Venue Time :: Destination Unknown
May 2, 2012
While my fiancé and I live in one of the best cities in the world – San Francisco (yes, I know I’m biased!), we have known for a while that we wanted to get married in Oregon. I grew up in Eugene and we met while in school at the University of Oregon. We both have a lot of history there and the summers, especially, just feel like home to me. I can’t imagine getting married anywhere else. Beyond knowing the state we want to tie the knot in, we are pretty open. The areas we have been focusing on spans from Eugene, up north to Portland and, from there, east to Hood River and the Mount Hood area. With this vast area in mind, the next question I asked myself was – where can I picture getting married?
- Vineyards: I grew up in the Willamette Valley, which is home to some beautiful vineyards and delicious wines! Chris and I had our first date at King Estate Winery and have visited many times since.
- Farms/Ranches: Views, nature and a little country flair…what more could a bride ask for?!
- The Beach: I grew up going to our condo at the Inn at Otter Crest, located about 8 miles north of Newport, Oregon. The Oregon coast is scenic and raw and would make for amazing pictures. The downside of an Oregon beach wedding? The weather. If I got married in a beach setting I would want it to be outside and Oregon beaches aren’t exactly known for warm summer evenings. Cold and wind-blown wouldn’t be a good look for me.
- Urban Scene: Portland isn’t just for shows about quirky, over-the-top Portlandians, it also has some great potential wedding spots. I am envisioning an industrial, exposed-brick-and-beams look for the reception. Possibly a little chapel for the ceremony (not because we are particularly religious, but I think it would be sweet and fun).
- Hood River/Mount Hood area: ahhh, the views! If you’ve ever had the opportunity to drive along the Columbia River Gorge, which forms the boundary between the State of Washington to the north and Oregon to the south, you know it’s a sight to see. I was not surprised to hear that this area is increasing in popularity for weddings. A snow-capped mountain in the height of summer would be such a cool backdrop for the big day.
Brainstorming was the fun part. Next came the searching where I found out the hardest part about planning a destination wedding is just what I thought it would be – not being there! The internet has been a lifesaver for me over the past couple weeks in the quest to find the venue but, with that said, most of the websites are not designed with the destination couple in mind. It is so tough to get a feel for the space and its layout through the pictures most sites have posted. I keep thinking to myself ‘I don’t care about these people’s center pieces and wedding rings hanging from a grape vine; I want to see the space!’ This is where Google Earth’s Satellite and Street View’s have come in handy for me. I have been able to zoom in on the area and see the layout of these places. Why don’t more sites feature a floor plan?! (It could be the interior design student in me. Does anyone else think this?)
Not only has it been hard to get a feel for the spaces through companies’ websites, I quickly realized that venues are booking up for summer 2013. So last week we bought plane tickets for a long weekend trip up north to see some of these places in-person – we’re leaving next Friday! I do feel lucky that our ‘destination’ is a quick and direct flight away!
With just a weekend to look at spots, we don’t have the luxury of spending weeks looking and visiting, going back and weighing our options, but the destination thing is forcing us to be efficient and I like that!
Are you having a destination wedding? Destination or not, did you have the same trouble with venue websites? What was your venue strategy?
Oh my, planning a destination is not easy, but so worth it. I LOVE that Portland venue you posted!
destinations are the best! (maui for me!) my suggestion is to do as much research as you can before you next week. definitely find a place that you love, but also take into account where guests will stay and the ease fo travel to and from your venue. the truth is no one wants to spend an hour trying to get to your wedding, even if they love you, which of course, they do!;-)
@Serena I love that one too!
@Shana Maui will be awesome! Thanks for the advice. I agree about making it do-able for guests. I don’t want anyone showing up at my wedding in a bad mood :-)
Ok so I don’t know you but saw this on fb and had to give my input. My husband and I got married at Bridal Veil Lake in July 2010. It’s a private lake in the gorge about 30 miles east of Portland. Probably the most gorgeous wedding venue I’ve ever seen and while it’s very popular, they book out a year in advance easily, not many people know about it. It can accommodate small or large weddings, we had about 150 people. Not only do you get the view of a lake but also gorgeous views of the Columbia River since its up a mountain a little ways over looking the gorge. Of all the places I researched in Portland it was by far the best place we saw. We even visited it in winter when everything was dead and still fell head over hells in love with it. I would highly suggest looking at their website or checking it out in person, you won’t be disappointed!
Finding a veue was by far the most challenging aspect of the entire wedding. I swear. It took me about 9 months, several mental breakdowns and a few “we are eloping” moments before I found the perfect place. I’m not sure what resources they have for Oregon, but for SF they have “here comes the guide” which really really helped me.
Overall the process sucks. Waiting to hear on pricing, not being able to really see what the place looks like, etc. But I swear, once you find that right place, you see it all come together and it is really really exciting. Hold tight, it will work out, but I know the pain!
@Anna hi and thanks for your comment! That venue looks gorgeous! I am making a note of it so that we can stop by next weekend.
@Allison – I love your honesty! ;-) It really has been tough. Our friend sent us the ‘Gorge Guide’ and that has been helpful. Also I think knowing what you want before searching is a good thing, but it can be a double-edged sword – on one hand you know what you’re looking for, but on the other, you can’t stop searching until you find those qualities in a venue. Fingers crossed we find it next weekend!