Choosing a wedding date is one of the most important decisions you’ll make during the planning process. The date sets the tone for your wedding and impacts everything from your venue choice to guest availability. For Oregon couples, choosing the right wedding date involves considering weather, venue availability, and personal significance.

Consider the Season
Oregon is known for its stunning natural landscapes, but the weather can be unpredictable. Summer and early fall are the most popular times to get married in Oregon because of the pleasant weather and abundance of outdoor venues. However, these months can also be the most expensive and competitive for booking venues. If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly option, consider a winter or early spring wedding. The cooler months offer a cozy, intimate atmosphere, and venues often offer off-season discounts.

Venue Availability
Once you have an idea of when you’d like to get married, check with your desired venue to see if they’re available. Popular Portland wedding venues can book up more than a year in advance, especially for prime dates like holiday weekends or peak wedding season. It’s a good idea to have a few date options in mind when you start touring venues to ensure you find a date that works for both you and the venue.

Personal Dates of Significance
For some couples, selecting a wedding date is about more than just availability—it’s about finding a date with personal significance. Perhaps you want to get married on the anniversary of your first date, or maybe you’d like to honor a family tradition by choosing the same month your parents were married. Keep in mind that choosing a special date may limit your venue options, so it’s important to balance personal preferences with logistical considerations.

Guests and Travel
If you’re planning a large wedding or inviting out-of-town guests, it’s important to think about their availability and travel needs when choosing a date. Holiday weekends can be convenient for guests with extra time off, but they also tend to be more expensive for travel and accommodations. Additionally, make sure to consider local events that might impact your wedding weekend—particularly in Portland, where major festivals or conventions can affect hotel availability and traffic.

Budget Considerations
Your wedding date can also impact your overall budget. Popular dates, like summer Saturdays, tend to come with a higher price tag for both venues and vendors. If you’re looking to save money, consider getting married on a Friday or Sunday, or choosing a less popular month. This can help stretch your budget without sacrificing your dream wedding.

Choosing the right wedding date requires careful consideration, but by weighing these factors, you’ll find the perfect day to say “I do.” For couples looking to meet vendors and get more advice on planning their wedding, be sure to attend the Willamette Wedding Show.

Planning a wedding can feel like a full-time job. Between picking the venue, coordinating vendors, and managing guest lists, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. The key to stress-free wedding planning is breaking it down into manageable steps, and this checklist will help Oregon couples navigate the process from start to finish.

12+ Months Before the Wedding
At least a year before the big day, you should secure the most important elements of your wedding. This includes booking your venue, photographer, caterer, and entertainment. Oregon offers a wide range of wedding venues, from scenic vineyards to urban event spaces, so securing your favorite venue early is crucial. Start looking into caterers and photographers at the same time—these vendors can also get booked out well in advance.

9-12 Months Before the Wedding
After securing your major vendors, it’s time to think about the finer details. Start looking for your wedding dress and bridesmaids' dresses at least 9-12 months before the wedding. You’ll also want to hire a florist, and decide on any décor elements, including lighting, rentals, and signage. If you’re thinking about hiring a wedding planner, now is the time to do it.

6-9 Months Before the Wedding
At this point, you’ll need to finalize your guest list and send out save-the-dates. Start creating a day-of timeline with your planner or coordinator and make sure you’ve secured any rentals you’ll need (chairs, tents, etc.). Around this time, you should also book your hair and makeup artists, bartending services, and wedding transportation.

3-6 Months Before the Wedding
Now it’s time to finalize your ceremony and reception details. Confirm your floral design, seating arrangements, and music selections. Work closely with your caterer on the menu and have a cake tasting if you haven’t done so already. Make sure you’ve sent out your invitations, and start thinking about any personal touches you want to incorporate into your big day.

1-3 Months Before the Wedding
Finalize your vendor contracts and ensure that everyone is on the same page. Plan for any last-minute décor or signage needs, and create a list of must-have photos with your photographer. This is also the time to break in your wedding shoes, finalize your vows, and enjoy any pre-wedding events, like your bridal shower or bachelor/bachelorette party.

Last-Minute Details
In the final weeks leading up to your wedding, make sure to confirm all details with your vendors. Have a final meeting with your wedding planner or coordinator to go over the day-of schedule. And most importantly, remember to relax and enjoy this exciting time!

By staying organized and using this checklist, your Oregon wedding will be an unforgettable day. To meet all the vendors you need in one place, be sure to attend the Willamette Wedding Show, where you’ll have access to a curated selection of local wedding experts ready to help make your vision a reality.

This is one of the highest searched terms by local wedding planning couples. As soon as one of you says "yes!" the wedding planning begins... but where do you start?!

A few things need to happen all at the same time and the answers will effect how much your wedding will cost. The first items to determine are:

1) Guest list- make a list of all the people you would like to invite.  You can get details later but you need to know approximately how many guests you are having so that you can find a venue that can accommodate that number.  Some things to ask yourselves are: Are we inviting children? Are we inviting co-workers? Which friends and family members are important to your parents and should get an invite?  These will significantly effect your planning and your budget so its important to get this figured out early.

2) Type of wedding- Location, location, location! What type of wedding you have will effect the cost of your wedding venue.  Are you having a church ceremony and then a reception at a different location? Do you want the ceremony and reception in the same place? Do you want an indoor wedding? Outdoor wedding? Rustic wedding? Ballroom wedding?  You will want to start looking for venues that fit the type of wedding you want and that will effect your budget.

3) Approximate date- What time of year do you want to get married?  April to October is peak wedding season here in Oregon and can effect the cost of your wedding.  I say "approximate date" because your dream venue may not be available on the exact date you want.  Couples are taking longer on average to plan their weddings (sometimes up to 2 years) so venues book pretty quickly. 

4) Wedding planner- do you want to hire a wedding planner?  Full service wedding planners help you from "yes!" to "I do" to "bon voyage (leaving for your honeymoon)."  There is a cost associated with them but they can help you reduce costs as well as reduce stress.  If you decide you want to plan your wedding yourself (totally doable... especially at a wedding show!) you will definitely want to consider a day of coordinator.  They help with all the to dos of the wedding day so you can relax and enjoy the day.  Plan it and hand it off.  I am not a wedding planner but I highly recommend hiring a day of coordinator if you forgo the full service planning.  The number one regret recently married couples have is not hiring a day of coordinator.

The other items will come later but at the beginning of wedding planning these are the three things you should focus on.

Now that you have those out of the way... what will this all cost you?  
$31,967
is the average cost of a wedding in Oregon for a single location (ceremony and reception in the same location), with 125 guests in the spring.  This is not based on a national survey.  This is based on almost 10 years wedding industry experience here in Portland and the Willamette Valley.  We know literally hundreds of wedding vendors across all vendor categories and did the research to find the average numbers.  Here is how it breaks down:

Now that you have all this information you are ready to get started on your wedding budget.  Register your wedding to get a copy of our FREE wedding planning checklist.

In this Vendor Spotlight we get to learn more about Deepwood Museum & Gardens.

Elizabeth Basalto is the wedding coordinator at the Deepwood Museum & Gardens in Salem, Oregon.

You can meet Elizabeth at the Willamette Wedding Show in Salem on February 3, 2024 at the Salem Convention Center.

What is your role in the business?
Wedding Coordinator

What is your business specialty and what makes your company unique from others? 
We can host special events such as weddings, Quinceaneras, retirement parties, business gatherings, and more on our sprawling grounds May-October. We can host intimate events up to 275 guests! Our Formal Gardens were designed by Elizabeth Lord & Edith Schryver during the 1930s. They were the first female landscape architectural firm in the Pacific Northwest.

Tell us when and how your business began. 
The Friends of Deepwood non-profit organization was founded in 1974. We host special events and offer rentals of the formal gardens to raise funds for the care and preservation of Deepwood!

What is your location/area you serve?
We are located in Salem, Oregon.

What should a couple searching for your category know?
We have a 4,000 square foot tented court area that acts as a beautiful space for a reception but also as our inclement weather option should the entire event need to be held under cover.
We have several gorgeous garden areas that are available for not only ceremony, reception, etc. but also for pictures!

How far in advance should a couple book with you?
We recommend booking at least six months in advance; however since we can host events seven days a week, we are very flexible to book weddings on shorter notice!

Lightning Round:

Mountains or Beach? Beach
When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?  Veterinarian
Black Tie or Casual?  Casual
Go to beverage? Coffee

In this Vendor Spotlight we get to learn more about DL Photography by Darcie.

Darcie Lafountaine is a wedding photographer based in Salem and serves couples all over Oregon and beyond.

You can meet Darcie at the Willamette Wedding Show in Keizer on September 10, 2023 and the Willamette Wedding Show in Salem on February 3, 2024.

What is your role in the business?
Photographer, videographer, owner do it all gal!

What is your business specialty and what makes your company unique from others? 
DL Photography, owned and operated by the talented Darcie LaFountaine, is the perfect choice for couples seeking to capture the magic of their wedding day in the Willamette Valley. With years of experience and a passion for storytelling through photography, Darcie knows exactly how to create images that are not only beautiful but also deeply personal.

As a wedding photographer, Darcie takes the time to get to know each couple, learning about their unique love story and vision for their big day. She works closely with them to create a custom photography plan that perfectly captures their personalities, emotions, and style.

From the sweet moments of getting ready to the heartfelt exchange of vows and the joyous celebration that follows, Darcie has an eye for capturing every detail and emotion. Her images are timeless, yet modern, and reflect the true essence of the couple's love and the special moments shared with family and friends.

Darcie's photography business is more than just a job to her, it's a passion that she puts her heart and soul into. She understands the importance of preserving the memories of your wedding day, and strives to provide a personalized, stress-free experience that allows you to focus on what really matters - celebrating your love with those closest to you.

When you choose DL Photography for your wedding, you can rest assured that you're working with a professional who truly cares about creating a beautiful and meaningful experience for you. With her warm personality and expert eye for detail, Darcie will guide you through the photography process with ease, capturing memories that you'll cherish for a lifetime.

Tell us when and how your business began. 
Photographer is in my blood, my grandparents were professional photographer in Portland Oregon and I have always been around the business of photography. I started taking photos for my kids sporting events when they were little, over 13 years ago. Then people were asking me to taking photos of friends and family,  and it has blossomed into photographing seniors, families and weddings.

What is your location/area you serve?
I live in Salem Oregon but will photographer anywhere in Oregon.  I have been known to travel to Mexico and Paris as well!!

How long have you been in the industry? What do you think has changed the most since then?
I have been in the photo industry over 15 years, Wedding industry about 8 years.  The biggest change I think I have seen is the evolution of film to digital ~ this has been huge! Everyone has a camera with them all the time, which has been a blessing and a curse. I really like seeing unplugged weddings and seeing more people just wanting to be present in the special day.

What should a couple searching for your category know?
Every photographer is unique and has their own style.  I would highly suggest sitting down with each one that you like and get to know them a little.  As a photographer we are with you all day and sometimes with you in the most personal moments in your life. You want to find someone that you work well with and you want to have by your side!  I get to know my couples from engagement sessions to wedding day and beyond.  I love it when we can become friends and watch your relationships grow.

How far in advance should a couple book with you?
Currently I am booked 6-8 months out.  I book fairly quickly but I also don't over book myself because I want to be able to give you your finished product, your pictures, within weeks not months!

What are wedding trends you love?
Have you seen the fun video and photos of the couple in the middle of the room and every table or groups of people run up to them and take fun and silly pictures with them! OR when the couple goes to all of the tables at the reception and has super fun and wild pictures with each of them before the song ends.

What are wedding trends you wish were over?
shoving cake in each others face, garter toss, bouquet toss. (some of these are traditional ones)

What are your other hobbies and passions besides creating beautiful wedding days? 
I love to scrapbook and make cards, which brings out the creative side of me! I like to camp and fish with my family, and I LOVE to travel  the world!!!

Lightning Round:

Who’s your most played artist on your streaming service? Pitbull and Ed Sheeran
Mountains or Beach? Beach
When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?  Fashion Designer
Black Tie or Casual?  Both
Favorite board game? Dominos (not a board game but it's a game)
Go to beverage? Dr Pepper!!!!
Something people would be surprised to know about you? I am a bit of a Royal family Geek