in Portland, Oregon

Here’s all you need to know about getting married in Portland, Oregon and The surrounding areas

Where is Portland, Oregon?

Portland is located in Northwest Oregon at the intersection of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, bisected by Interstate 5 (we call it I-5 here). The city has incredible views of Mount Hood — Oregon’s largest mountain — as well as Washington’s Mount Saint Helens, Mount Adams, and (on clear days) Mount Rainier. Portland is known as the city of trees, and upon arrival, you’ll see why: it almost looks like the city was built around and within a forest versus a city that added trees.

Portland’s airport (PDX) is located north of town and has quick and easy access into the city. Being on I-5, Portland is roughly 2 and a half hours from Seattle, two hours from Eugene (Go Ducks), 40 minutes from Hood River, and 45 minutes from Government Camp (Mount Hood).

What’s the Weather like in Portland?

Well, it depends on the day. Or hour. Or minute.

Portland and the Willamette Valley are well known to have “four seasons in the day” in the Spring and Fall. Summers and Winters are generally fairly temperate, with small extreme exceptions a few weeks of the year.

Of course, among U.S. cities, Portland is the third rainiest city with 164 days annually. Portland and the Willamette Valley’s hottest month is August, while the coldest month is December. So plan accordingly! Your best bet for an outdoor wedding is in June or September.

What is the nightlife like in Portland?

With roughly 70 breweries, 700 wineries, and near countless high (and low) quality bars and restaurants, Portland’s nightlife is nothing but vibrant. Depending on your area in Portland (we separate by quadrants), you’ll find any number of things to do.

Here are a few of our favorites:

• Southwest/Downtown

  • Views: Visit Washington Park, the Rose Garden, and the Japanese Garden for a retreat from the big city while you’re looking over the big city. It gets busy here during the peak season (late spring — early summer), but it’s gorgeous year-round.

  • Drinks: Head over to Kelly’s Olympian for an authentic Portland experience. Otherwise, find some delicious high-end cocktails at the Driftwood Room in the Provenance Hotel.

  • Food: Goose Hollow Inn is one of the best, local restaurants in Portland and it’s rarely ever talked about! Located in the charming Goose Hollow neighborhood, the menu offers classic staples (and is known for having the best Rueben sandwich in the city). There is a bounty of delicious food (including the food carts at Pioneer Courthouse Square), so you won’t go hungry in downtown Portland.

• Northwest/Slabtown/23rd

  • Views: Flanking the famous Forest Park, Pittock Mansion sits atop a hill overlooking all of Portland through to Mt. Hood, Mt. Tabor, Mt. St. Helens, and on clear days you can see Mt. Adams!

  • Drinks: The second you cross bisecting Burnside street, you’re entering what’s lovingly known as the Brewery Blocks of Portland. Not only because there are breweries there now, but historically the area played host to many of Portland’s original breweries. Today, take a visit to 10 Barrel Brewing (complete with a rooftop patio), Deschutes Brewing, Von Ebert Brewing, Kells Irish Brewery, and Breakside Brewing (a little further North).

  • Food: Outside of the aforementioned breweries (they all have food), take a visit to The Fireside on NW 23rd for some high-end and reasonably priced American food, or Boxer for amazing and unique Japanese food.

• Southeast/Montavilla

  • Views: Take a jaunt to the deep east side and journey to Montavilla, around 82nd street. Between SE 60th and SE 70th is Mt. Tabor Park, an extinct little volcano with trails, picnic spots, and some of the best west-facing views of Portland. They even have weddings up at the top!

  • Drinks: One of Portland’s most beloved craft beer bars, Roscoe’s, sits unassumingly on SE Stark street, serving some of the best — if not the best — craft beers in the Pacific Northwest. Wine-os will love Vino Veritas for a flight of Pacific Northwest Pinot, and craft cocktails can be found down the street at the Vintage Cocktail Lounge.

  • Food: Some of Portland’s best Vietnamese food lives around 82nd street — you can’t go wrong with any one of them. Try Pho Oregon, Pho Van 82nd, or Little Saigon Noodles & Grill.

• Northeast/St. Johns 

  • Views: The jewel on Portland’s crown, St. John’s is outside of the downtown hustle and bustle but has created a community of its own. St John’s Cathedral Park sits directly under the St. John’s Bridge and is guaranteed to give you all the Portland vibes. Bonus, you’re just across the bridge from north-side Forest Park access!

  • Drinks: Were you going to guess that there are some great beer spots up here? Cause you’d be right. Occidental Brewing crafts some traditional German brews, and the St. John’s Bridge is right in their backyard. The St. John’s Beer Porch is a great option for a more casual vibe, where you can grab pints and food from local food carts. Leisure Public House arguably has one of the coolest bars in the city, as well as several outdoor games and board games.

  • Food: St. John’s and surrounding areas has an incredible, approachable food scene. Try out Pastificio d’Oro for fresh-made pasta and Italian dishes. Signal Station Pizza, located in an old landmark gas station, is a legendary St. John’s Pizza Place. Little Tibet PDX has some of the best, most underrated Tibetian and Indian food in the city — especially considering it comes out of a food cart!

When you’re planning your Portland wedding, make sure and consider in which area you want to spend time! While the city is easily navigated between public transportation and ride share, the best way to experience Portland and its neighborhoods is through walking around and experiencing the culture.

 Analog Wedding Photography in Portland, Oregon

You want to talk urban analog photogrpahy with a little grit and instant nostalgia? Portland's got it. 

The urban-chic aesthetic is all in right now, and Portland has the right combination of brick and concrete, color and muted tones. Every element comes together to create instantly timeless collections that you and your family will cherish forever.

Curious about analog photography? Contact me and let me tell you all about it!

Why add analog to your Portland wedding?

• Film captures landscapes and nature in a way that digital can’t replicate, making it perfect for the Bend area.

• All your film scans get digitized and added your wedding gallery, giving it a nostalgic, vintage flare.

• Imagine having polaroids like those to show your kids, grandkids, nieces or nephews?! Timeless.

• When all is said and done, it’s the photographs and the memories we keep. Analog is forever.

Want to learn more about my film offerings for your Portland wedding?! Click the button below to read all about film, analog, Super8 video, and more.

 Portland Wedding Venues

Whether you’re looking for an Urban oasis or a forested backdrop, Portland has a variety of different locations that will work for your wedding aesthetic.

Here are some of my favorite wedding venues in Portland:

• The evergreen

  The Evergreen is one of the most phenomenal indoor event spaces in Portland. It’s large enough to fit weddings with up to a couple hundred guests with a full inventory of chairs and tables to use. It’s got a classic Portland vibe but can be transformed to fit whatever vision you have for your wedding. It’s located in the Central East Side of Portland which makes it lovely for urban portraits, and the indoor space is beautifully lit for the ceremony and reception!

• union pine

  Union Pine is another amazing indoor venue, also located in Central South East Portland. The space can be transformed for intimate or large weddings. They have a gorgeous upstairs loft space available to rent for getting ready, portraits, a moment alone after your ceremony, or even a micro wedding if that’s your jam! From a photographers point of view, Union Pine has amazing window lighting for photos, and outside you get funky urban Portland vibes for your portraits.

• eco trust event spaces

  The Eco Trust offers a few different event spaces for weddings of all shapes, sizes and kinds. The spaces are all industrious, modern and beautifully designed. They offer indoor and outdoor areas, all with a very urban feel. The Eco Trust building downtown offers a handful of different spaces including an amazing rooftop deck which is rad for a ceremony with authentically Portland views! The Redd on Salmon Street is in Central South East and has a wide open indoor space, perfect for bigger weddings with a unique warehouse aesthetic. All of their spaces are worth considering for your big day.

• Blockhouse pdx

  Located quite literally inside of Pomarius Nursery, Blockhouse PDX is one of my personal favorite wedding venues in Portland. The space itself is intimate but can be transformed many different ways to suit your unique wedding. The greenery from the nursery creates a cozy garden party feeling, and the kitchen space makes it feel luxurious and modern. Bonus? If you’re looking to host a larger shindig but still want to have your ceremony at Blockhouse, you can also rent out Castaway’s space, right next door, and have your party there!

• Castaway Portland

  Castaway Portland is a big beautiful event space with large windows, wood beamed ceilings, and space to throw a damn good party. It’s a blank slate waiting for you to transform it however you dream of. Castaway is large enough to have both your ceremony and reception inside, or to have your reception there after saying “I do” somewhere else.

• Mildred hall

  Mildred Hall is a new event space in Portland that is geared towards smaller, intimate weddings. It’s a sweet little renovated 1916 chapel located in Northeast Portland, with simple, clean features and lots of natural light. Perfect for a little ceremony, they have a full kitchen downstairs and a beautiful little outdoor space for mingling!

There are TONS of gorgeous wedding venues in Portland Oregon so I won’t keep listing them for ages, but if these don’t check all your boxes, never fear, there is a perfect wedding venue for everyone in PDX! Another option worth mentioning is to checkout some of the hotels. Portland has an array of boutique and high end hotels that make for amazing wedding venues like The Hoxton or Woodlark. There are also beautiful parks available to reserve for your ceremony, (like Cathedral Park) but be mindful that often the parks are on a lottery system so reserving them can be tricky! You can read more about that process here. Lastly, if you’re looking for something a little more rugged, there are lots of options for more rustic venues just a short drive outside the city! Timberline Lodge at Mt. Hood is one of my personal favorites, or Skamania Lodge in the Columbia River Gorge.