and intimate forests, the Pacific Northwest is home to beauty all year ’round. With over 50% of couples preferring an outdoor wedding in the old PNW, it might seem like spring and summer are the only options for wedding planning. But here at EJP Events, we know better: fall and winter provide some of the best opportunities to showcase the vistas and traditions of the Northwest United States. Read on for insider info on why you and your guests will love a fall or winter wedding in the Seattle, Washington metro area.
Ballroom at Within Sodo, from their website.
Bring on the Scenic Photo Ops
Summer foliage sure makes for lovely photographs. But don’t discount the beauty and the stunning scenery of fall and winter weddings. Fall in the Pacific Northwest is arguably the most gorgeous of seasons. It features a fiery display of colorful trees at local parks. Imagine your first dance beneath golden leaves and fairy lights at the 350 acre Magnuson Park in Seattle; just make sure to book a tent in case of rain.
If you’re looking for a sleek modern style, winter weddings are the perfect fit, and trendy spots like Within Sodo or Metropolist might be highlighted by a sprinkling of snow outside the grand, floor-to-ceiling windows. Just be sure to have your photographer plan ahead to grab those key shots of you basking in the beauty of your venue during golden hour. But remember that it will run earlier than in spring or summer.
University of Washington Botanic Gardens, from their website.
Dialed-in Decor
Planning a wedding during the off-season is the best way to make it easy to decorate. The natural beauty of the scenery during fall and winter cuts your need to provide floral décor.
For instance, the University of Washington Botanic Gardens features the private Goodfellow Grove, where your party can dine beneath a canopy of orange and red trees.
For a sparkling winter wedding venue, consider a rustic indoor spot like Westland Distillery, where you can warm up with locally made malt whiskey and entertain a smaller guest list.
Celebrate with Festive Seasonal Décor
Autumn conjures images of pumpkins, hay rides, and candles. Winter whips up scenes of snowflakes, white sparkling pines, and red roses. Having a fall or winter wedding in the Seattle area comes with inherent opportunities for unique décor.
Cozy up inside a barn at Holly Farm, complete with chickens and bales of hay in the yard, for a rustic fall wedding. Enjoy dinner by candlelight with burgundy and orange centerpieces at the Fields at Willie Green’s for a traditional-yet-country soiree. Switch it up for an indoor barn wedding in the winter; the grand heights of a wood ceiling, strung with string lights and tables covered with frosted pine branch centerpieces will make for a magical and memorable wedding.
If rustic weddings aren’t your taste, fear not! Winter weddings pair well with more modern décor like feathers and colors such as black, white, and gold. Check out Black Diamond Gardens for a venue with the perfect mix of any style. Feature festive signage with phrases like “Baby It’s Cold Outside” or “Joy to the World” for that extra winter homage.
Wow Guests with Unique Holiday Traditions
Summer and spring might make for good outdoor celebrations. But fall and winter offer the chance to combine holiday traditions into your wedding. A barn wedding at Pine River Ranch would be the perfect spot to spoil guests with an apple cider or hot cocoa bar, and you can even offer soft blankets to guests and light an outdoor firepit for evening s’mores.
Alternatively, host your event at 10 Degrees Seattle and feature a specialty hot cocktail made by the in-house artisan bartenders. If you like to party, choose The 101 for a 24-hour celebration to shield your guests inside from the cold weather all night long.
Winter at Pine River Ranch, from their website.
So… What Are You Waiting For?
Wedding planning is a monumental undertaking. With the help of a strategically chosen season and venue, many of your scenery, décor, and activity elements will fall into place with ease. Choosing a fall or winter wedding might not seem as common. Therefore it’s a more creative and festive option for unique couples, one that will make your celebration of love stand out from all the rest. So consider a fall or winter wedding in the Seattle, Washington metro area!
Andee Schmidt is a recent college graduate from Arizona State University with a love of writing, the outdoors, and funky cafes. You can usually find her hiking or planning her next trip. She is passionate about traveling, weddings, her family, and the perfect cup of coffee. Find her on Instagram as @andee_schmidt or Twitter @andeeschmidt
Hello folks with an upcoming wedding or event, here’s something important to consider: The United States Postal Service (USPS) will be increasing the cost of a Forever (one ounce letter) stamp. Starting January 27, 2019, the price for a Forever stamp will jump from its current 50¢ to 55¢! This is a five-cent increase, the biggest jump for a Forever stamp, in, well, forever. (The next biggest increase was in 1991, when the first-class stamp jumped four cents from 25¢ to 29¢.)
This will increase the cost of sending out invitations if you don’t plan in advance. For example sending out 200 wedding invitations at the current rate would cost $100.* But after the increase, the cost would be $110, a $10 jump.
Fortunately, Forever stamps are always valid for the full first-class postage, regardless of any rate increases since the stamps’ purchase. That means if you buy your Forever stamps now at the 50¢ rate, they’ll be good after the rate jump. So buy your stamps now, even if you don’t plan on sending out invitations after January 27!
*This is for invitations that would use a Forever stamp. If you have an invitation weighing more than one ounce, or the invitation is square, the cost would go up. It’s always best to bring your invitation in to the post office to have it checked and weighed, before beginning a large mailing project.
For many couples, the food is THE most important part of the wedding celebration. I often hear from them: “The food HAS to be good”…”We like the Portland food scene and want to integrate it into our wedding”…”We want to give our guests a taste of Portland and the Pacific Northwest”. Often, they already have a caterer in mind when they start their venue search, and are challenged when they keep running into venues that have strict exclusive lists.
That got me to thinking. What Portland wedding and event venues allow unrestricted outside catering? Here are just a few as of September 2018. Keep in mind that policies do change, so check with the venue first before making any plans or appointments. Know any others? Let us know via sharing in the comments below!
Horning’s Hideout is a great outdoor venue in North Plains, Oregon, only about 45 minutes from downtown Portland. The venue features covered pavilions, a relaxed vibe, and the ability to use any caterer you like.
Matt and Diana wedding at Horning’s, 2018. They used food trucks!
Matt and Diana’s wedding at Horning’s Hideout, 2016.
The Pacific Northwest is the home to boatloads of natural beauty. Its residents love the outdoors with a fervor not seen in other areas of the country. It’s natural for folks to incorporate their love of nature with weddings. A camping or outdoor themed wedding is a natural occurrence around these parts.
At the most basic of levels, all one needs is an outdoor space that can hold the wedding party, preferably in a scenic location. But a successful outdoor wedding needs a little more than that. How easy it for folks to get to? What are the amenities like? If people are camping, will there be a place for them to clean up before the ceremony?
Here are some camping destinations close to Portland (within a one to two hour car ride) that regularly see weddings. A few of them offer “glamping” amenities, next level camping with a luxury touch! Some places also offer lodging facilities like yurts and cabins where beds are provided, but bedding is not.
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Camping weddings with tent camping (no indoor lodging)
Horning’s Hideout is located about 45 minutes northwest of Portland, outside the town of North Plains in Washington County. We can attest to its popularity as an outdoor/camping wedding destination. This is due to proximity to Portland, on-site amenities, and beautiful location. The campground is located right on-site, making it easy to party late into the night and retire into a waiting tent! And showers are available so one can freshen up before the ceremony.
South Falls, Silver Falls State Park. Photo: Shawn Granton
Rustic cabin at Silver Falls. Photo: Shawn Granton
Camping weddings with tents, yurts and indoor lodging
Silver Falls State Park is about an hour south of Portland, due east of Salem and outside of Silverton. Sliver Falls big feature is, of course, the falls: ten different waterfalls connected by a seven mile trail! The Silver Falls Lodge and Conference Center features a catered event center with furnished cabins nearby. There are also rustic (you bring bedding) cabins, a regular campground, and a group campground. Full bathrooms with free showers are located in the campground.
Camp Wilkerson is about 45 minutes north of Portland, near Scappoose. This Columbia County Park is located in dense forests on a spur of the Oregon Coast Range. The Day Lodge features cooking facilities and space for 250. There are also a few rustic lodges, 24 Adirondacks (three-sided camping shelters), and space for tent camping.
Camp Nanamu is a youth camp about 30 minutes east of Portland, on the banks of the Sandy River outside of the city of Sandy. The camp has many different facilities, the largest event centers can hold up to 300 people! There’s also numerous cabins and lodges for sleeping, including (and my favorite) treehouses!
Vernonia Springs is a newer facility about an hour northwest from Portland, outside of Vernonia. A former trout-fishing camp, Vernonia Springs features yurts, round-sided permanent tents based off the design used by peoples from the steppes of Central Asia. They also feature traditional (and large) canvas-sided wall tents made by local company Beckel Canvas. The location is right off the Banks-Vernonia Rail Trail, which means one can easily bike to a wedding! (A bonus: they rent bicycles!)
Last but not least, the Sou’wester Lodge is in Seaview, Washington, on the Long Beach Peninsula about two hours from Portland (and about 20 minutes from Astoria, Oregon.) The Sou’wester features space for tent camping and RV’s, but they have cabins, yurts, and for the ultimate in glamping, vintage travel trailers (think Airstreams and the like!) All guests have access to an outdoor kitchen, spa and sauna, and showers.
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This list is by no means exhaustive, but it hopefully gives you some inspiration when it comes to a camping/glamping themed wedding!
Matt and Diana’s wedding at Horning’s Hideout, 2016.
