Getting Married in Portland, Oregon
Congratulations! If you’re reading this you probably just got engaged and are stepping foot into the exciting and overwhelming world of wedding planning. It’s a lot to take in at once so I put together this useful guide to getting married in Portland, Oregon. I hope it helps to answer questions and provide tips on when to book your wedding venue, Portland wedding vendor recommendations, where your out-of-town guests should stay, how to organize your wedding timeline and family groupings, and so much more.
Think I missed something or have a question? Use the contact form below and I’ll help any way that I can.
When to book your venue and hire your wedding vendors
Wedding Venues in Portland
Choosing your wedding venue and booking a date for your wedding is the first thing you should start to think about. If you have a date in mind for your wedding you will want to make sure that there are wedding venues available. Many venues will be booked at least a year or two in advance so make sure you keep that in mind when choosing your date.
Since it’s more common to have a wedding on a Saturday or Sunday some wedding venues may offer discounts for weekday weddings and have greater availability.
Getting married at a city park or other city managed properties may also be cheaper than a traditional wedding venue.
These are some of my favorite outdoor wedding venues in Portland. I’m also a big fan of backyard house weddings.
Photographers
Once you have your wedding date set and your venue picked you can begin to reach out to other wedding vendors to see if they have your date available. As a wedding photographer, I’m usually booked within 6 months to 1 year of a wedding date but sometimes I’ll have events booked 2 years in advance. Every booking season is a little different so it’s always a good idea to connect with vendors early and start exploring the next steps. Here is a list of questions to ask your photographer. You can view my wedding photography work here.
Portland Wedding Planners
I love working with wedding planners! They are such a great part of the team and I’ve seen how helpful they can be for couples in planning their day. Hiring a wedding planner or day-of coordinator lets you enjoy your day without having to manage a thing.
Portland Wedding Videographers
Chase with Forest & Ivory Films creates beautifully cinematic wedding videos.
Portland Florists
Jordan with Blum Floral Design is super nice and designs beautiful floral arrangements.
Portland Wedding Officiants
Emily with Rooted & Wild works with you to plan a wedding ceremony that is full of intention and true to you and your partner.
Portland Wedding Catering
Wedding food doesn’t have to be boring.
While you’re planning out your reception, how cool would it be to have a bartender serve your guests drinks out of an old milk truck? Booze Trucks can totally do that.
Portland Wedding DJ
Having a great DJ / MC that keeps the evening rolling and the dance moves coming makes all the difference. Spencer or DJ Crum strikes a great balance between keeping the party going but not stealing the show by hopping on the mic all the time. He has loads of great reviews too!
Desserts
Johannah at Dreamcakes makes some beautifully delicious wedding cakes. Follow her on Instagram and you’ll get hooked.
Not going the traditional wedding cake route? The Pips Mobile doughnut truck is the best!
Wedding Attire
A&BÉ Bridal Shop has a handful of shops around the country with stellar reviews.
Brides for a Cause is a nonprofit that resells gently used wedding dresses for charity.
The Black Tux is a great place for a suit rental in Portland. If you can’t visit their showroom they also have the option for home try-on.
Should we take Engagement Photos?
Taking engagement photos is a great way for you and your partner to get comfortable being in front of the camera and for you to get to know your wedding photographer. The photos themselves can also be used to announce the day to friends and family. One way that people do this is to send out Save the Dates. These are typically sent 6 months before the wedding day which means if you want to do an engagement session you should schedule that with enough time to get your photos back and printed before you have to mail your Save the Dates out.
My normal turn around from engagement shoot to final edited photos is 3 to 4 weeks and I’m always happy to turn around a handful of images for you to pick from if you are in a hurry and short on time.
Booking an engagement session is of course not a requirement to build rapport with your wedding photographer and get great wedding photos. I meet many of my clients for the first time on their wedding day and still get great photos.
Check out my list of great Portland engagement photo locations. These are some of my favorite spots for sessions in town.
Portland Hotels where wedding guests should stay
Here are 3 cool hotels that are right downtown and sure to be fun spots for your guests to hangout.
What to do in Portland with your wedding guests
Portland is full of fun things to do during their stay whether your wedding guests are into the outdoors and nature or ready to fill their bellies with fantastic food and drinks.
The internet is full of trip itineraries that hit all of the hot spots like Powell’s, Voodoo Donuts, Multnomah Falls, etc. I made a post about things to do in Portland.
Rehearsal Dinner Restaurants in Portland
Portland is pretty well known for it’s food scene and a lot of great restaurants have spaces for rehearsal dinners and pre-wedding private events. Check out these for your rehearsal dinner:
When and How to get a Marriage License in Portland
Multnomah County (the county that Portland is in) issues licenses for ceremonies that take place anywhere within the State of Oregon. Normally licenses need to be arranged in person at least 3 days before your wedding date but due to Covid licenses can be arranged via mail. Your license is valid for 60 days.
If you won’t be in the Portland area prior to your wedding, check with the county clerk where you will be getting married to make sure you know all of their requirements beforehand.
Your officiant will need to return the license to the county within 5 days of the wedding ceremony.
How to build your wedding day timeline to get the best wedding photos
Seeing as your wedding photos (and video if you’re going that route) are the things that you will have leftover after all the festivities are done, it makes sense to setup your day in a way that gets the nicest results for your photos but also lets you enjoy your day in a stress-free way.
If possible try to have your ceremony in a shady spot so that you and your partner aren’t in the bright, hot sun. This keeps you comfortable and also makes for more flattering photos. Alternatively you can wait until the sun is a little lower and behind your ceremony location.
I work with all my clients to help pick the best time for certain photos and I can be as hand-on as wanted in helping to build your timeline.
Sample Wedding Timeline
I put together a blog post that breaks down each part of the wedding day as it relates to wedding photography. I included how long each of those parts of the day take me and the best time of day for them to take place. Check out this sample wedding timeline and access an editable copy.
Formal Family Photo Groupings
Below is a list that is by no means comprehensive but serves as a good start for most wedding day family photo groupings. The larger the groupings the longer this time of the day will take. Keep in mind that time has a way of slowing down when people who haven’t seen each other for awhile get together and start catching up. With years and years of experience photographing weddings, I’m comfortable taking charge in a direct but not pushy way to make family portraits happen easily and quickly. I can finish most family photo lists in 20 to 30 minutes.
Example Family Photo List
Partner A with Partner A’s parents
Add in Partner B
Partner A with Partner A’s siblings (include individuals and all siblings)
Newlywed Couple with Partner A’s immediate family
Partner A with Partner A’s Grandparents
Add in Partner B
Newlywed Couple with Partner A’s extended family
Partner B with Partner B’s parents
Add in Partner B
Partner B with Partner B’s siblings (include individuals and all siblings)
Newlywed Couple with Partner B’s immediate family
Partner B with Partner B’s Grandparents
Add in Partner A
Newlywed Couple with Partner B’s extended family
Newlywed Couple with Officiant
Newlywed Couple with Ring bearer and/or Flower person
Want to access an editable copy of this list? Click here.
Couple Portraits on your Wedding Day
What if my partner and I aren’t comfortable in front of the camera?
It’s gonna be ok! Most couples feel this way. Being in front of a camera can be a weird place to be and it’s completely normal to feel awkward. I work with all my couples to provide plenty of direction and I never put you in poses that feel super posey or uncomfortable. If you think you might need more practice, an engagement session is a great way to have a trial run. You can also let me know if you have a “better side” or if there are things about yourself that you’re not super comfortable with in photos. We all have those and we’ll work together to get photos you’re into.
How long do couple portraits take on a wedding day?
How much or how little time you spend taking couple portraits on your wedding day is completely up to you. Some couples want multiple round of portraits throughout the day and in different locations. Other couples want to focus on enjoying their time with friends and family. Over the years I’ve gotten really good at maximizing time and shooting great couple portraits in 15 to 20 minutes. To me photographing weddings is a balance between taking beautiful photos and not making your entire day feel like a photoshoot. I never want you to miss out on wedding day moments.
How long does it take to get wedding photos back?
Following your wedding day I know that you’re excited to tell the world about your day and share photos on social media. This is why I go home and edit a small handful of photos to share with you as a sneak peek within 24 hours. I then deliver your remaining edited wedding photos to you through an online gallery within 3 to 4 weeks of your wedding day. I know that you are excited to see them and I’m excited to share them with you. Waiting 6 to 8 weeks or even longer just doesn’t cut it.
That’s a wrap.
Phew. That was a lot of info but I hope that it was helpful! As I mentioned above, if you have any questions about any of this info please complete the contact form below and I’d be happy to chat.