Small Wedding Venues in Oregon

There are many incredible places to host a small wedding in Oregon, or even an elopement with a few guests – whether you’re looking for a venue in the city, on the coast, in the mountains, a campground, park, or public lands – Oregon has it all! Choose from rustic grounds with no amenities, or an established intimate venue with the facilities to host your event in style. Whatever kind of small wedding is your dream, Oregon is one of the best places in the world to make your vision come to life. Here, there are millions of acres of dozens of environments to choose from – rocky & sandy beaches, thick old-growth forest, snow-capped mountain peaks, dried lake beds in barren desert, and more. Keep reading to see a breakdown of the BEST small wedding venues in Oregon! 

Best Small Wedding Venues in Portland, Oregon

In Portland, you get the best of both worlds – the comforts of big-city luxury, and the natural beauty of the PNW. Only minutes from downtown is one of the largest urban forests in the country – Forest Park. There, you’ll find 70 miles of trails over 5000 acres of forest. The city also has some of the best restaurants in the state, adorable AirBnb’s, and it’s a great home-base for day trips to the mountains, the Columbia River Gorge, or even the coast! Plan your Portland destination elopement and the opportunities for adventure are truly endless.

Some of our favorite wedding venues in Portland:

Hoyt Arboretum – Located just a few minutes from downtown, in Forest Park, the Hoyt Arboretum has some of the most beautiful trees in Portland – old redwoods that tower over you & make you feel like you’re far away from the city in an ancient forest. Afterward, it’s only a 10-minute drive to be in the heart of bustling Portland!

The Nightwood – This venue in Northeast Portland is the ideal venue for couples who are foodies & appreciate an inclusive package service to host their event. The Nightwood has in-house food, staffing, tables & linens (no outside rentals necessary), plus event coordination.

Union Pine – This venue is perfect for a classic modern indoor wedding, or even a post-elopement reception with your loved ones. Gorgeous wood-panelled walls and rustic accents make this venue unique, and perfect for hosting a fun, classic, small wedding party.

Government Cove – The dynamic look of this cove in the Columbia River Gorge showcases some of the forested islands in the Columbia River, and you can hike out to an overlook from the Oregon side of the gorge and see the beautiful cliffs of Washington state.

Port of Cascade Locks Thunder Island is a private island you can rent in the Columbia River Gorge to host a small outdoor wedding. The island is accessible from a mainland parking lot by a small bridge and you can get married right by the water’s edge with a view of the Bridge of the Gods behind you. 

Best Small Wedding Venues on the Oregon Coast

All of Oregon’s 363 miles of beach is free and public thanks to the 1967 Oregon Beach Bill. A wedding here simply requires a special use permit from Oregon Parks and Recreation. From Astoria to Brookings, the Oregon coast is the ideal place for couples looking to elope or plan a small wedding with iconic scenery – Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach, or maybe the black rock cliffs of Ecola State Park, Oregon’s coast has a mesmerizing beauty that makes it perfect for small weddings doors. You also have a handful of historic buildings to choose from if you want to have an indoor ceremony – Astoria is one of the oldest port towns on the west coast of the United States, and the restoration of many of the city’s oldest buildings maintained the incredible beauty of this town.

Some of our favorite wedding venues on the Oregon coast:

Alderbrook Station – A gorgeous old red barn-style venue on the Columbia River in Astoria. Explore the historic waterfront and get married at a venue that encapsulates the iconic history of this west coast port city.  

The Ruins – Located in the historic Jacob Astor building in Astoria, The Ruins are a beautifully restored wedding venue in the heart of downtown. The recent restorations accentuated the history of this unique venue by revealing the old stone walls, a brick fireplace, and enough space to invite your loved ones to enjoy a romantic ceremony and intimate reception.

Cannon Beach – Get married on Oregon’s gorgeous coast with the iconic Haystack Rock creating a dramatic backdrop to your beach wedding. Explore the tide pools, rocky outcroppings, and the quaint town of Cannon Beach to see some of the best parts of Oregon’s remarkable shoreline.

Capella By the Sea – This unique chapel is in Brookings, which is the southernmost section of Oregon’s coastline, and right by the redwoods that extend down into California. The coast of Brookings is incredibly rocky, which makes for incredibly gorgeous scenery for weddings.

Best Oregon Wedding Venues in the Mountains

The Cascade mountains split Oregon down the middle – creating a wetter, more temperate west coast of the state and a drier, more seasonally-rich east side. The mountains themselves make the perfect place to elope! Choose from year-round snow-capped peaks, or forested hillsides where you can hike out to waterfalls, rivers, and steep mossy cliffs. The tallest mountain in Oregon, Mt. Hood, is less than two hours from Portland and has incredible outdoor recreation all year long. Plan a winter wonderland wedding, or hike out to a mirror lake at sunrise in the summer. We love the mountains and have a tendency to gravitate toward peaks wherever we are, but there’s something extra beautiful about the deep green mountains of the Oregon Cascades!

Timberline Lodge – There are multiple places to choose from within the Timberline Lodge grounds to host a small wedding. Enjoy views of Mt. Hood and get married at the amphitheater, or celebrate in Raven’s Nest and get married in a room that feels like an a-frame cabin.

Silcox Hut – This lodge is located a mile above Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood. Host and celebrate with up to 14 people at this venue on the mountain, and then hike the trails lined by wildflowers in the summer. It’s the perfect place for a mountain wedding celebration – lodging & stunning views all in one package!

Trillium Lake – This pristine lake in the forefront with Mt. Hood standing tall in the background is a gorgeous venue for a small wedding. The lake itself is popular in the summer, but still quiet in the early morning and would be ideal at sunrise, or even in the off-season when you might find some snow (or a lot of snow)!

Five Pine Lodge – Located in the mountains near Sisters, this lodge offers elopement packages that include a gorgeous mountain cabin stay, an intimate ceremony & even a voucher to the spa! They also offer a weekend wedding package for those who want to celebrate with friends and family.

Best Small Wedding Venues in Central Oregon

Central Oregon is where you can find some of the most varied climates and landscapes in the state. The dry desert lake beds come right up to the foothills of mountains covered in moss and thick old growth forests. Hike deep into the hillsides to discover waterfalls hundreds of feet high, explore the tall ponderosa pines that smell like vanilla, or even hike around Crater Lake and witness one of the deepest freshwater bodies of water in the world. There are so many incredible small wedding venues in central Oregon, choose your favorite and go explore!

Some of our favorite small wedding venues in central Oregon: 

Loloma Lodge – Located in the forests of Mackenzie Bridge, this small wedding venue has lodging, camping, recreation, and a ceremony site. Feel close to nature without the lack of amenities at other campsites and enjoy celebrating deep in the woods with your friends and family.

The Suttle Lodge – This lodge in the Deschutes National Forest has a range of accommodation, from rustic cabins to luxury suites. Check out the cocktail menu in the main lodge, or get outside for hiking and boating within walking distance of your log cabin.

Rainshadow Organics – Located in the valley of Sisters, this farm offers an event venue and organic farm to table meal. Celebrate with a fresh meal while enjoying the warm summer sunset at this lush, quiet farm.

House on Metolius – A private resort and nature reserve along the river where you can explore hundreds of acres of estate surrounded by millions of acres of national forest. The rustic cabin buildings let in a lot of natural light, and each of the cabin accommodations is unique and cozy.

Black Butte Ranch – A mix of modern and rustic lodges in the forest make this ranch the perfect place to invite everyone for your small wedding celebration. Choose from the elopement or intimate celebration packages and the ranch provides an officiant, planning services, and a beautiful mountain backdrop for your ceremony.

White Aspen Creative – This is a photo studio in Bend that makes the perfect event venue for small weddings. The clean, classic features make this space truly beautiful for a minimalist ceremony and leave plenty of room for the imagination for couples who hope to style the space. 

Elk Lake Resort – Get married on the shores of the lake and plan to stay in a cabin, campsite, or one of the resort’s “glamping tents.” This venue is perfect for hosting the ceremony and a reception afterward.

Best Venues for an Oregon Campground Wedding

There are so many gorgeous campgrounds throughout Oregon that make amazing small wedding venues! Some of them are private, and others are public on national forest land. In some places you can rent out an entire campground, group campsite, or multiple campsites and have your ceremony and celebration right there – tucked in the forest, alongside a river, or on the shores of a lake.

Public Campsites Ideal for Small Weddings:

Camp Sherman Campground – This campground is open year-round, and first-come-first-served during the offseason. Camp near the Metolius River and have access to endless recreation nearby with hiking, biking, or rafting straight from the campsite.

Umatilla National Forest Cabins – The North Fork Ranger District has a group of cabins available for rent that make the perfect place to host a small group for a wedding celebration. Get married there or head out on one of the nearby trails to say, “I do.”

Private Campsites Ideal for Small Weddings:

Camp Lane –  There is a historic lodge with a communal kitchen, a-frame cabins, yurts, and even treehouses. There is a flat-rate use fee for groups up to 50 people. Chose from outdoor venues, a rustic cabin space set up for wedding ceremonies, or even host an outdoor reception in the covered picnic area.

Camp Colton – This is a lovely place in the woods for hosting small wedding ceremonies close to nature with a beautiful ceremony spot by a river, a gorgeous old wooden chapel building, and camping throughout.

Westwind Camp – Only yards from the beach, this camp is situated on 529 acres of protected wilderness. You can stay for the weekend, or spend more time to explore the many nearby trails perfect for accessing some of the most beautiful overlooks and cliffs high above the shore. 

Best Oregon Park Wedding Locations

Oregon is overflowing with amazing state parks, plus the state’s singular national park – Crater Lake. With accessible picnic areas & gathering locations, gorgeous viewpoints, and fun hikes – Oregon’s parks make wonderful destinations for adventurous elopements and small weddings! If you want to plan a wedding in an Oregon state park, all you need is a special use permit from Oregon State Parks.

Some of our favorite parks in Oregon to host small weddings:

Crater Lake National Park – Located in the mountains of central Oregon, Crater Lake is one of the deepest lakes in the world! Nearly 2000 feet deep, this lake is accessible year-round and offers miles of trails to access viewpoints above the lake itself. Take a boat into the crater and visit Wizard Island, or hike all the around the lake to see it from every vantage point.

Smith Rock State Park – The North Point Amphitheater is perfect for hosting small weddings in this desert playground. Or, take to one of the many hiking trails and explore the rocky spires. If you’re a climber, you could even get married on the ropes with a full view of this unique desert landscape. 

Silver Falls State Park – Silver Falls is a unique collection of some truly incredible waterfalls. You can even hike behind one and see the 177 feet of cascading water from a completely different angle. 

Ecola State Park  – This park is incredibly unique because you can access the beach and the view from above the cliffs quite easily. The beach is surrounded by gorgeous black rock that is spotted by barnacles washed up when the tide is high.

Cape Lookout State Park – There are dozens of miles of hiking trails that take you through thick forest to some of the most incredible overlooks above the Oregon coastline. Camp, rent a cabin or yurt and explore days worth of recreational opportunities. 

Wallowa Lake State Park – This lake creates dramatic reflections of the surrounding mountain peaks and forest. Camp by the lakeshore and hike around the lake, or take paddle boards or kayaks out onto the water. 

Cottonwood Canyon State Park – Located near The Dalles, this park has the unique desert landscape of eastern Oregon and dramatic views of the John Day River, which carved steep cliff sides as it wound through this landscape over hundreds of thousands of years.

No matter where you want to get married in Oregon, there are so many gorgeous venues to choose from! Host your small wedding anywhere in the state and pick from a variety of landscapes, climates, and seasons to personalize your day. Whatever place you love most – beach, mountain, desert, forest, or waterfall – you’ll find it in Oregon!

If you’re ready to begin planning your small wedding, reach out! We’d love to help you find the perfect place to say “I do.”