Bridal Boutique

Why Choose a Centrally Located Venue for Your Wedding

If you live in a sizable city, choosing a wedding venue can be daunting. For example, within a two-hour radius of Portland, Oregon, there are hundreds of venue options. How does one choose amongst the beautiful coast, the stunning gorge, the rustic mountains or the rolling hills of wine country?

We suggest a centrally located wedding venue; meaning a venue close to Portland, serving as an epicenter for your wedding celebration, complete with transportation and accommodations to fit your needs. Think of Portland as a home-base, and the nearby 7 wonders of Oregon are easily within reach.

What are the benefits of having a wedding in the center of it all?

Close to Accommodations

Having your ceremony and reception within the city allows your guests to easily choose accommodations close to your venue including hotels and housing rentals. You and your fiancé can reserve room blocks nearby that fit your needs. In more remote locations, it can sometimes be difficult to secure adequate nearby lodging.

Convenient Transportation

A centrally located wedding will ease the burden of travel for you and your guests. Many cities, like Portland, have a good public transportation system. In addition to inexpensive light rail, streetcar and bus options, Lyft, Uber, PDX Pedi-cab and Double Decker PDX can accommodate guests quickly and easily. Your guests won’t have to rent a car and park to get to and from the airport, wedding events and attractions around the city. A central location also alleviates the cost of shuttling guests to and from venues outside the city.

Reduces Vendor Costs

Consider the cost of vendor travel and accommodations before booking an out-of-town venue. Photographers, make-up artists, hair stylists, etc. may charge for travel. These charges can be avoided if booking within city limits.

Minimizes Packing Stress

Unless arranged with a planner, there will be some items that you, your bridal party or family will need to bring to the wedding reception site. For example, you may need to bring client-provided alcohol, décor items, wedding attire, bridal party gifts to the ceremony and reception site. Depending on what your venue can accommodate, you may be able to bring some items the day prior, freeing more of your time the day of your wedding. If you forget something, you can rest easy knowing you have nearby resources to pick up that last minute item.

Close Rehearsal

Keep in mind that your bridal party and family will need to travel to your ceremony walk-through and rehearsal. A centrally located venue will allow your friends and family to settle in to their accommodations and get to these events in a timely manner. Additionally, being within the city opens up a world of fantastic rehearsal dinner options.

Lets Your Guests Have Fun

A centrally located wedding destination will allow guests to enjoy your city. It can be difficult to pack in a relaxing and fun trip when most of that time is spent traveling. Easily accessible bars, restaurants, tourist attractions near accommodations and venue make for an easy and fun getaway. Guests can enjoy your reception without worrying about driving home after a night of celebrating.

Cascade Rooftop at The Exchange Ballroom | Photo: Donny Mays

Start your Honeymoon!

If you’re that couple that prefers to keep the party going after the wedding reception, choosing a downtown venue will allow you and your guests easy access to nearby attractions and Portland’s nightlife. If you’re that couple who is exhausted after a long day of celebrating, if you’re centrally located, your hotel is nearby. Start relaxing as soon as possible!

At VT Group, we are proud to manage four of Portland’s most beautiful and diverse wedding venues. All venues can accommodate both ceremony and reception on-site. As one of Oregon’s premier hospitality purveyors, VT Group also provides casual to high-end, full-service catering, event production and facility management.

Our exclusive venues include:

The Loft at 8^th Avenue

Portland’s newest wedding venue!

The Loft at 8th Avenue is a modern, wedding venue located in Portland’s Central Eastside Industrial District. The versatile spaces within the Loft are a perfect fit for your wedding events. Our unique tasting rooms can host your intimate rehearsal dinner or cocktail hour while our larger Annex and Outdoor Space allow for a seamless flow from ceremony to reception.

The Loft at 8^th Avenue is ideally located in Portland’s newest bustling neighborhood, the Central Eastside, providing your guests easy access to the amazing accommodations and attractions Portland has to offer.

The Exchange Ballroom

The Exchange Ballroom is a perfect blend of contemporary design with historic character and boasts amazing views of downtown Portland.

This wedding venue embodies the Portland vibe with a clean and modern aesthetic; a perfect blank canvas to do what you want in terms of décor, color, lighting and theme to create a stunning event.

The gorgeous Cascade Rooftop can host your ceremony overlooking the city and is perfect for cocktail hour. Located in the Central Eastside Industrial district, the Exchange Ballroom is centrally located with easy access for both driving and/or public transport.

The Treasury Ballroom

The Treasury Ballroom is Portland’s best downtown wedding venue. Boasting iconic architectural details and located within the 100-year-old U.S. Bank Building, the ballroom is a piece of Portland’s history. With a fresh and bold color palette, the Treasury Ballroom is perfect for elegant and sophisticated weddings.

Located in the heart of downtown Portland, the Treasury Ballroom is steps away from a plethora of incredible food, beverage and cultural attractions the city has to offer.

Lan Su Chinese Garden

Lan Su Chinese Garden stands alone as a breathtaking, one-of-a-kind venue. Exquisite pavilions and lush gardens provide a beautiful backdrop for sharing your special day.

The natural, calm beauty of the Garden is surrounded by the bustling city of Portland.

Stay Sane While Planning Your Same-Year Wedding

Getting married in nine months, six months, even less? While the average wedding planning spans 12 to 18 months, that doesn’t mean you can’t plan a fabulous wedding in less time! Here are some tips to planning your wedding within the year.

First things, first. Book the big vendors as soon as you can. Once you have these arranged, it will allow the rest of the planning details to fall into place.

Find your venue

Waste no time in finding your venue. While it may seem that every venue is booked on short notice, that’s not actually true. If you are willing to be somewhat flexible with your date, many vendors have holes in their booking calendar and would love to fill it! Venues may offer specials deals for bookings within the year.

Found your perfect venue but the date isn’t available? Consider a Friday, Sunday or even a weekday –these days are typically less expensive.

portland-wedding-exchange-ballroom-shelley-marie-photo-1377_cr — Wedding reception at Exchange Ballroom

Book your photographer/videographer

In addition to venues, photographers and videographers often offer specials trying to fill in their yearly calendar.

Consider your caterer

When choosing a caterer, consider these options:

Full-Service

Choosing a full-service caterer is a wise choice for planning same year weddings. Some offer planners who can assist with timelines, floor plans and rentals (glassware, linens and décor). This level of support and guidance can be extremely important when planning on a short timeframe.

Exclusive

Consider choosing a venue/exclusive caterer combination. Some venues prefer exclusive caterers and for good reason—they intimately know the space and work closely with the venue representative to provide thoughtful service.

Large Operation

Do your research and consider the size of the catering company. Larger catering companies can execute multiple events on the same day meaning they are more likely to accommodate your event needs even when booked on short notice. Often, these companies can offer a wide array of dinner styles—plated, buffet and family style.

DJ/Band

If you have a particular DJ or band in mind, book as soon as you can! Choosing great music service is essential to a fun and inviting reception. Don’t let this element of your special day be an afterthought.

As you plan your wedding, there are ways to keep your timeline from getting the best of you!

Use a planning tool

Start off on the right foot and consider an all-inclusive wedding planning tool that does it all including wedding website, customizable checklist and registry. This will help you manage your time and budget. Plus, you can easily register for anything: cash, gifts, experiences from one place.

Don’t get overwhelmed with inspiration

While it’s tempting to scour Instagram, Pinterest and wedding websites for hours on end, it can also make you feel burnt out. Before you begin to consider various themes, venues, options (you’ll be making a lot of choices!), make a short list of priorities or must-haves.

For example, if you’ve always envisioned an outdoor wedding or a small intimate wedding, start with that focus and go from there. If you have a semblance of vision, you can save a lot of time and stress by not considering every option under the sun. Additionally, people will have a lot of opinions and ideas. The more confident you feel in your choices, the easier it will be to say yes or no as you plan.

Make decisions quickly

One of the many benefits of planning a wedding on a shorter timeline is that it forces you and your partner to be decisive. By giving yourself fewer options (read above) and sticking to your choices, you can streamline the planning process. Your time is valuable. For example, when selecting photographers, know and consider only those in your budget. View their galleries. If you love their work, contact a few at a time until your dates align. Don’t second guess your choice and exhaust all options.

Cut out the clutter

Another benefit of short-term planning is that you don’t have time to add unnecessary items to your wedding. More time gives you more opportunity to think you need more than you do. Keep it simple.

Listen

Most couples have never planned an event of this size or importance. So, it’s silly to think that you should know how to plan a wedding.

If it’s in your budget, hire a planner. He/she can take off a huge amount of stress, especially on a short timeline. If a planner isn’t an option, look at your circle of family and friends. Who throws amazing parties? Who had an amazing wedding of their own? Who is organized? Whose style do you love? As someone who loves to entertain, he/she would certainly love to give you sage advice. The key is to listen.

Vibrant Table

Vibrant Table Catering and Events is a leader in event innovation, providing award-winning catering, venue management, floral and décor and event production. Our culinary style is inventive, diverse and event inspired.

7 Expenses to Consider in your Wedding Budget

With so many things to organize for your wedding, it’s easy to forget little details that can add up fast. When determining your budget, consider these expenses:

Extra meals

When calculating catering expenses and the potential headcount for your wedding celebration, be sure to include you and your fiancé. Additionally, consider vendors who will request a meal for your celebration (i.e. photographer, band members, DJ, coordinator, etc.)

Marriage license

Don’t forget your license to love! In the state of Oregon, marriage applications must be received 60 days prior to your wedding day with a non-refundable $60 marriage license fee. After your license has been issued, Oregon has a three-day waiting period before you can officially walk down the aisle. The waiting period can be waived, but it still involves filling out a waiver form with an additional $10 in cash. Don’t wait until the last minute to do this, but also don’t do it too far in advance. A marriage license is valid for 60 days, so getting your marriage license more than two months before your wedding date will not be usable.

Transportation for guests

At some point during your wedding, your guests will have to travel. Walking is great, however, other modes of transport such as taxis, buses, or cars will likely come into play during your festivities. Although it’s not necessary for you to provide transportation, it’s a thoughtful addition your guests will appreciate. Here in Portland, we have some diverse transportation options such as Pedicab, Lyft, Uber, Double Decker PDX and TriMet public transportation system.

Day-of food for the wedding party

You and your wedding party will be spending the day getting ready. It’s important to eat, so be sure to have something planned for yourself and the wedding party. We recommend ordering fresh and delicious food via a drop-off catering service prior to your wedding day.

You’ll thank yourself in the long run for thinking ahead!

Liability insurance

Most venues require you to carry single-event liability insurance. This coverage is designed to protect you against unforeseen incidents such as injury or alcohol-related accidents. Depending on the coverage you need, liability insurance usually ranges from $125 to $400.

Gratuities

It might be confusing which vendors you should tip for your wedding. Make sure to read the contracts and see which have gratuity already included. Consider providing tips prior to your wedding day to if they aren’t included. If that’s not an option, prepare tip envelopes prior to your wedding to give to your vendors. Here’s a helpful guide to wedding tipping.

Postage

Don’t forget about postage fees for save-the-date cards, invitations, and thank you notes. Depending on the weight and size of your invite, you can expect postage to cost $100+ when budgeting for your wedding.

Preparing for additional expenses will help keep you within your wedding budget and start you and your partner off in a positive financial direction after you’re married.

What's New