Video by We Are Moving Pictures
Welcome to The Venue Series! We love helping couples find the best fitting venue for their ideal budget via our standalone Venue Hunt Consultation or Venue Hunt add-on for wedding planning packages. As PNW Planners, we've planned and designed in hundreds of Oregon and Washington venues, and we're sharing some of our favorites and why we love them. All photos featured are from weddings we've coordinated, planned, and/or designed.
If you’re looking for a beautiful wedding venue or elopement spot, Oregon is the place to be. Oregon is well known for its diverse landscapes and plethora of outdoor wedding venues that give a true PNW experience - from dreamy beaches, to snow-capped mountains, to forested havens, Oregon's got it all. We consider ourselves pretty lucky to be wedding planners in such a beautiful place. Whether you’re from Oregon or out of state, these wedding venues we’re sharing are our favorite spots to wow your guests and give them a real Oregon and PNW experience.
If you're a local just looking for beautiful venue ideas, skip to the list of venues here. But if you're from out of state, you'll want to read below.
Why You Should Get Married in Oregon
Venue Costs
The majority of our couples we work with are local to the area, but over the past few years Oregon has become a popular destination wedding and elopement spot and we’ve had a large spike in out-of-town couples planning weddings in Oregon. The reason? Well, for one, it’s beautiful. But the wedding industry in PNW is also more affordable than the East Coast and other places. According to the Wedding Spot, venue costs in Oregon range from $2,500 to $15,000, whereas venues in Southern California range from $5,000 to $30,000. Plus, there are no sales taxes in Oregon.
Scenery & Activities
No matter what scenery you’re into, Oregon really has it all, and you don’t have to drive far to explore all of it. If you’re planning a destination wedding, there are so many beautiful places to see to extend your wedding weekend celebration. You can host a wine tour in the Oregon Wine Country, plan a group hike at one of the thousands of trails Oregon has to offer, host a bar crawl and hop around Portland or Bend’s local beer scene, or spend a weekend skiing and snowboarding. The venues we cover below span across the entire state!
Accommodations
There are also a plethora of hotels, lodging, and Airbnb's for guests to stay. Our company has recently launched our new Venue Liaison program, where we help our local and out-of-town couples connect with hotels to secure room blocks, booking links and/or discount codes for their guests.
Planning a Wedding in Oregon From Out of State
While it’s not easy planning a wedding from states away, we’ve found ways to make the process easy without needing to be in town more than once, or even at all.
Plan for weather
One of the best parts of getting married in Oregon is having your ceremony and/or reception in the open air. Oregon may arguably have the most pleasant summer weather, but there are also months that can be wild cards. Oregon is prone to rainy summer days, wildfire season, and in the winter, the occasional snow storm. But don’t let that deter you - we have years of experience dealing with these types of conditions. We’ve moved a wedding in an hour due to an ice storm, enacted rain plans the morning of the wedding, and have witnessed a variety of ways to make your guests comfortable. In other words, we have a whole toolbox of Plan B’s! We’ll make sure you have an ideal rain, sun, or fair weather plan.
Book early
Oregon is a popular destination spot! If you’re considering one of these venues for your Oregon wedding, be sure to start early. We work with couples even before they have their venue, and our average planning time is usually a year or more in advance so we can help couples have a pleasant planning experience.
Hire a wedding planner with experience
If you’re planning from out of state, the first thing you should tackle is hiring your wedding planner - without a local connection, it’s hard to know what vendors are going to be a good fit for your wedding style and location or know how the lay of the land will affect your wedding. We always recommended hiring a wedding planner with years of experience - but don’t set your filters to just local planners. Sometimes planners with more experience and wider network connections are going to be a better fit than a planner that is closest to your venue. Your Perfect Bridesmaid has planned in Oregon for 15+ years, and we are constantly growing and refining our connections with vendors to give our couples the best fitting recommendations.
Outdoor Oregon Destination Wedding Venues
Scroll through to read about some of our favorite wedding venues that are perfect for destination weddings or showing off the beauty of Oregon.
Photographers: (1-4) Lindsay Blair Photography (5-7) Krysta and Nick, (8-12) Roark and Jess
Why We Love Them: Camp Colton is well known and loved for its magical tree coverage and forested backdrop. You get the nostalgic feel of a summer camp but in an elevated space with plenty of amenities for a comfortable experience. This venue is just southwest of Mt. Hood in the small town of Colton, away from the hustle and bustle of the city and road noise of busy highways. You really feel immersed in the forest at this venue, and there are options to enjoy it for even longer than the wedding day. This venue has onsite accommodations to book out for the entire weekend, or to use as your morning getting ready spot.
This venue also has multiple areas to choose from for ceremony and reception, with venue rental packages for just their unaffiliated, historic chapel, partial property for the full day, or full wedding weekend buyouts with onsite accommodations. One of our favorite areas is the Shady Grove, because it’s reminiscent of Bella and Edwards dreamy Twilight wedding! Depending on the package, the venue also includes in-house options for chairs, tables and even basic linens and place settings. However, many of our couples end up renting from an additional company to achieve their desired design.
Insider Tip: The simple elegance package is the most popular with couples that we work with. It gives you access to the entire west side of the venue, which has the Shady Grove and Event Hall, plus one hour of photo time on the East Side of the property.
Camp Colton is located in a small town with limited accommodations, so we highly recommend having your guests stay locally in Portland and booking transportation services so no one gets lost or stuck out at the venue.
Photographers: (1-5) Luke + Mallory, (6-8) Dionne Kraus Photography & (9-12) Amy Fitch Photography
Why We Love Them:
Believe us when we say there is some type of magic in this place, and you’ll know it the minute you step foot onsite. Crook Point is located down in the SW corner of Oregon and is one of the few and only places in Oregon that has a private stretch of the Oregon Coast and one of the only views of the iconic Arch Rock. It’s the perfect blend of a beach venue and a woodland forest venue, situated up on the coastal cliffs in gorgeous meadows surrounded by trees that overlook the oceans.
Crook Point has been owned by the Crook family for hundreds of years - so long that it precedes the Oregon Public Beach Law, so it’s one of the few and only places that has a private section of the Oregon Coast. This venue is also a vacation rental, so you can book out all or some of the dreamy beach houses to stay the weekend, all of which have private access to the sandy beaches (we highly recommend booking the accommodations to get to enjoy all the magic of Brookings, Oregon!).
This venue spreads across hundreds of acres, with multiple places to host your elopement or wedding with a view from the cliffs of the Oregon Coast. The Arch Rock Main Lawn is the space we love and know the best, and can host larger weddings if you are not planning an elopement.
Your Perfect Bridesmaid was one of the first planners to work at Crook Point and we had the honor of helping to support this family and make an incredible experience for couples hosting their wedding onsite. This venue also recently opened a new indoor venue space, The Mervue Estate, that was only in the beginning stages of construction when we first started planning weddings here in 2019 for our dear friend Katy Weaver Photography. This venue continues to grow and improve, and we continue to love being there.
Insider Tip:
We have so much to share about this venue, being the planning team who has worked there the most! There is no contender for Crook Point, but you will need to plan for a few logistical complications. There aren’t too many options for accommodations in town, so you’ll want to reserve the vacation rentals ASAP or warn your guests that they may need to look out 30 minutes to the next town. The Arch Rock Main Lawn doesn’t have running water or a traditional prep kitchen, so you will need to plan to stock up on water and ice from the store and hire a catering team that can bring in the proper equipment and help manage these complications. You’ll either need to have your caterer build your kitchen, or look at local caterers and be sure to hire on service staff. We always work closely with catering teams and make sure all the boxes are checked so you have a seamless wedding. Being that we’ve been here so many times, we’ve tried a few creative options and are happy to share what worked best.
Photographer: Marcela Pulido Photography
Why We Love Them:
The House on the Metolius is designed for a true wedding weekend, summer camp experience for those looking to really wow and treat their guests. While Oregon is known for its lush forests, it’s equally known for the beautiful high desert landscape with clear blue skies and panoramic mountain.
This venue is located in Central Oregon in the high desert with stunning views of the Metolius River and Mt. Jefferson in a meadow surrounded by ponderosa pines. A venue rental grants you private access to the entire venue, including two nights in the Main House, plus the ability to rent any additional cabins. You can host a wedding up to 180 people, and house 46 guests onsite to keep your friends and family close and near.
We’re obsessed with this venue and everything in it. The houses onsite are gorgeous, and really offer a luxury experience with the feel of a quaint mountain cabin. Not to mention, the views are truly unbeatable. When we helped plan and design Danielle and Gorman’s summer wedding, we really leaned into the camp feel, with pendant table numbers and bandana place cards and favors (that turned into the best dance floor props), and loved referring to the weekend extravaganza as “Camp Gorman”.
Insider Tip:
This venue is made for those who want to treat their guests to a seamless weekend. In order to ensure this, the venue requires that you plan for a few things. You’ll need an experienced wedding coordinator, and we recommend having a coordinator for your pre and post auxiliary events to complete the experience. You’ll also need to have a tent on retainer, per their contract, as an inclement weather plan to protect you and the property. Lastly, while we keep saying this is the ultimate camp experience, there is unfortunately no camping allowed on the property, but there are local campsites nearby as an alternative.
Photographers: (1-3) Samantha Dean Photography & (4-12) Luke + Mallory
Why We Love Them:
Like we mentioned before, we love a venue that has a story. Noble Ridge Tree Deck is on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge, but is sought out by Oregonians all over. This venue’s main pull is the stunning, 3000 square foot deck up in the trees with a perfectly framed view of the mountains and valleys of the Silver Star Mountain area. The owners, Phil and Pam, built the deck originally for their daughter’s wedding (the real love story!), and now a few handful of clients get to enjoy the same precious spot for their own wedding. Phil and Pam are the most thoughtful owners, and they're always building something to improve the site. They’ve even developed a few additional areas for elopements!
A typical venue rental includes access to the Tree Deck and a large, Scenic Lawn with an equally beautiful view of the valley, covered gazebo for cocktail hour. The Scenic Lawn is great for cocktail hours in the sun - and helicopter entrances! (Yes, we did that). The real appeal is the serenity of being in the trees and far away from others, but we also love that the venue has comfortable amenities kike the treehouse-like cabins for wedding prep, access to internet (thank you Starlink), well-built and bathroom facilities and tables and chairs.
Insider Tip:
This venue will definitely help you get your steps in! The Tree Deck is only big enough to be set for a ceremony or reception at one time, so your guests will need to walk up the hill and for the ceremony, down for cocktail hour, and up for reception. We had one couple host their ceremony down on the lawn, but in order to preserve the beauty of the lawn, no chairs are allowed and only standing ceremonies are permitted.
You’ll also want to plan to arrange for transportation. Not only is the venue located ~30 minutes inland from the highway on a gravel road, but the venue’s parking is about ½ mile from the venue. There’s a sprinter van shuttle provided to get guests to the welcome area, but if you arrange for transportation, the bus can take guests comfortably straight to the welcome area and you won’t have to worry about anyone getting lost.
Photographers: (1-4) Aly Mac Photograph, (5-8) Klover & (9-12) Catalina Jean
Why We Love Them:
What's more PNW than getting married on an actual mountain? The historic lodge, known for its iconic architecture and warm ambiance, offers a few indoor and outdoor spaces to host your wedding. There’s two indoor banquet spaces to choose from, the outdoor patio with an incredible view of Mt. Hood, and the indoor Raven’s Nest with floor to ceiling triangular windows so you still get the view from the indoors.
Timberline is also a great one-stop-shop, with in-house catering (which is SO good, we can vouch), tables, chairs, basic place settings, and in-house options to add on twinkle lines and draping in the banquet rooms. Plus, the lodge is incredible - it’s hard to want to leave. We love the warm, wood details and historic charm in this space - even in the banquet rooms.
Timberline is perfect for destination weddings because you get stunning views and convenient accommodation all in one place. Many of our couples will host their rehearsal, after party and/or their post-wedding brunch at Timberline to treat their guests beyond the wedding. Whether you're hosting a winter or summer wedding, there’s also endless outdoor activities - skiing, hiking, tubing, and even a summer alpine slide. If your guests aren’t staying at the lodge, Government Camp at the bottom of the mountain has plenty of hotel rooms, B&B’s and local breweries, diners and bakeries to enjoy.
Insider Tip:
Our team has planned and designed at Timberline in both summer and winter months. There’s really nothing to worry about for a summer wedding, but we have quite a few pointers for hosting a winter wedding! Winter weddings at Timberline are quite popular, as many couples who chose Timberline as their venue share a love for the snow and mountain sports. If you’re planning a winter wedding, be sure to warn your guests and account for mountain traffic - sometimes it can take up to 30 minutes to get up the Timberline Highway because they only let cars up once cars come down. Staying onsite so you can park in the hotel lot and arriving early are key.
There is always the chance of a winter storm, too. We’ve made it up the mountain each and every time for our couples, but it usually causes a hiccup or two. Be aware that some rental companies and their two wheel drive trucks may not be able to make it if the weather is bad, so always have a plan to use everything in-house and double check the deposit rules on your rental contracts.
Photographers: (1-5) JOS & TREE & (6-9) Blaine & Bethany Photo
Why We Love Them:
Silcox Hut is part of Timberline Lodge, but we’re giving it its own section because it’s a whole different experience. While the Lodge may be on the mountain, Silcox Hut sits above it at 7000 feet of elevation and is unlike anywhere we’ve ever been! It was built in 1939 as a warming hut. Now, it’s rentable for weddings or even an unforgettable overnight before or after your wedding, with a bunk room onsite and full bathroom and shower. The interior features the most beautiful wooden and stone features, with the (working) stone fireplace as the centerpiece and backdrop for your ceremony. This venue is for smaller guest counts, with a guest limit of less than 50.
The hut is most desired in the winter months, because, well, winter magic! Due to the snow, the venue shuttles guests up in a few round trips in their large, red snowcat, so part of the experience is the ride up. The hut itself is an experience, too. If the weather is clear, you get a panoramic view of the mountain range, and an extreme close up view of the summit of Mt. Hood. The hut is aSilcox Hut is dearly loved by the dedicated staff that makes the trek up and down the mountain for these weddings - the Silcox Hut crew is incredible!
Because Silcox Hut is part of Timberline, you get many of the Timberline Lodge benefits, like 2 nights in one of the lodge’s suites and ability to book any auxiliary events in the Lodge to have all your events in one place.
Insider Tip:
Silcox Hut doesn’t need much in terms of decor with its memorable interior, but it does require a bit of logistical planning. The venue includes a specific amount of snowcat or shuttle rides dependent on your guest count, and one of our biggest tasks is helping to coordinate how everyone (including vendors) and everything gets up in the order it needs to. We highly recommend assigning people to shuttles to help with this, and making sure you have a timeline that accounts for the travel time, and buffer time. But don’t worry, we always do this for all our couples!
One little tip we always like to keep in mind is warning everyone of the elevation effects. If your guests aren’t used to being at high elevations or even bumpy rides, guests may feel carsick from the snowcat ride, and they will definitely feel an alcoholic drink more intensely up at a higher elevation. It’s always safe to make an announcement on your wedding website or at your rehearsal dinner so everyone is prepared!
Photo by Bekah Taylor Photography
One of the most popular designation areas in Oregon is the Columbia River Gorge and the small city of Hood River. Since there are so many venues in this area, we’ve dedicated a whole blog of additional venues to consider.
Oregon Wine Country
Another hot spot for wedding venues is the Willamette Valley, aka Oregon’s wine country. If you’re looking for a winery or vineyard setting, you’ll want to review some of our most frequented venues in our dedicated blog. The Wine Country venues vary from wineries, to indoor event spaces, and even a few rustic barn settings.
Want to know that you've found the best venue?
We love helping couples find the best fitting venue for their ideal budget via our standalone Venue Hunt Consultation or Venue Hunt add-on for wedding planning packages. As PNW Planners, we've planned and designed in hundreds of Oregon and Washington venues, and we're sharing some of our favorites and why we love them. All photos featured are from weddings Your Perfect Bridesmaid has coordinated, planned, and/or designed. View more of our Venue Series Blogs below:
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