Congratulations to Cassie and Brad on #brassie17! This wedding is extra special to me, as it involves many people who I'm lucky to know personally. It's always fun to get to do a wedding with friends. Cassie and Brad were married in the Ballroom at McMenamins Edgefield on a lovely spring April day in the Troutdale/Columbia River Gorge area, Oregon.
I can't believe it was only a year ago we were at Oaks Pioneer Church and the Elysian Ballroom celebrating Kathleen and David's wedding reception. A little rain didn't dampen the happy couple's spirits!
Today's photo that I'm loving comes from Evrim Icoz Photography - we recently did a wedding at The Nines Hotel where the client asked for modern, geometric centerpieces to go with the modern, glamorous look of the hotel and the reception. These were designed by Geranium Lake and I just love the mix of textural floral with the sharp lines of the container. Thank you to everyone who worked on this wedding with us!
"Photo of the Day" is our regular blog feature where we pick a quick favorite photo and share it with you. It might be a behind-the-scenes, it might be a wedding detail shot, whatever is catching my fancy that day. If you have worked with EJP Events and would like your photo of the day featured here, please email me.
Erika and Lionel came up to Portland from sunny LA to have a subtly-Hello Kitty-themed wedding at the The Grotto with reception at The Nines Hotel. As soon as she said "Hello Kitty" you know I was already SO THERE for everything. I was also super excited to help them combine Erika's Mexican cultural and family traditions with Lionel's Filipino heritage. Some of these traditions were expressed in the traditional Filipino Catholic ceremony, complete with veil, cord, and coins ceremonies; and in having a cumbia band at the reception. All in all, it was an exciting, whirlwind day with lots of love, great food, and dancing; and we were so lucky to be there to help with it.
For so many couples, the food is the 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 outside catering? Here are just a few. Know any others? Please share in the comments below!
The Red Rose Ballroom - We've recently done several weddings at this very sweet space on NE Alberta St with great results. This vintage 1920's ballroom can hold up to 200 guests at round tables and features gorgeous finished hardwood floors to dance the night away, a stage for your DJ or band, a built-in bar, and a sound system. There's even a mezzanine level for guests to use during cocktails or just for relaxing and watching the party.
The Eliot Center - The Eliot Center is the "fellowship hall" aspect of the downtown First Unitarian Church. Not only are they able to seat up to 160 in their conference center for a reception, the adjoining Historic Eliot Chapel can seat up to 250 in a beautiful, elegant chapel setting for a wedding ceremony. They allow self-catering, outside caterers, and alcohol service in accordance with their policies.
Multnomah Arts Center - Located in SW Portland just a few minutes from downtown, the MAC is a Portland Parks and Recreation community center venue with a large auditorium and stage for indoor wedding ceremonies that can be changed over to a reception during a cocktail hour. Mingle areas include a dance studio and an outdoor plaza, which can also be used for ceremonies. All rental rooms, including the auditorium stage, and bathrooms are ADA-accessible and air-conditioned. In addition, most spaces have free Wi-Fi access.
The Glenn and Viola Walters Arts and Cultural Center is near and dear to our hearts, as one of our favorite recent weddings just took place there. The site features a large auditorium for ceremony and reception, downstairs classrooms to use as changing areas, a ground-floor lobby and an upstairs art gallery where guests can mingle during a room changeover. The kitchen facility is well-appointed and convenient for self-catering or your own caterer. The outdoor plaza can also be used for ceremonies.
The Laurelhurst Club - A 100-year-old property adjoining Laurelhurst park in SE Portland, this venue features an historic ballroom, mezzanine bar, kitchen facilities, bride's and grooms rooms, and outdoor ceremony lawn.
NW Events & Environments - By far the largest open catering venue we have seen, NW Events & Environments can accommodate 650 in a banquet setting and over 1000 if using multiple rooms in a reception-style flow. They do not allow outside alcohol, and kitchen facilities may have limitations.
Thanks for reading - if you found this post about Portland wedding and event venues helpful, you might also like:
Here are six Portland wedding venue locations that we love that allow you and your guests to have music and dance way past the typical 10pm venue deadline.
The first venue is Castaway Portland, a historic warehouse turned event spot in NW Portland that can hold up to 400 guests. Castaway has a great patio; if more outdoor space is needed, their neighbors Pomarius Nursery and Versailles Gardens can be rented. This venue allows for indoor music and dancing until late, depending on your preference and the 12-hour total event time limit. Both garden areas can remain open late as well, allowing guests to have cocktails and continue celebrating in these outside locations, though outdoor amplified music must conform to City of Portland ordinances.
Our second venue is the World Forestry Center, located in Washington Park. They offer many different indoor and outdoor combination options at this venue, which is only one of the many reasons we love them. You can choose to have their beautiful tent and enjoy the outdoor plaza, right next to Cheatham Hall, a great option for an indoor space. You and your guests can enjoy the outdoor area until midnight with amplified music, which makes for great late night dancing - a rarity in Portland. There is also the option of moving to one of their inside spaces.
Under the Radar is a weekly blog series on Portland Wedding Coordinator, showcasing cool new or little-known Portland wedding venues that I've
stumbled across recently. Many of our Under the Radar wedding ceremony and
reception venues are ones you won't yet find in the popular wedding guides. If
you use one of these sites, please let them know you heard it here first!
Today we’re pleased to present the historic estate at Lewis
and Clark College. Lewis & Clark College has been located on the historic Fir Acres
estate in Portland’s southwest hills for more than 60 years. The Great Lawn and
Reflecting Pool Gardens are the showcase of the campus.
Weddings at Lewis and Clark have true indoor-outdoor capabilities up to 162 guests – the Great
Platt lawn can be used for an outdoor ceremony and cocktail hour, paired with
Stamm Dining Hall, an indoor banquet facility complete with tables and chairs –
just add catering from one of the four exclusive caterers on the Lewis and
Clark list.
For outdoor-only events with tenting or tent-for-backup, the
Great Platt Lawn can accommodate into the hundreds of guests.
Or, if you would like an indoor ceremony and outdoor
reception, you may pair the Agnes Flanagan Chapel with any of the outdoor
locations. The chapel accommodates up to 500 people, featuring a magnificent
Casavant pipe organ, and stained glass windows. The chapel renovations include
a new, elevated stage, a sophisticated sound and lighting system, and ADA
accessible restrooms.
Finally, an important detail for outdoor weddings: the
nearby Miller Building classrooms provide ample indoor, air-conditioned
amenities for your getting-ready period, as well as modern restrooms for your
guests’ comfort.
EJP Events is happy to be recognized by Weddings at
Lewis and Clark as a preferred planner. You
can download the official brochure here. Please feel free to contact me at
[email protected] to begin your process of exploring the possibilities at this
historic and elegant location. Additional indoor and outdoor wedding and
rehearsal dinner sites are available – just let me know and I can give you the
full tour!
Next week on Under the Radar: Mazamas Lodge, Government Camp - stay tuned...
Today's gorgeous March weather reminds us we are moving closer and closer to summer wedding season. Outdoor weddings and ceremonies are always big in Portland and throughout Oregon. But for various reasons, not everyone wants an outdoor wedding. Perhaps they're looking for a more formal design. Perhaps they want dancing and a huge band until midnight, which would get you in trouble with the neighbors (and the law) at an outdoor wedding. So this week's post is dedicated to a short roundup of some gorgeous indoor wedding locations in Portland.