Looking for a list of the best intimate wedding venues in the PNW? Welcome! We’re Iris Elise and Jordan, an intimate wedding photographer and videographer duo based in the Pacific Northwest with a passion for serving intentional and adventurous couples. We’ve compiled a list of our all-time favorite venues that either our past couples have loved or future couples will love! All of these venues & locations have been handpicked with intimate weddings and elopements in mind, with full permission to have space for adventure and exploration. Each one can be tailored to your unique ideas and are not the standard venues everyone else has – so enjoy scrolling through our favorites! 

Intimate PNW Wedding Venues

The Griffin House // Columbia River Gorge Wedding Venue

The Griffin House is one of our top favorite wedding venues in the PNW for a reason! About an hour outside of Portland, initially, Griffin House was simply a family home that hosted a few friend’s weddings on the property, and now has turned into one of the most unique wedding venues in the Portland area, yet is still kept in the family name! You can use the house on site for getting ready the morning of, or rent it out for the entire weekend for your closest friends and family. The house includes 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, a full kitchen and a basement “den” including a bar! You and your guests will feel completely transported during your marriage celebration here – feeling on the edge of the world cliffside overlooking the beautiful Gorge for your ceremony and ending the night at the reception lawn surrounded by nature at this private location! 

The Griffin House not only has a remarkable location, but their venue team is top tier; they are dedicated to working with you and your vendor team from day one to ensure you have the most seamless intimate wedding experience possible! They even provide a personalized planning portal and guide to help you maximize your wedding experience with them! The Griffin House would be an ideal location for an intimate wedding (30-40 guests) during the months of April-October, or you can take advantage of their new offering of hosting your elopement here (2-12 total) in the months of November-March! Take a look at the photos and highlight reel we put together for their space, and then use the map key below to get yourself familiar with what they offer at this incredible venue!

A few pro tips from our personal experience: 

• The Columbia River Gorge is the capital of wind sports, so if you’re not familiar with the area, you’ll be surprised by how windy it can get at this location! Plan for about 10 degrees cooler than what the Portland weather app says it’ll be for your celebration!
• You will need to have an additional transportation service for any guests above 25 – parking for up to 25 guests is included on-site!
• The Griffin House has a complimentary event tent you can use on-site in case of rain or extreme weather conditions (i.e. having fans/heaters in the covered space!)

Wind Mountain Ranch // Columbia River Gorge Wedding Venue

For couples who want a secluded wedding venue and cozy accommodations all in one, Wind Mountain Ranch would be the first venue we’d recommend. As a sister venue to The Griffin House, tucked away on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge, this venue is the perfect combination if you want a “camp wedding” mixed with “adventure elopement!” With complete access to the ranch (68 acres of beautiful open space), 7 timber cabins available to you, AND private trail access to Wind Mountain, this venue is a no-brainer! You can host up to 35 of your closest friends and family at Wind Mountain for your intimate wedding weekend with 360 views surrounding you of the gorge, mountain peaks, and the forest all in one!

We had a camp wedding ourselves in 2022, so we’d love to share more with you about how to plan a weekend full of outdoor activities and adventures to celebrate your marriage! Just imagine, staying on-site with your best friends and a few close family members, hosting bonfires, lawn games, and intimate dinners, and then ending the weekend with vow and ring exchanges overlooking Columbia River Gorge in the background, then getting to explore 1.5 miles of private trail access to Wind Mountain for some adventurous portraits to tie it all together! 

A few pro tips from our personal experience: 

• Wind Mountain Ranch will be officially a part of the Griffin House management starting October 2023! Check out their social media for updates on their space!
• This venue is located 25 minutes from Hood River, OR, but on the Washington side! This could be a great location for out-of-town guests to stay if you don’t want them to stay on-site with you.
• Check out our photos + highlight reel of their outdoor spaces available + their newly updated cabins on site!

Mt. Hood Center // Outdoor Wedding Venue near Portland 

This venue is located about 45 minutes from Portland in Boring, OR (we promise it’s not as dull as it sounds!), sitting on acres of land, and happens to double as an equestrian center. Mt. Hood Center has multiple package options for wedding days including different variation combinations of their spaces: the Ballroom/Meadow/Lookout Deck comes in package 1 and the Greenhouse/Trail Course/ Annex Patio comes in package 2! This venue also has an option for event rental add-ons, so if you wanted to host a wedding shower or rehearsal dinner, you could host them all here if you wanted to! What we love about Mt. Hood Center is that they regularly put together community events and bridal shows for vendors to be able to connect with couples in the area, and for couples to meet and greet with potential vendors that are preferred by the venue. We’d love to see you at the next one! 

A few pro tips from our personal experience: 

• For an intimate wedding day experience, book their “Package 2” including the Greenhouse, Trail Course, and Annex Patio for a cozy ceremony in the greenhouse, a fun and lively cocktail hour at the trail course, and ending the night with a reception under the string lights nested next to huge pine trees on the annex patio! View our photos and highlight reel below to see these spaces in action! 
• The on-site coordinators also double as wedding planners that you can book additionally who have a unique expertise at this venue! 
• This venue does double as a center for equine and although their space is HUGE, they usually have multiple events going on the same weekend, something to keep in mind when telling your guests where to go/where to park! 

 The Orchard // Hood River Wedding Venue 

This PNW outdoor wedding venue is tucked deep into a family-owned pear farm in Hood River, Oregon, about an hour from Portland, providing breathtaking views of both Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams! The property has a lush floral garden with a meadow-like wedding lawn where all ceremonies are held, an additional lawn facing Mt. Adams for cocktail hour, and an open-air reception barn for your evening celebrations. You can exchange vows with the famous Mt.Hood view as your backdrop and then continue the celebration at your reception without sacrificing the views with Mt. Adams! The farm-to-table dining (provided by Celilo Catering) follows the same theme of incorporating natural PNW elements (much of which is actually harvested on-site from The Orchard itself) into every aspect of your wedding day experience!

View our photos and video highlight reel here to see what it would be like to host your intimate wedding at The Orchard!

A few pro tips from our personal experience: 

• Weddings are only hosted from May-October here, and the 2nd weekend of July is the most popular (because of all of the luscious floral blooms in season at the farm!)
• The Orchard requires you to book their in-house caterer, Celilo, and one of their preferred wedding planners to host your wedding here.
• They’re planning on including an event tent for a backup rain plan for ceremonies come 2024! 

Hoyt Arboretum // Outdoor Portland Wedding Venue

Hoyt Arboretum, the museum of living trees, is truly one of Portland’s most exciting gems! Founded in 1928, Hoyt encompasses a total of 198 acres and 12 miles of hiking trails – perfect for the couple wanting to prioritize being surrounded by nature while still remaining close to the city. No matter what season you visit, you will always be in awe of the beauty and serenity that this location embodies. This is exactly why it’s on our list of best intimate wedding venues in the PNW!

There are 4 outdoor spaces available to rent at Hoyt Arboretum that can accommodate up to 100 people (although we recommend about 30-40 guests for an intimate wedding celebration.) Here is a brief overview of these spaces!

Redwood Deck: Known as one of the most photogenic places in Hoyt Arboretum. You’ll be surrounded by the towering collection of redwood trees and overlooking Johnson Creek. The capacity for this space is 40 people standing or 25 people seated on the wooden benches provided! Have your ceremony here and then celebrate afterward at your favorite restaurant in Portland like Analis + Ryan did for their wedding day!

Steven’s Pavillion: This wooden A-frame picnic shelter is open on all 4 sides, providing 360 views of the massive Douglas-fir trees. Although the A-frame is simple, it is Hoyt’s most iconic structure and is especially popular for Portland intimate weddings due to the full-day rental option! This would be the perfect location to have both your ceremony and reception onsite.

Wedding Meadow: This is a serene, grassy location surrounded by conifers and white-blooming shrubs that add a natural decor element to your intimate wedding ceremony. Many couples rent this space in conjunction with the Redwood Deck, especially if they’re wanting a different location for their ceremony and reception, but want to still keep it in the park.

Stone Circle: If you and your partner want to feel like you’re deep in the woods for your ceremony, Stone Circle would be the perfect setting for you. As the name suggests, this space includes a small, stone circle with a backdrop of towering conifers that can hold up to 40 guests! Keep in mind that there are only 2-hour time blocks available to rent, as opposed to half or full-day options that the other spaces at Hoyt Arboretum offer. 

A few pro tips from our personal experience: 

• Make sure to look on Hoyt’s website to see when they open up their lottery for their spaces for wedding rentals each year! They do this a bit differently than other venues, so you’ll want to be the first to know what dates they have available and if it’s a possibility for you to get married here! 
• Hoyt Arboretum is located in Forest Park, which is a neighborhood right in the heart of Portland! There aren’t very many other venues that have the extent of nature available to you without going out of the city. This is a unique one!
• If you get married at the Redwood Deck, there is a secret parking lot specifically for events here so you don’t have to park at the visitor center and hike all the way around.

Saint Irene’s // Indoor Oregon Wedding Venue

Saint Irene’s is a simple yet modern indoor wedding venue located in Tualatin, Oregon, just 20 minutes south of Portland! The main feature of this venue includes its high ceilings, an abundance of natural light, and it’s versatile, contemporary style. Whether you want a minimal or decor-oriented celebration, Sainte Irene’s can be transformed into anything your heart desires! Their adjoining bar, High Dive, is owned and operated by the same team and is available to rent in conjunction with the venue space. You’ll be able to build your own custom beverage menu and have a fabulous catering experience (from La Industria next door) to complement! And one of the BEST parts is that they’re also a coffee shop during the day, so feel free to stop by and visit whenever you’re in town for a true Portland coffee experience!

A few pro tips from our personal experience: 

• If you decide to have both your ceremony and reception indoors, we recommend you book a day-after bridal session somewhere outdoors like on the Oregon Coast or in the Columbia River Gorge so you can get adventurous portraits to add variety to your gallery or film!
• If you decide to get married here, we have a full vendor list we can send your way that highlights a few vendors we worked with for the last wedding we shot here, so they will all be super familiar with the space and your specific needs for the day!
• View our full gallery and wedding film from Ariana + Eric’s intimate NYE wedding at Saint Irene’s here! 

Oregon Coast // Adventurous Beachfront Wedding Venue 

The Oregon Coast is such a stunning location to host your PNW intimate wedding or elopement, especially if you’re planning a simple yet adventurous celebration. There are multiple locations to choose from on the Oregon Coast, such as Cape Kiwanda, Samuel H. Boardman State Park, and Hug Point, if you want to go the more DIY route! The amazing thing about getting married on the Oregon Coast is that you don’t have to pay a venue rental fee (which can range from $10-$50k+, saving you a TON of money to invest in other things for your day!) However, if you’re planning on using any sort of structures like an arbor/arch, tables/chairs, a tent, or anything else that would keep others from using the beach during your ceremony, you will need to apply for a special use permit for your Oregon Coast wedding celebration. Or, if you’re keeping it super minimal and not using any structures or additional elements and have a total of 50 people or less for your wedding celebration, then you can have your ceremony on the coast permit-free! If you do not want to invest the time in planning a DIY wedding and want an actual venue instead, Crook Point is the best Oregon Coast wedding venue in our opinion if you want an actual venue to host your ceremony and reception and have full access to the coast all in one! If you’re planning on eloping at the Oregon Coast, be sure to check out our Ultimate Guide to an Elopement in Oregon for all of our best tips on eloping on the Oregon Coast!

A few pro tips from our personal experience: 

• You can use tidetime.org to research when there will be high and low tides on the Oregon coast – you’ll want to avoid high tide times the day you’re getting married on the coast!
• We have a few secret surfer’s cove spots we love taking clients to! Inquire with us to see what your other options are for your intimate wedding celebration on the coast! 
• Check out the Oregon Coast Elopement we shot below for inspiration!  

Noble Ridge Tree Deck // Cascade Mountains Wedding Venue

Noble Ridge Tree Deck is the true definition of a forest wedding venue! At a 2500-foot elevation in the Cascade Mountains, this is the ultimate choice for couples wanting an unforgettable outdoor wedding experience in the PNW. In fact, at one of the recent weddings we shot here, our couple did a helicopter entrance on the wedding lawn, which would add to your unforgettable wedding experience before your day even really starts! The mountain views are simply impeccable, and just a few of the amenities include a 3,000-square-foot tree deck, a 10,000-square-foot wedding lawn, and a River Cabin Suite on a stream nearby for getting ready or chilling together with your wedding party before the ceremony starts. Noble Ridge only hosts 10 events per year (between the months of July and September) to ensure every couple has a personalized experience, so be sure to inquire as soon as you know your wedding date!  

A few pro tips from our personal experience: 

• Make sure to download offline maps of the area on Google Maps before heading this way and make sure to tell your guests to do the same! It’ll be a lifesaver getting back home at the end of the night when you don’t have any cell service!
• We recommend hiring Stacey at Your Perfect Bridesmaid Wedding Planning to coordinate for you at this venue – she is a pro and knows this venue like the back of her hand!
• Don’t skip out on the helicopter entrance, trust us!

Here are a few images from Kara + Kyle’s July wedding at Noble Ridge Tree Deck!

The Ruins at the Astor // Unique Indoor Oregon Wedding Venue

The Ruins at the Astor is a raw, unique, light-filled space in the heart of downtown Astoria, Oregon, about 2 hours from Portland on the northernmost part of the Oregon coast! For couples who want an especially unique intimate wedding venue, The Ruins should definitely be on the top of your list to check out! The main hall is roughly 2600 square feet with a mezzanine level available to rent specifically for wedding party portraits if you want to! We’ve worked with (and recommend!) a wedding planner who specializes in this venue, named Dani! The location is in close proximity to the Coast, so we can always recommend having your first look and portrait session there! The catering situation can get a bit tricky here at The Ruins (due to not having a water hook-up source!), but there are a few amazing caterers in the area that will work with them and that we recommend to you! 

A few pro tips from our personal experience: 

• Book Dani Baker for your wedding coordinator at this venue, she has worked plenty of weddings here and knows all the ins and outs of the location and the area surrounding!
• Make sure to factor in time in your timeline to head to the coast for your portraits, or hike to Cathedral Tree if that’s more your vibe!
• There is a hotel above the venue where you can easily book a suite for getting ready or the night of your wedding!

Check out Julia + Zack’s wedding day at the Ruins in Astoria, Oregon below! 

Intimate PNW Wedding Venues in the City 

Mildred Hall // Small Portland Wedding Venue 

Mildred Hall (a former church) is a charming Portland wedding venue perfectly suited for small, intimate wedding days. Originally built in 1916, this building has been renovated to invoke a classic, modern feel yet still embodies plenty of original character with its beautiful indoor and outdoor spaces combined. Matt and Yuka the owners, are a husband and wife team that live just a few blocks over from the venue and have seen its transition over the years, but were determined to keep the original charm of the space and have it continue to be a connection point for the community they live in. Even its name, Mildred Avenue, was the original street name prior to Sumner Street.

They have combined the history of the building with their vision of the future of the building and the events that will be hosted there. Honoring its original street name, “Mildred,” this is the upstairs gathering space for intimate marriage celebrations and community events, and its new street name, “Sumner” which is its downstairs counterpart where their art classes and workshops are held. Overall, between the main hall, the mother room (aka wedding suite), and the outdoor patio and garden spaces, this is the perfect setting for your intimate and intentional wedding celebration in Portland! Plus, the lower level of the building features a spacious kitchen so your catering team can prepare things for dinner, your baker can store your cake, or you can stow away your florals until your ceremony starts!

The capacity for Mildred Hall is:

Ceremony // Main Hall // Up to 80 guests

Reception // Entire Property // Up to 120 guests

However, we recommend you stick to about 30-40 guests to keep your day relaxed, stress-free, and as easygoing as possible!

A few pro tips from our personal experience: 

• Mildred Hall is nestled in the North East neighborhood of Portland. If you’re local to the area, make sure you check out their monthly workshops and art classes in their downstairs partner, Sumner Studio, or stop by for one of their farmer’s markets, movie nights, or neighborhood gatherings!
• You aren’t required to hire any preferred vendors here (which can save you tons of $$$, but they do have a preferred vendor list you will have access to if you need help choosing vendors for your day – and we’re on it!)
• If you don’t choose Mildred Hall for your intimate wedding day celebration in Portland, just make sure to ask your venue if they take care of your trash at the end of the night for you – oftentimes, venues in city limits don’t, but MH will, which is a huge plus!

Check out our photos of their beautiful space and a quick video highlight reel here! 

Blockhouse // Garden Wedding Venue in Portland 

Blockhouse PDX is a sister venue to Castaway Portland, which is actually right next door! However, what makes Blockhouse unique is that it was purposefully designed for intimate gatherings and events, making things feel purposeful and intentional without all the extra space and extra costs you would need to factor in for a larger venue!

Tucked away in Pomarius Nursery, Blockhouse is located right near the Pearl District and offers easy access to tons of amenities in Downtown Portland. The venue space is built around a chef-inspired open kitchen, putting extra emphasis on having an intimate yet elevated celebration with your closest friends and family over an incredible meal provided by one of their exclusive caterers! You’ll be surrounded by the lush greenery of the nursery no matter where you turn, and you can also add on the nursery’s Orangerie if you want your ceremony, cocktail, and reception spaces to be seamless throughout the night! The total guest capacity for Blockhouse is 60 total but about double that with the Orangerie!

A few pro tips from our personal experience: 

• Say hi to Tina, the hen during your venue tour of the space if you’re considering getting married here! She runs the space 😉
• We recommend adding on the Pomarius Nursery covered patio for your ceremony and adding on the photography permit to take portraits there, this is truly what makes Blockhouse special!
• All parking at this venue will be street parking, so we recommend your guests take Ubers at the end of the night or set up a form of transportation for them after the festivities conclude!

Make sure to check out our photos + highlight reel of the space here!

The Woodlands House 

The Woodlands House is a private home that doubles as an Airbnb and an intimate wedding venue that sits on 5 acres of old-growth forest in Sandy, Oregon, just a 45-minute drive from the PDX airport. The owners and hosts, Rico and Rachel, actually hosted their own vow renewal here with 30 of their closest friends and family members a few years back and were inspired to share that experience with others, which is exactly why they started opening up their space to others to book for intimate wedding day celebrations here! 

The property has 2 homes, one of which is newly built – this is a 2-person cabin just a short walk from the main house, which would be perfect for getting ready the morning of, and spending the night on the night of your wedding!

The main house has 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a full kitchen upstairs and a bar and hosting area downstairs! This home is famously known for its string-light covered patio with a hot tub overlooking the pine forest and private stream below the home. This space sleeps up to 8 guests and would be perfect for having your wedding party or parents and siblings stay with you on-site for your wedding celebrations throughout the weekend!

The unique factor about this space is that although it is a private home, it is perfectly built to host intimate gatherings and celebrations! The hosts have tables and chairs that will accommodate up to 35 guests and there is an open garage studio space that can be used for reception events or catering! 

Or, if you’re opting for a smaller celebration or planning on eloping, the greenhouse would be a perfect spot for an intentional dinner with a few close loved ones! 

A few pro tips from our personal experience: 

• For wedding events, reach out to Rico and Rachel directly at hello@thewoodlands.house
• This space would be incredible to rent year-round for your wedding celebration (snowed in at the cabin surrounded by a private pine forest anyone?!) There’s no month restrictions like some venues have!
• For events, you get the entire space to yourselves for the whole weekend! Make sure to ask about their tables and chairs if you want guests up to 35 for your celebration.

Make sure to check out our photos + highlight reel of the space here, so you can envision what your wedding day would look like at the Woodlands House! 

Ready to host your intimate wedding in the PNW?

We hope you’re feeling inspired to start planning your marriage celebration in the PNW with our curated list of venues! If you’re searching for a photographer & videographer team to tag along on your adventure, we would love to connect with you and find out if we’d be a great fit. We can’t wait to send you our PNW Vendor Guide and Wedding & Elopement Planning Guide – you can reach out to us here and we’ll get back to you within 48 hours with all the details!

Top 3 AirBnB’s in the PNW for Elopements

These are Airbnb’s that specifically allow events such as elopements on the property! If you plan on booking any of these, please be sure to let the host know that you plan on hosting your intimate wedding or elopement during your stay so they can provide accurate information for booking purposes.

Stay Between the Pine  // Seattle, Washington Cabin 

This Airbnb wedding venue is owned by a fellow PNW elopement photographer, so you already know it’s equipped with all the things you’d want as a couple getting married! There’s enough room for 15 people (including any onsite vendors) at this A-frame cabin in the forest. You can hold your ceremony on the property or walk just 100 steps down to the river for a waterfront vow exchange! The location is about 35 minutes from Seattle and 25 minutes to Snoqualmie Pass, so you truly have endless options for celebrating your elopement. 

Our Plaace // Oregon Coast Retreat

This beachfront Airbnb sits right on the Oregon Coast in Newskowin Beach, a quiet gated community with private beach access. Not only are they fully stocked with everything you might need (especially when it comes to your morning cup of caffeine), but there are magnificent ocean views that can be seen through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Our Plaace has 3 levels in total – the main level, the second level, and the downstairs level. There’s enough space for 10 guests in total with 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms!

The Klickitat // Treehouse in Columbia River Gorge

With only a ten-minute drive to White Salmon and a twenty-minute drive to Hood River, you can experience world-class dining, breweries, wineries, and coffee shops as well as all of the outdoor recreation the Columbia Gorge has to offer including mountain biking, skiing and snowboarding, windsurfing, kiteboarding, white water rafting and kayaking, fishing, hiking, waterfalls, and more here at the Treehouse in Columbia River Gorge!

Ready to host your intimate wedding in the PNW?

We hope you’re feeling inspired to start planning your marriage celebration in the PNW with our curated list of venues! If you’re searching for a photographer & videographer team to tag along on your adventure, we would love to connect with you and find out if we’d be a great fit. We can’t wait to send you our PNW Vendor Guide and Wedding & Elopement Planning Guide – you can reach out to us here and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible!